Cooking for children

[ChefRon]

My wife owns a day care and watches about 25 children throughout the day. Part of her contract calls for feeding the tots a balanced meal once per shift. I must confess that the most difficult customers I have ever served are aged 6 and under! I once made real mac and cheese using scraps like gouda, cheddar, jack and so forth (leftovers I found in the fridge) blended in a velvety bechamel, but they refused it because it was not florescent orange (like Kraft). Does anyone have experience in cooking for rug rats? What items do you prepare?

Well ChefRon, I have a 2 1/2 year old nephew and I feed him daily at my restaurant... He loves simple and clean food. Basics. Cheese toast, as he calls it. Grilled cheese sandwiches basically. Loves pasta... He loves fruit. Melons, strawberries, bananas. But the wierd thing he likes is CROUTONS> Yes, garlic-herbed croutons! I think the apple doesn't fall far from the garlic crouton tree....His mom loves the croutons, too.

One suggestion is noodles and cream cheese! Make a cream cheese and heavy cream mixture and toss with pasta. All kids have different tastes but I have noticed that they all share a liking for salty or briny things.. Pickles, olives or salty cheeses... its an odd phenomenom.

Aside from this, I would suggest your wife gets requests from the moms! Best of luck.