Daughter is 8 months, at daycare 8.30 to 4. They ask parents to send her food. No fridge in the infant room, boxes stay at room temperature till lunch. I'm sending mashed dal rice and fruit puree. Both come back half eaten. I'm also not convinced mashed rice should be sitting for four hours. What do others actually send? Not looking for a diet chart, just what works.
At that age our daycare preferred dry-ish things: soft idli pieces, steamed apple, a banana they mashed on the spot. The wet mash was always what came back. That was 13 years ago though, things may be different now.
Grandmother here. When my granddaughter was in daycare we sent ragi porridge in a small insulated flask, still warm at lunch, and she ate it better than anything cold. Her parents didn't believe it would work, haha. On the rice sitting out, if you're unsure, ask your paediatrician rather than this group.
Our daycare has a fridge, so a different situation, but the half-eaten box was our story too at 8 months. Turned out she was also eating the daycare's own snack and bits of other children's food. Ask what else she's getting through the day before deciding your food is the problem.
We had the same no-fridge setup when our daughter was a baby. We switched to things that are fine at room temperature anyway: steamed and mashed sweet potato, soft khichdi in an insulated container, fruit cut at the daycare. The half eating continued for a while regardless. Does she finish the same quantity at home?
At home she eats maybe two thirds of the same amount, so not that different. Will try the insulated container for khichdi and stop counting the leftovers so closely.
Has the daycare said why there's no fridge for the infant room? For four hours that's the thing I'd push on, not the menu.
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