I've been waiting for three years ever so paitiently, for DS to start preschool so we can make some pretty fantastic cupcakes to take on bdays and party days. He starts school next week (sniff, sniff) and I found out they aren't allowed to take cupcakes because they aren't nutritional and they are messy.

Ok, so help me out here, how do I sneak in a nutritional cuppy that's less messy?? Any ideas?

Does carrotcake count?????? Or chocolate zuchinni?

That's silly on the pre-school's part. Do they really think that parents never give their children unhealthy food? Living in their own dreamworld if so. Anyway, I would ask the pre-school about the carrot cake and the zuchinni. It sounds healthy to me. I've also heard of people putting applesauce in cakes to keep them moist but yet make it healthy. So maybe if you talk to them and tell them... who knows! Ask them if you could get the parents to sign cupcake waivers. =o) Goodluck!

Just call them muffins.

I really don't see an issue with asking that daily snacks be healthy but to ban special treats for birthdays and holidays seems a little overboard.

The cupcakes I can kind of understand with really little kids. My sister's middle child is in preschool and they've said no cupcakes or muffins because of the mess kids can make with them. Her school district doesn't want unhealthy snacks for everyday but birthdays and holidays they don't mind.

Our school doesn't really have rules about what can be sent in. The school provides snacks for kindergarteners everyday but if a parent sends cookies or something they don't care.

I think you're going to run into that "If we make an exception for one person...we'll have to make an exception for everyone" dilemma. Even if you try to convince them that you will bake a low-fat, applesauce instead of oil, fruit based MUFFIN with little or no icing on top (yes I know a muffin has as much/even more sugar than cake but I do think it helps if some of the ingredients have at least SOME nutritional value)...how will they explain that to everyone else to whom they've told "no"?

My daughter's preschool has the same restrictions; the most they will let parents send in is 100% fruit juice ice pops. Woo. I am thinking of getting some cute molds and making my own 100% fruit puree pops just so I can satisfy my creative urges. Hey they didn't say they have to be from the store ! I do have completely mixed feelings about the policy; if they allowed treats, I personally would bring in "healthier" treats but this year my DD went to a different summer preschool with no food restrictions, and I have to admit it was really beginning to bother me that someone brought cupcakes as a "snack" literally once a week. I was like, seriously people my child does not need to eat cupcakes this often. And of course they were straight from the supermarket too . I think schools do it because otherwise parents have no say about their kids' consumption of junk food.

I know allergies factor in too but what you're discussing isn't really about allergies, it's about "healthful snacks."

Try to find something else clever to decorate. For a Thanksgiving party at her school last year, I signed up for turkey sandwiches. I cut the bread with a turkey-shaped cookie cutter and then colored some cream cheese and piped it on the outside of the sandwiches sort of in the style of the turkey cookies here on CC. The kids totally went crazy for them. How awesome is that, kids going crazy for a sandwich. Maybe you can come up with some other clever, special healtful treat-snacks.

What a great idea for sandwiches!! That is so creative! I love how you thought of using cream cheese to pipe! I can see how kids would love them.

ceshell, that is a fantastic idea! I know, he's only there 2 days a week and if every child pairs up their snack day with their bday every day there would be cupcakes! But already some moms are still bringing them in -- just the mini ones. I was just hoping to so something special for holidays. I agree, I don't want him sugared up. Finding healthy but fun alternatives can be creative, too. Thanks for the ideas! (sorry, I wasn't getting notification of responses to this thread)

Thanks! It's ironic that I only came up with that idea because I spend a lot of time on CC and saw so many turkey cookies decorated in a similar manner. Maybe we should start a thread, "What nutritional, non-treat foods can you decorate the way you would a cake or cookies?" I'm envisioning something really dramatic with broccoli. LOL

Open faced sandwiches -
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/DKIMAGES/Discover/Home/Food-and-Drink/Desserts-and-Confections/Biscuits-and-Cookies/Biscuits-and-Cookies-195.html
Bento boxes - http://mushmo.livejournal.com/tag/fancy/themed
Hard boiled egg mold how-to - http://www.cookingcute.com/using_egg_molds.htm

OMG LOVE THOSE LINKS!! Bologna Tinkerbell, what will they think of next...

Here at my DD's school we aren't allowed to send anything "bad". Even cookies. They used to give the students a cupcake with their lunch on their birthday, but they stopped doing that and now they get a popcicle. ooohhh....the excitement. I think that party treats are fine. It's not like they are eating cupcakes and cookies all the time. I think it's a little ridiculous to me.

7yyrt - Thanks! Those are so neat! What a great idea!!!

I understand how you feel, 100%. My sons preschool allow homemade stuff and cupcakes, but when my oldest when to public school, we where told that we can't send anything homemade at all, nothing thats unhealthy and we can't celebrate their birthdays during school hours.

But to the other ideas, thanks so much. Love the sandwich ideas!

Those sandwiches are a great idea.

My dd's school won't allow edible birthday treats at all. The kids bring in Playdoh or pencils to give to their friends to celebrate their bday.

Our school has a new nutritional policy. Nothing may be given to a student that has a high sugar or fat content. So, parents started to send in treats like sugar free Jello jigglers. That was fine with the school, but has anyone read the ingredients in those things? There is no food in them-just artificial sweeteners and artificial colors and flavorings. Now I have my students make a keepsake book for the birthday child and we do not celebrate in school with food. IMHO just one more example of those in charge not being able to see a balanced approach, but an all or nothing mentality.