Daycare With Meals Included: What to Ask About Food

Updated November 2026. Rules cited are from 23 Ill. Adm. Code 2008.330, the Illinois licensing standards for day care centers.

A child in full-time daycare eats most of their weekday meals there, so food is one of the biggest everyday differences between programs. In Illinois, the question is usually less about whether a licensed center feeds your child and more about how: who cooks, what is on the menu, and how allergies are handled.

Do Illinois daycare centers have to provide food?

Yes, for licensed day care centers. The state rule says all food children eat while in the center's care must be provided by the center. There are only a few exceptions:

• Babies not yet eating table food. Parents may bring formula, breast milk and baby food, depending on the center's written policy.
• Special diets the center cannot reasonably provide. In that case, parents and the center sign a written agreement, and parents are responsible for that food.
• Occasional treats for birthdays or holidays, if staff agree. These must be store-bought and unopened.

License-exempt programs in Illinois work differently, and packed lunches are common there. Licensed family child care homes follow a separate set of rules.

How much food your child gets

The amount depends on how long your child is there each day. Centers must provide one-third to two-thirds of a child's daily nutrition needs:

• 2 to 5 hours: one snack
• 5 to 10 hours: one meal and two snacks, or two meals and one snack
• More than 10 hours: two meals and two snacks, or one meal and three snacks

Food must be offered every two to three hours, unless a child is asleep. For a full-time child, that usually means breakfast or a morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack.

What the rules say about the meals themselves

• Who cooks: food is prepared in an inspected kitchen at the center, or bought from a licensed caterer. A state-certified food service manager oversees it.
• Hot lunches: from October through May, the main meal must be hot, with no more than two exceptions a month. In summer, a cold meal is allowed.
• Fruits and vegetables: lunch includes two servings, and a good source of vitamin C is served every day.
• No sweet drinks: drinks with added sugar or sweeteners are not allowed.
• Milk: children under 2 drink whole milk unless a doctor says otherwise in writing. Children over 2 get 1% or fat-free milk.
• Desserts: cakes, cookies, pastries and other high-sugar or high-fat foods are not served.
• Choking hazards: foods that are choking risks are not served to children under 2, and foods like peanut butter and raw carrots are limited for 2 and 3-year-olds.
• Menus: planned at least a week ahead, posted where parents can see them, and corrected if something changes.

The rules also cover the mood at the table. An adult sits at the table with the children and models good mealtime habits, meals are relaxed and unhurried, children are never forced or bribed to eat, and food is never used as a reward or punishment.

CACFP: the federal food program

Many centers also take part in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which pays back part of the cost of meals that follow its meal patterns. Those patterns include whole grains at least once a day, fruits and vegetables served as separate parts of the meal, limits on sugar in cereal and yogurt, juice no more than once a day for children 1 and older, and no deep-fried foods made on site. Ask whether a center participates. It is optional, so a center that does not is not breaking any rule.

Questions to ask about the menu

1. Can I see this month's menu?
2. Is the food cooked on site or delivered by a caterer?
3. How often do you serve fresh fruit and vegetables?
4. What do children drink with meals and between meals?
5. What happens if my child does not eat lunch?
6. Do you offer vegetarian or religious meal options?
7. Are meals served family style, where children pass bowls and serve themselves?

Family-style meals build fine motor skills and table manners, and many programs use them for preschoolers.

Allergies and special diets

Illinois rules require centers to follow written diet instructions from parents, doctors or clergy for children with allergies, medical needs or religious diets, and to keep those instructions on file. On a tour, ask:

• Is the center peanut-free or nut-free?
• Where are allergy lists posted, and do substitute teachers see them?
• Who prepares the allergy-safe meal, and how is it kept separate?
• Where is epinephrine stored, and who is trained to use it?
• What happens with birthday treats?

Our guide to peanut-free daycare and allergy plans covers this in detail.

Meals for babies and young toddlers

Infants eat on their own schedule, not the classroom's. Ask:

• Does the center supply formula, or do I bring it? Which brand?
• How is breast milk stored and labeled?
• Will teachers follow my baby's feeding times and hunger cues?
• When and how do you start solid foods? Do you follow what we do at home?
• When do babies move to table food and the toddler menu?

See does daycare provide formula, diapers and food? for what centers usually cover.

Picky eaters

Many parents are surprised to hear their child eats vegetables at daycare and refuses them at home. Eating next to friends, seeing others try new foods and having set mealtimes all help. Ask teachers to tell you what your child actually ate, especially in the first weeks. See why kids eat at daycare but not at home.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pack my child's lunch for daycare in Illinois?

Not at a licensed day care center, in most cases. The center must provide food, except for babies not yet on table food, special diets the center cannot reasonably make, and occasional store-bought treats.

Is food included in daycare tuition?

At most licensed centers, meals and snacks are part of the program. Ask whether there is any separate food fee.

Can daycares serve juice?

Juice without added sweeteners can be served. Drinks with added sugar or sweeteners cannot. Centers in CACFP also limit juice to once a day.

What do daycare kids eat for breakfast?

Common choices include whole-grain cereal, oatmeal, fruit, eggs, toast and milk. Ask to see a sample week.

Meals at Children's Land

Every Children's Land location serves a hot breakfast and lunch, made with fresh, organic foods and catered daily. Our schools are peanut and tree nut-free, and each classroom posts its allergy list. For babies in our infant program, we provide formula and baby food, and parents can bring their own if they prefer. Find a location or contact us to see a menu on your tour.

Related reading: Infant Daycare Schedule: What a Baby's Day Looks Like.