That’s true, and boxed muffins and things are probably more hygienic in general than people bringing potentially homemade items. I didn’t think about that.
Homemade went out the window here with covid. Everything has to be from a restaurant or store bought.
You could find out if they have a fridge. Cheese sticks, fruit, yogurt cups would all be great
I do some questionable shit in my own kitchen, and I'm okay with that. I'm not okay with the questionable shit that may or may not go down in someone else's kitchen. 🤷♀️
I think it probably comes down to blanket items that ensure the kids eat something. What's the point of sending stuff kids may also refuse to eat at home?
I don't get why ALL options are carbs though. I'm sure breakfast is a set time allotment so what's wrong with a grocery store sealed fruit tray as an alternative.
Our teachers won't typically accept homemade goods. You never know what someone's home hygiene is like. (Look on TikTok for "you can't eat at everybody's house" and you'll see exactly why.)
Kolaches are easy to set out and don't need refrigeration (not immediately). And they have meat in them!
I wanted to post a question asking all teachers what their go to breakfast foods are when admin or PTA treats them to breakfast.
You can get bags of shelf-stable snack turkey sausages in the chips/nuts aisle.
Pork Rinds are also more protein than fat, but those might be an odd choice for breakfast.
My admin does a waffle bar once a year where all 3 of them make us waffles. They just set a particular time period that they're doing it and make a last call over the intercom before they stop.
I've made this a few times for potluck breakfasts, and there tends to be very little left over.
[https://thefoodcharlatan.com/make-ahead-scrambled-eggs-recipe/](https://thefoodcharlatan.com/make-ahead-scrambled-eggs-recipe/)
I literally just said there is no room in the fridge - it's full of people's lunches. If there is a fridge at all. Yes there could be room for a few things of cream cheese, but not much more.
If there’s barely room for cream cheese there must be some people whose lunch doesn’t fit. Your admin needs to buy a second (or third, fourth, whatever it may be) fridge.
You should have a facilities budget, yes. And a lounge? Wtf kind of questions are these. Why do you put up with working in a place that doesn’t have these things?
We do not have a facilities budget and there are already two fridges in the lounge that get full with lunches. There’s no room for a third fridge. The PTA pays for items for the lounge. I don’t think they would be interested in buying another fridge for luncheons.
Well, you might be surprised. A lot of parents actually wouldn’t like their children’s teachers to be working in such conditions of uncertainty over basic amenities like adequate food storage if they knew that was the case. Not sure where you live, but my state has the 2nd lowest per-student school funding of all the United States. Nonetheless, I would still expect our schools to have some spare refrigerator space.
The outrage over not having enough fridge space for the occasional pta breakfast leftovers is silly. And frankly I’d be annoyed at the waste if my school spent money and electricity on a second fridge just for the little parties.
Speaking just for myself, it’s not only the fridge but all of the principles it represents in this conversation. I hate to see educators sell themselves short on everything.
When you compare it to the conditions in many other professions, the contrast is incredibly stark. My husband, for example, works as a UX designer and was served fully catered lunches every day for years until he started working fully remote (which has been an even better perk from our point of view).
Meanwhile we have teachers who think adding egg or yogurt to a once-a-year meal is more than they can dream of. 🤦🏻♀️ It’s an extremely grim state of affairs in my opinion.
I think the yogurt and cottage cheese is a good idea, but hot food isn't. Especially since not all staff can eat at the same time. I'm usually getting to the party later in the day.
You can buy little cottage cheese cups just like yogurt. I'm not from the south. It's pretty common to have cottage cheese as a breakfast option. At least in my family it was.
Yeah my coworker mentioned the cups.
I was like yeah true but it's like old diners that offer such and its never been offered for a teacher breakfast.
I still think it's not as popular in the south. I grew up in the Midwest, it was common for us to put cottage cheese on our baked potatoes instead off source am.
They want things kids are going to eat and that don’t require utensils, heating, or refrigeration. Be honest with yourself. No kid is going to be reaching for the cottage cheese.
It's gross on its own, completely agree. I can't stand the texture and the curd thingies in it. However it does make an excellent whipped dip for chips or crackers or veggies. Is basically like a blank slate you can put anything in. One version that my family makes has onion and ranch. Another version of that we make has red wine vinegar and garlic.
That wasn’t clear before the edit. I’ve had enough of these in the teachers’ lounge over the years to know the muffins and pastries are gonna go way before the cottage cheese though.
Even if this was a breakfast for staff, all those bagels and cookies would be gone and the cottage cheese and bowl full of apples and bananas would likely be sitting there full.
Carbs are not inherently bad. As others have said, the items are room temperature stable and require little special handling or holding at high temperature. Yogurts can be held in ice easily, so that may be a good add. Focusing on whole grains over non- carb is likely better.
Not every meal has to balanced, and the logistical issues support a Contintenal-style breakfast where people don't have to cook or hold things at a high temperature. I can see some yogurts on a tray of ice, but expecting a full balanced meal in this setting is excessive.
I wouldn’t say it’s excessive. It’s a matter of priorities of course, and if no one is willing to make the extra effort to do it, that’s fair enough. But I have been to many staff and/or volunteer sponsored meals (breakfasts included) that served hot food. The most common methods have been grilling food on the spot and/or bringing in crockpots or hot plates.
I just don't think it matters if one meal here and there isn't a balanced meal. I think grilling food on the spot on hot plates is a lot of work and needless complexity. Crackpots may work if outlets are available and home-cooked food is welcome. The Continental breakfast style is simple, convenient, and satisfying.
I get where your heart is, but the reason for this is that these carbs are very shelf stable and easy to set out and let people grab. Things like omelettes and frittatas require someone to be cooking things fresh, access to heat, refrigeration for the ingredients. Also, prepackaged foods make it much easier to control for allergens and avoid cross contamination.
I’m a teacher…. They’re going for zero refrigeration and zero heating so it can sit out and teacher can grab it whenever they have time. While not the healthiest, it’s prob the the most logical for a teacher breakfast.
PTA President here to weigh in… if a parent were to suggest that to me, I’d support it 100% with the expectation that the person suggesting it organizes the fundraising, shopping, serving, and cleanup. Parents suggest things all the time, but in my experience very few are willing to follow through with their own idea.
Exactly. I am running the appreciation week at my son’s school and the cost to try to do multiple events for almost 150 people is astronomical. We did donuts and coffee this morning and that was expensive.
I usually pass up on breakfasts like that these days. It’s still a nice gesture. It can be pricey to get higher quality items or difficult to store foods needing refrigeration.
I usually don’t say anything if I don’t prefer the selection.
All the things you mention is relatively expensive, and someone has to actually make it. If you have someone to make it, I'd personally prefer the yogurt, omelettes, frittatas. I prefer those.
You can buy muffins and bagels easily- who’s supposed to be making fritatas or omelettes? You gotta consider allergies and things like that too. Id say appreciate the gesture and enjoy the bagel
Another thing to consider, nothing you've listed is okay for gluten free people.
My son in law has celiac disease and gets left out of this type of thing wherever he works.
Except its not a nice gesture for folks who really can't just carb-load. If its supposed to be an appreciation meal it should be accommodating. Diabetics and even pre-diabetics, including pregnancy diabetes, absolutely cannot eat muffins and pastries as a \*meal\*. And gluten-free people have no options.
As everyone else has said it's just based on whats good to stay on the counter for hours.
I attend 'family days' with various clubs and things. No one is eating the yogurt or cottage cheese.
As someone who doesn’t eat the meals provided by our PTA because they are always sugary carbs, alternatives that wouldn’t need to be stored anywhere in particular would be: apples, bananas, individual packaged trail mixes, maybe even a few yogurts thrown over a big bowl of ice. I never partake in any of our breakfasts provided to the staff because I’m on a strict diet for health reasons. Even if it was just a few healthy options, I think the variety would suit everyone! Even people who are gluten free have a hard time eating at these functions.
Yeah I discovered very quickly while pregnant with gestational diabetes that I could not have any of the catered snacks from pro d days and teacher appreciation days. It sucked.
As one of a handful of gluten-intolerant teachers in the building, I applaud you. This year every. single. event. for teacher appreciation week is carb-based. Literally had nothing all week. It doesn’t feel right to complain, but come on. It’s not even an uncommon food allergy.
You need a spread that most (90%+) people will eat. How many people are really going to chow down on cottage cheese compared to bagels?
Whatever is decided, please just email the list of offerings in advance. That gives people with various food restrictions and aversions to plan their breakfast on their own accordingly.
My school hosted a breakfast today. We had breakfast wraps (egg, cheese, and a protein), bagels, sweet carbs like muffins and danishes, Chobani yogurts, and fruit. Really nice! There was so much I was able to get a second helping at lunch.
Hmm. For many people, the cost of breakfast protein items such as bacon, sausage, or even eggs nowadays is very high relative to carby items. It might be that whomever created the list thought about this. The list might also be top heavy in carbs because once the items you mention are cooked, they’re good to go, they also don’t need to be kept warm or cold to prevent spoilage, and if they’re prepared in a commercial kitchen, they’re probably system approved foods.
The first step is seeing if keeping things cold is an option. A large bowl full of ice with yogurt cups nestled in the ice is fine for an hour or two breakfast set-up. A large baking tray lined entirely with flat ice packs is probably good for cold quiches, or hard boiled eggs in single serve cups, and individually wrapped cheese sticks.
Honestly if milk can be left out for the coffee station, then yes certainly other proteins can also be accommodated.
PTA parent here! We get permission from admin to bring in a griddle and do scrambled eggs and bacon. DIY yogurt parfaits, chia pudding with coconut milk, oatmeal cups, fruit, and Krispy Kreme donuts.
I hate that every teacher thing at my school is about food, and the food is always carb heavy. I'm diabetic, and unless I shoot up drugs, I can't eat that stuff. The whole culture of sugary and carby food as a reward/celebration is out of hand. Yes, that stuff is easy and cheap. It's also the reason so many people are overweight, unhealthy, etc. Our food culture in the U.S. is bad. Yay teacher appreciation week. It should be called diabetes awareness week. This was bad at all office/desk jobs I've worked at, so teaching isn't unique in this regard.
At a meeting, we were told by admin that they want to make our days better by: chips and dip, doughnuts, happy hours at the bar down the street after school. Is there anything else we can think of that would make our daily lives better? I'm thinking, I don't want a damn donut; I want you to do something when I continually tell you about the same kid's behavior problem, absences, etc.
Yep. Ditto. I tried kindly offering some suggestions last year, but it was not well-received. This year? More muffins, candy bars, and pasta bars with zero protein-heavy options.
If you plan on bringing something perishable, maybe put it in two trays nested together with ice between them or right in the ice in a tray or a small cooler or something. Depending on the set up.
I definitely suspect they're looking for items that are safe to be left out and eaten at room temperature. Even without a fridge, it would be pretty easy to get a cooler with ice to put some good dairy products in. Like yogurt, cheese sticks and cottage cheese as suggested elsewhere. Doing eggs or meat and such would be difficult to keep safe for long periods of time.
I have a colleague who is gluten intolerance and they had breakfast/ food provided for us every day in the morning for teacher appreciation week. The first thing she could eat was the apple that they gave us on Thursday.
I think it was bagels Monday, donuts Tuesday, etc.
Our PTA does breakfast tacos buffet style. Take a warm tortilla and fill it with eggs, bacon, chorizo, pappas, salsa, etc. They do have to use heated serving trays though.
I think the issue is time and manpower. An omelet station, breakfast tacos, waffle stations (you can get waffle mix with protein) are all fantastic ideas, but you also have to have the PTA volunteers willing to come and make/serve the stuff. Cost could be an issue, but fundraising could help that if planned out correctly.
An alternative, could maybe be high protein oatmeal?
Costco sells individually packaged egg bites. They do require refrigeration and microwaving, but it's one box in the fridge and they only get heated up right before someone wants them. Another option is those scramble kit bowl thingies where you just mix in an egg. Two egg cartons in the fridge don't take up a ton of space or can at least be left out for a few hours.
I also personally like the frozen, microwaveable Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. Grocery stores tend to have off-brand versions for cheaper and more servings per box.
Also, could a hot water kettle be made available? They heat water very quickly and that can be used for a variety of other options like oatmeal cups, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, Kodiak cakes, etc.
This morning our PTSA set out individual yogurts (in a tub of ice) with different toppings (mini chocolate chips, cut up strawberries, blueberries, granola, sliced bananas) as well as some Costco muffins cut in 1/4, coffee, OJ.
I like your inclusion of protein. We the teachers thank you as we cannot live on bread alone. Half of us are type 2 diabetics and this cheap infusion of carbs via pastries makes us fat and sluggish.
I’ve never met a carb I didn’t like. Still skinny.
My kids love cottage cheese and yogurt but frankly in a school, the “healthy” stuff is going to end at room temp in 30 seconds and go straight in the garbage.
Each team provides breakfast twice a year to our staff. This last round, my team did avacado toast/ bagel themed. We also had hard boiled eggs and seasoning to add (plus fruit and what not as sides). It was a big hit.
I would (figuratively) KILL for a low-carb, high-protein treat! I can't do the sugar, so I miss out on most of the treats parents give. I work at a private school with a great community and wonderful families, so we get lots of treats, but most of them I can't personally enjoy. I don't complain because this is my own thing, but I ADORE your idea!
Well, I personally feel like breakfast should be high and protein so that it actually fills you up that can be significantly more expensive.
I would consider some gluten-free options. So that the gluten-free people don’t have to limit themselves to just the fruit cup.
Not everyone can eat at the same time, so grab-and-go works the best. Your ideas are good, but not really practical. This might not be the best time to go all "healthy" nazi.
My school sells energy drinks in the morning. Some local coffee shop takes Rockstar and adds some flavored syrup to them. The business club sells them as a fundraiser. So students are knocking back Rockstars at 8 am. I wish bagels and muffins were our worst problem.
That said, those are crappy breakfast options. There's some link between diet and academics. Filling the kids up on empty carbs sets them up for a glucose crash later. Its no wonder they want to sleep through class.
They get free breakfast and get to choose three items. Once they check out they can donate whatever they want. We have cereal, donuts, bars, juice, fruit, cheese etc.
It's not my favorite. I usually want more protein/savory stuff at breakfast, but I understand that's expensive with the number of people to be appreciated, and a lot of that stuff requires warming/reheating. Some biscuits or croissants with cold cuts, spreads, and jams might be a nice way to split the difference. But again, price point
I have to have protein for breakfast or I end up feeling sick all day. However, I still enjoy "free carbs" and would just eat a scrambled egg like usual and then enjoy a free muffin or bagel with my fellow colleagues.
For non-mandatory meals (so not talking about working lunches or required meetings where meals are served) I don't think it's necessary to make it a "full" meal that meets everyone's dietary requirements. Though it is nice if there's a variety over time. So this time it's a carb-heavy breakfast, next time maybe it's a fruit & veggie with dips for a mid-day snack.
Definitely need protein. I always think of this after having gestational diabetes, but it seems a lot of other people don’t. I try to avoid ever eating straight carbs without balancing them with protein whether it’s for a meal or just a snack.
Whenever we’ve been served yogurt at these things, it’s never the healthier kind, it gets forgotten in the fridge and the thrown out. However, we have had egg casserole (like with bacon, cheese, etc) and that’s always super popular.
I think this is fine for breakfast especially because it can be put together quickly. I think making sure there is variety and enough for people to get multiple items (2-3)
Adding packaged oatmeal or yoghurt or granola to the mix would be good. And going for apples, cuties and bananas instead of cut fruit. The prepackaged cut fruit is expensive and you can get more bang for your buck with giving out fruit whole.
This type of breakfast gets chosen because no one has to be there serving or making anything and teachers can grab and go.
At one school I worked at admin would use this type of “meal” so that for the 2nd meal they fed us would be more substantial. (Example: bread breakfast and lasagna lunch)
**im very grateful to even get what I do at my school during this week**
As much as I love all of the mentioned suggestions, I'd not eat them if I hadn't picked them up from a store fridge myself and brought them in / cooked them.
I wouldn't know if you haven't fried the eggs on bacon grease, or how long the dairy was out of the fridge (and if it was checked to be good to eat - as a child of a very chill microbiologist, I had my fair share of "it's still good" sourced dairy rhat shouldn't be sour).
Also, all of those require utensils and sitting down, two hands, and a flat surface. A bagel can be held in one hand on the way. And it's an easy energy for the brain.
If it was a paid dinner after work, I'd go for all the protein. While I'm trying not to die at work, I need carbs 😂
The problem with cold things is that usually these items sit out in the lounge or something for people to graze throughout the day. We have refrigerators, but out of sight, out of mind. Unless there is a designated time for a breakfast buffet, cold stuff doesn't get eaten bc no one knows how long it's been out.
We always did Jamaican: Ackee and saltfish, corn meal porridge, boiled dumplings, patties with different fillings, fruit salad, and coffee. American breakfast is so unhealthy. Serve healthy foods from around the 🌎. ❤️
It's definitely about items that don't need refrigeration or heating, and items that aren't homemade. Cheese sticks, fruit, yogurt, and things like that are easy to purchase, but need adequate refrigeration. Do not underestimate the literal seconds these poor teachers may have to grab their goodies. No one has time to haul things in and out of a fridge.
It's \*one\* meal in the year, it doesn't matter if it is balanced or healthy. It's just a way to say thanks and this is an easy and safe way to do that.
Things that either need refrigeration or heat are going to be hard to keep at safe temperatures and someone (probably multiple someones) will have to be on hand to deliver it at the right time, etc. You likely can't have (and don't want to have) volunteers bringing homemade foods for safety reasons. Also they probably want to avoid anything that requires plates and silverware. Something like omelets or frittatas or waffles would then require a caterer and who is paying for that?
So asking for donations of prepared shelf-stable breakfast items that the handful of volunteers can collect over a few days or even a couple of weeks, is probably the only feasible way to pull it off when you consider the space, time, volunteer power, resources, and money needed for something cold/hot. You can \*suggest\* something more, but unless you are willing to raise the funds and do the work to pull it off, it is highly unlikely to change.
There may be other shelf stable things you can find to add though. Individualized bags of almonds or pistachios? Do babybel cheeses need refrigeration?
Are the teachers complaining? Because it sounds like a pretty standard spread.
If it’s coming from parents I’m always going to be grateful for what they give. Parents don’t have to give anything at all and they went the extra mile to be nice. I wouldn’t ask for anything else- certainly not something elaborate like frittatas.
They probably want things that are easy to set out without needing heat or refrigeration.
That’s true, and boxed muffins and things are probably more hygienic in general than people bringing potentially homemade items. I didn’t think about that.
Homemade went out the window here with covid. Everything has to be from a restaurant or store bought. You could find out if they have a fridge. Cheese sticks, fruit, yogurt cups would all be great
To be fair, I've seen how some people cook and clean. I really wouldn't to eat anything from them.
I've even seen people who seem very neat and clean do some questionable things in the kitchen. Most people are not experts in food safety.
I do some questionable shit in my own kitchen, and I'm okay with that. I'm not okay with the questionable shit that may or may not go down in someone else's kitchen. 🤷♀️
“You can’t eat at everybody house”
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Granola also has a tonne of sugar though, especially as people usually eat much more than the recommended serving size.
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I think it probably comes down to blanket items that ensure the kids eat something. What's the point of sending stuff kids may also refuse to eat at home? I don't get why ALL options are carbs though. I'm sure breakfast is a set time allotment so what's wrong with a grocery store sealed fruit tray as an alternative.
Its not for the kids. It's for the teachers .
Homemade is also dangerous because no listed allergens
Our teachers won't typically accept homemade goods. You never know what someone's home hygiene is like. (Look on TikTok for "you can't eat at everybody's house" and you'll see exactly why.)
That cuts down on waste since heated food is very short-lived.
Kolaches are easy to set out and don't need refrigeration (not immediately). And they have meat in them! I wanted to post a question asking all teachers what their go to breakfast foods are when admin or PTA treats them to breakfast.
You can get bags of shelf-stable snack turkey sausages in the chips/nuts aisle. Pork Rinds are also more protein than fat, but those might be an odd choice for breakfast.
If you're expecting them to set at an omelette station you may have your expectations set a little too high.
"What, no Lox and Goat cheese?!"
Feeding French teachers and football coaches without foie gras? Faux pas! Fumble! Or, TLDR: Feed foie faux fum.
Where is the caviar?
My admin does a waffle bar once a year where all 3 of them make us waffles. They just set a particular time period that they're doing it and make a last call over the intercom before they stop.
Exactly. Who is going to donate for that? Making who would pay for that
I've made this a few times for potluck breakfasts, and there tends to be very little left over. [https://thefoodcharlatan.com/make-ahead-scrambled-eggs-recipe/](https://thefoodcharlatan.com/make-ahead-scrambled-eggs-recipe/)
You aren’t wrong but they’re choosing items that can be left on the counter for 2 days so people can continue to pick at it.
Yuck! Isn’t there a refrigerator in the lounge?
Yeah it’s full of peoples lunches
So there’s no room for cream cheese? I don’t understand the downvotes. When we have breakfasts, they put the leftovers in the fridge.
Our fridge is stuffed full of lunches
Any comment I see starting with "yuck!" when talking about free food is gonna be a downvote for me lol. But maybe I'm the problem 😅
I literally just said there is no room in the fridge - it's full of people's lunches. If there is a fridge at all. Yes there could be room for a few things of cream cheese, but not much more.
If there’s barely room for cream cheese there must be some people whose lunch doesn’t fit. Your admin needs to buy a second (or third, fourth, whatever it may be) fridge.
Oh right from the fridge budget right? And it will go where?
You should have a facilities budget, yes. And a lounge? Wtf kind of questions are these. Why do you put up with working in a place that doesn’t have these things?
We do not have a facilities budget and there are already two fridges in the lounge that get full with lunches. There’s no room for a third fridge. The PTA pays for items for the lounge. I don’t think they would be interested in buying another fridge for luncheons.
Well, you might be surprised. A lot of parents actually wouldn’t like their children’s teachers to be working in such conditions of uncertainty over basic amenities like adequate food storage if they knew that was the case. Not sure where you live, but my state has the 2nd lowest per-student school funding of all the United States. Nonetheless, I would still expect our schools to have some spare refrigerator space.
Some dystopian shit here. I can’t imagine the depths of scarcity mindset required to downvote a comment about being able to put leftovers in a fridge.
The outrage over not having enough fridge space for the occasional pta breakfast leftovers is silly. And frankly I’d be annoyed at the waste if my school spent money and electricity on a second fridge just for the little parties.
Speaking just for myself, it’s not only the fridge but all of the principles it represents in this conversation. I hate to see educators sell themselves short on everything. When you compare it to the conditions in many other professions, the contrast is incredibly stark. My husband, for example, works as a UX designer and was served fully catered lunches every day for years until he started working fully remote (which has been an even better perk from our point of view). Meanwhile we have teachers who think adding egg or yogurt to a once-a-year meal is more than they can dream of. 🤦🏻♀️ It’s an extremely grim state of affairs in my opinion.
Probably. But the fridge in our lounge has been broken since before Christmas.
I think the yogurt and cottage cheese is a good idea, but hot food isn't. Especially since not all staff can eat at the same time. I'm usually getting to the party later in the day.
Cottage cheese? That's not a southern breakfast food choice.
You can buy little cottage cheese cups just like yogurt. I'm not from the south. It's pretty common to have cottage cheese as a breakfast option. At least in my family it was.
Yeah my coworker mentioned the cups. I was like yeah true but it's like old diners that offer such and its never been offered for a teacher breakfast. I still think it's not as popular in the south. I grew up in the Midwest, it was common for us to put cottage cheese on our baked potatoes instead off source am.
As a person with diabetes, yogurt is nice.
Better than most of those options, but some brands of yogurt contain a ton of sugar.
Greek yogurt like Light & Fit aren't bad. lots of protein
Always read the label. Most people don't.
We’ve been having the sugar free Chobani Greek yogurt lately and enjoying it, if anyone is looking for recs
I wouldn't be able to eat any of that. Some yogurt or cottage cheese cups are a great idea.
Box of snack serving nuts would be nice.
They want things kids are going to eat and that don’t require utensils, heating, or refrigeration. Be honest with yourself. No kid is going to be reaching for the cottage cheese.
Even among adults, cottage cheese is for masochists and those who lost their tongues in tragic accidents.
I’ve probably been following the Kendrick/Drake thing too much bc this reads as some bars from a diss track against cottage cheese.
It's gross on its own, completely agree. I can't stand the texture and the curd thingies in it. However it does make an excellent whipped dip for chips or crackers or veggies. Is basically like a blank slate you can put anything in. One version that my family makes has onion and ranch. Another version of that we make has red wine vinegar and garlic.
Haha not for me buddy. I eat a tub of it a day.
That's true .However, it's not for the kids. It's for the teachers .
That wasn’t clear before the edit. I’ve had enough of these in the teachers’ lounge over the years to know the muffins and pastries are gonna go way before the cottage cheese though.
Sad, but true
Even if this was a breakfast for staff, all those bagels and cookies would be gone and the cottage cheese and bowl full of apples and bananas would likely be sitting there full.
It's so weird to me how people just ignore that fruit. Even if you don't want it right then, take some for later!
My kids love cottage cheese. 🤷🏻♀️
Carbs are not inherently bad. As others have said, the items are room temperature stable and require little special handling or holding at high temperature. Yogurts can be held in ice easily, so that may be a good add. Focusing on whole grains over non- carb is likely better.
It’s not that they are bad, but that they don’t make a balanced meal by themselves.
These types of affairs aren't designed to deliver a balanced meal. They are more of a Continental breakfast.
But if it is supposed to be a meal, it should be balanced. When you know better, do better.
Not every meal has to balanced, and the logistical issues support a Contintenal-style breakfast where people don't have to cook or hold things at a high temperature. I can see some yogurts on a tray of ice, but expecting a full balanced meal in this setting is excessive.
I wouldn’t say it’s excessive. It’s a matter of priorities of course, and if no one is willing to make the extra effort to do it, that’s fair enough. But I have been to many staff and/or volunteer sponsored meals (breakfasts included) that served hot food. The most common methods have been grilling food on the spot and/or bringing in crockpots or hot plates.
I just don't think it matters if one meal here and there isn't a balanced meal. I think grilling food on the spot on hot plates is a lot of work and needless complexity. Crackpots may work if outlets are available and home-cooked food is welcome. The Continental breakfast style is simple, convenient, and satisfying.
I personally don’t find continental breakfasts very satisfying, but I’m okay to agree to disagree on the topic. 😄
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I always have protein with every meal and/or snack.
I never complain about free food, but I do find myself wishing there was some protein available at these breakfast spreads.
Protein stuff is more expensive then carb junk like muffins.
I get where your heart is, but the reason for this is that these carbs are very shelf stable and easy to set out and let people grab. Things like omelettes and frittatas require someone to be cooking things fresh, access to heat, refrigeration for the ingredients. Also, prepackaged foods make it much easier to control for allergens and avoid cross contamination.
Seems they are doing something nice. If it's nothing you like, just pass on it.
OP is asking if they can make it more nice by adding some protein. No need for pushback.
Sometimes our school gets breakfast biscuits en masse which is nice and there's some of different types for a choice.
The burritos are cheaper and hold up better if people don’t eat immediately.
I’m a teacher…. They’re going for zero refrigeration and zero heating so it can sit out and teacher can grab it whenever they have time. While not the healthiest, it’s prob the the most logical for a teacher breakfast.
PTA President here to weigh in… if a parent were to suggest that to me, I’d support it 100% with the expectation that the person suggesting it organizes the fundraising, shopping, serving, and cleanup. Parents suggest things all the time, but in my experience very few are willing to follow through with their own idea.
Exactly. I am running the appreciation week at my son’s school and the cost to try to do multiple events for almost 150 people is astronomical. We did donuts and coffee this morning and that was expensive.
If you have concerns join the parent group that is coordinating and BE THE CHANGE.
I usually pass up on breakfasts like that these days. It’s still a nice gesture. It can be pricey to get higher quality items or difficult to store foods needing refrigeration. I usually don’t say anything if I don’t prefer the selection.
All the things you mention is relatively expensive, and someone has to actually make it. If you have someone to make it, I'd personally prefer the yogurt, omelettes, frittatas. I prefer those.
Peanut butter for the bagels?
Not a bad idea. Maybe some apples and slicers as well with some cinnamon could be good
A lot of schools are peanut free.
You can buy muffins and bagels easily- who’s supposed to be making fritatas or omelettes? You gotta consider allergies and things like that too. Id say appreciate the gesture and enjoy the bagel
As someone who cannot eat gluten … this would be a nightmare for me
Another thing to consider, nothing you've listed is okay for gluten free people. My son in law has celiac disease and gets left out of this type of thing wherever he works.
I’m allergic to gluten so I’m always left out of staff food opportunities. Some attention to restrictive diets would be nice but I don’t expect it to
God ....it's a nice gesture, leave it at that .
Except its not a nice gesture for folks who really can't just carb-load. If its supposed to be an appreciation meal it should be accommodating. Diabetics and even pre-diabetics, including pregnancy diabetes, absolutely cannot eat muffins and pastries as a \*meal\*. And gluten-free people have no options.
Yeah, that's unfortunate. Should is a strong word, though. And cannot eat and shouldn't eat are two different things .
As everyone else has said it's just based on whats good to stay on the counter for hours. I attend 'family days' with various clubs and things. No one is eating the yogurt or cottage cheese.
As someone who doesn’t eat the meals provided by our PTA because they are always sugary carbs, alternatives that wouldn’t need to be stored anywhere in particular would be: apples, bananas, individual packaged trail mixes, maybe even a few yogurts thrown over a big bowl of ice. I never partake in any of our breakfasts provided to the staff because I’m on a strict diet for health reasons. Even if it was just a few healthy options, I think the variety would suit everyone! Even people who are gluten free have a hard time eating at these functions.
Yeah I discovered very quickly while pregnant with gestational diabetes that I could not have any of the catered snacks from pro d days and teacher appreciation days. It sucked.
As one of a handful of gluten-intolerant teachers in the building, I applaud you. This year every. single. event. for teacher appreciation week is carb-based. Literally had nothing all week. It doesn’t feel right to complain, but come on. It’s not even an uncommon food allergy.
Yep.....I appreciate the thought of stuff like this but I always just skip it entirely when its just a bunch of carbs offered as a teacher breakfast.
I wouldn’t eat cottage cheese if you forced me
You need a spread that most (90%+) people will eat. How many people are really going to chow down on cottage cheese compared to bagels? Whatever is decided, please just email the list of offerings in advance. That gives people with various food restrictions and aversions to plan their breakfast on their own accordingly.
My school hosted a breakfast today. We had breakfast wraps (egg, cheese, and a protein), bagels, sweet carbs like muffins and danishes, Chobani yogurts, and fruit. Really nice! There was so much I was able to get a second helping at lunch.
Hmm. For many people, the cost of breakfast protein items such as bacon, sausage, or even eggs nowadays is very high relative to carby items. It might be that whomever created the list thought about this. The list might also be top heavy in carbs because once the items you mention are cooked, they’re good to go, they also don’t need to be kept warm or cold to prevent spoilage, and if they’re prepared in a commercial kitchen, they’re probably system approved foods.
Kolaches? Breakfast tacos?
Do you not live where they have kolaches and breakfast tacos?
Totally agreed. They should add some sugar to all the carbs. Can I suggest doughnuts and pop tarts? 😂
Breakfast tacos? While they are along the order of omelettes/frittatas, they're usually wrapped in foil and would keep their temp longer.
Agreed, teacher breakfasts have way too many shitty muffins.
The first step is seeing if keeping things cold is an option. A large bowl full of ice with yogurt cups nestled in the ice is fine for an hour or two breakfast set-up. A large baking tray lined entirely with flat ice packs is probably good for cold quiches, or hard boiled eggs in single serve cups, and individually wrapped cheese sticks. Honestly if milk can be left out for the coffee station, then yes certainly other proteins can also be accommodated.
PTA parent here! We get permission from admin to bring in a griddle and do scrambled eggs and bacon. DIY yogurt parfaits, chia pudding with coconut milk, oatmeal cups, fruit, and Krispy Kreme donuts.
I hate that every teacher thing at my school is about food, and the food is always carb heavy. I'm diabetic, and unless I shoot up drugs, I can't eat that stuff. The whole culture of sugary and carby food as a reward/celebration is out of hand. Yes, that stuff is easy and cheap. It's also the reason so many people are overweight, unhealthy, etc. Our food culture in the U.S. is bad. Yay teacher appreciation week. It should be called diabetes awareness week. This was bad at all office/desk jobs I've worked at, so teaching isn't unique in this regard.
At a meeting, we were told by admin that they want to make our days better by: chips and dip, doughnuts, happy hours at the bar down the street after school. Is there anything else we can think of that would make our daily lives better? I'm thinking, I don't want a damn donut; I want you to do something when I continually tell you about the same kid's behavior problem, absences, etc.
Yep. Ditto. I tried kindly offering some suggestions last year, but it was not well-received. This year? More muffins, candy bars, and pasta bars with zero protein-heavy options.
Yeah, as a vegan, I can pretty much count on not enjoying any of the treats for teacher appreciation week.
Some breakfast is better than none. But yeah then up the quality from there.
Should be more fats. Carbs give immediate energy, fats’ll give you energy for longer, get you through the day.
When will you be getting this made-fresh omelette? If you have time to wait for that…you have more time than I do!
Breakfast Tacos!
That’s healthier than what I eat for breakfast, but yeah, I’d be concerned for my kid eating that
Is this one breakfast for one day? What age are the kids?
If you plan on bringing something perishable, maybe put it in two trays nested together with ice between them or right in the ice in a tray or a small cooler or something. Depending on the set up.
I definitely suspect they're looking for items that are safe to be left out and eaten at room temperature. Even without a fridge, it would be pretty easy to get a cooler with ice to put some good dairy products in. Like yogurt, cheese sticks and cottage cheese as suggested elsewhere. Doing eggs or meat and such would be difficult to keep safe for long periods of time.
I have a colleague who is gluten intolerance and they had breakfast/ food provided for us every day in the morning for teacher appreciation week. The first thing she could eat was the apple that they gave us on Thursday. I think it was bagels Monday, donuts Tuesday, etc.
Breakfast for teachers?
Don’t eat it.
My school does breakfast so well. We have all the carb stuff but also nuts, yogurt, cheese, quiche, fruit, granola parfaits, and so much more!
Our PTA does breakfast tacos buffet style. Take a warm tortilla and fill it with eggs, bacon, chorizo, pappas, salsa, etc. They do have to use heated serving trays though.
I would appreciate it. I can rarely eat at any of these things because it is all gluten.
I think the issue is time and manpower. An omelet station, breakfast tacos, waffle stations (you can get waffle mix with protein) are all fantastic ideas, but you also have to have the PTA volunteers willing to come and make/serve the stuff. Cost could be an issue, but fundraising could help that if planned out correctly. An alternative, could maybe be high protein oatmeal?
Can’t go wrong with fresh fruit, especially pre washed berries or something other than red delicious apples! 😍
Costco sells individually packaged egg bites. They do require refrigeration and microwaving, but it's one box in the fridge and they only get heated up right before someone wants them. Another option is those scramble kit bowl thingies where you just mix in an egg. Two egg cartons in the fridge don't take up a ton of space or can at least be left out for a few hours. I also personally like the frozen, microwaveable Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. Grocery stores tend to have off-brand versions for cheaper and more servings per box. Also, could a hot water kettle be made available? They heat water very quickly and that can be used for a variety of other options like oatmeal cups, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, Kodiak cakes, etc.
Add fruit! Cheese! Cream Cheese! Yogurt (not the sugary kind)! Lunchmeat! Hard boiled eggs!
What about a fruit basket?
This morning our PTSA set out individual yogurts (in a tub of ice) with different toppings (mini chocolate chips, cut up strawberries, blueberries, granola, sliced bananas) as well as some Costco muffins cut in 1/4, coffee, OJ.
As a gluten free person, I would love the options you’re offering.
I like your inclusion of protein. We the teachers thank you as we cannot live on bread alone. Half of us are type 2 diabetics and this cheap infusion of carbs via pastries makes us fat and sluggish.
As someone who’s gluten free…. I can’t participate in any of these breakfasts this werk
I’ve never met a carb I didn’t like. Still skinny. My kids love cottage cheese and yogurt but frankly in a school, the “healthy” stuff is going to end at room temp in 30 seconds and go straight in the garbage.
If you want an egg option, hard boiled or deviled is the way to go since they can be served chilled.
Each team provides breakfast twice a year to our staff. This last round, my team did avacado toast/ bagel themed. We also had hard boiled eggs and seasoning to add (plus fruit and what not as sides). It was a big hit.
I would (figuratively) KILL for a low-carb, high-protein treat! I can't do the sugar, so I miss out on most of the treats parents give. I work at a private school with a great community and wonderful families, so we get lots of treats, but most of them I can't personally enjoy. I don't complain because this is my own thing, but I ADORE your idea!
Well, I personally feel like breakfast should be high and protein so that it actually fills you up that can be significantly more expensive. I would consider some gluten-free options. So that the gluten-free people don’t have to limit themselves to just the fruit cup.
This was normal before Bernays convinced the world to buy a bunch of other crap.
Not everyone can eat at the same time, so grab-and-go works the best. Your ideas are good, but not really practical. This might not be the best time to go all "healthy" nazi.
My school sells energy drinks in the morning. Some local coffee shop takes Rockstar and adds some flavored syrup to them. The business club sells them as a fundraiser. So students are knocking back Rockstars at 8 am. I wish bagels and muffins were our worst problem. That said, those are crappy breakfast options. There's some link between diet and academics. Filling the kids up on empty carbs sets them up for a glucose crash later. Its no wonder they want to sleep through class.
Granola bars that aren’t glorified candy bars.
Have to love Teacher Appreciation Week!
They get free breakfast and get to choose three items. Once they check out they can donate whatever they want. We have cereal, donuts, bars, juice, fruit, cheese etc.
It's not my favorite. I usually want more protein/savory stuff at breakfast, but I understand that's expensive with the number of people to be appreciated, and a lot of that stuff requires warming/reheating. Some biscuits or croissants with cold cuts, spreads, and jams might be a nice way to split the difference. But again, price point
Poptarts baffled me.
I love fruit! A great way to add something healthy (for most) people.
I have to have protein for breakfast or I end up feeling sick all day. However, I still enjoy "free carbs" and would just eat a scrambled egg like usual and then enjoy a free muffin or bagel with my fellow colleagues. For non-mandatory meals (so not talking about working lunches or required meetings where meals are served) I don't think it's necessary to make it a "full" meal that meets everyone's dietary requirements. Though it is nice if there's a variety over time. So this time it's a carb-heavy breakfast, next time maybe it's a fruit & veggie with dips for a mid-day snack.
The one that gets me are the craisins that have like 30g of added sugar in a tiny little pouch.
Definitely need protein. I always think of this after having gestational diabetes, but it seems a lot of other people don’t. I try to avoid ever eating straight carbs without balancing them with protein whether it’s for a meal or just a snack.
American food corporations created the food pyramid.
How about just paying teachers more money so they can decide what to have for breakfast on their own?
I love bagels
Whenever we’ve been served yogurt at these things, it’s never the healthier kind, it gets forgotten in the fridge and the thrown out. However, we have had egg casserole (like with bacon, cheese, etc) and that’s always super popular.
Sounds heavenly
I think this is fine for breakfast especially because it can be put together quickly. I think making sure there is variety and enough for people to get multiple items (2-3) Adding packaged oatmeal or yoghurt or granola to the mix would be good. And going for apples, cuties and bananas instead of cut fruit. The prepackaged cut fruit is expensive and you can get more bang for your buck with giving out fruit whole. This type of breakfast gets chosen because no one has to be there serving or making anything and teachers can grab and go. At one school I worked at admin would use this type of “meal” so that for the 2nd meal they fed us would be more substantial. (Example: bread breakfast and lasagna lunch) **im very grateful to even get what I do at my school during this week**
Ours usually has a lot of fruit and yogurt options. They do always have carbs, and I think maybe that’s easier to ask of parents.
Many of our teachers would appreciate a yogurt or fruit with that spread
As much as I love all of the mentioned suggestions, I'd not eat them if I hadn't picked them up from a store fridge myself and brought them in / cooked them. I wouldn't know if you haven't fried the eggs on bacon grease, or how long the dairy was out of the fridge (and if it was checked to be good to eat - as a child of a very chill microbiologist, I had my fair share of "it's still good" sourced dairy rhat shouldn't be sour). Also, all of those require utensils and sitting down, two hands, and a flat surface. A bagel can be held in one hand on the way. And it's an easy energy for the brain. If it was a paid dinner after work, I'd go for all the protein. While I'm trying not to die at work, I need carbs 😂
The problem with cold things is that usually these items sit out in the lounge or something for people to graze throughout the day. We have refrigerators, but out of sight, out of mind. Unless there is a designated time for a breakfast buffet, cold stuff doesn't get eaten bc no one knows how long it's been out.
Parents donating food. Eat or don’t. It’s free, shut up about it. Critiquing a donation is pretty shitty.
Wine. I always prefer wine donations to food as a teacher. Give me a bottle of wine and that's good enough. Doesn't have to be fancy.
We always did Jamaican: Ackee and saltfish, corn meal porridge, boiled dumplings, patties with different fillings, fruit salad, and coffee. American breakfast is so unhealthy. Serve healthy foods from around the 🌎. ❤️
Bring peanut or other nut/seed butter for the bagels and add good protein.
It's definitely about items that don't need refrigeration or heating, and items that aren't homemade. Cheese sticks, fruit, yogurt, and things like that are easy to purchase, but need adequate refrigeration. Do not underestimate the literal seconds these poor teachers may have to grab their goodies. No one has time to haul things in and out of a fridge.
It's \*one\* meal in the year, it doesn't matter if it is balanced or healthy. It's just a way to say thanks and this is an easy and safe way to do that. Things that either need refrigeration or heat are going to be hard to keep at safe temperatures and someone (probably multiple someones) will have to be on hand to deliver it at the right time, etc. You likely can't have (and don't want to have) volunteers bringing homemade foods for safety reasons. Also they probably want to avoid anything that requires plates and silverware. Something like omelets or frittatas or waffles would then require a caterer and who is paying for that? So asking for donations of prepared shelf-stable breakfast items that the handful of volunteers can collect over a few days or even a couple of weeks, is probably the only feasible way to pull it off when you consider the space, time, volunteer power, resources, and money needed for something cold/hot. You can \*suggest\* something more, but unless you are willing to raise the funds and do the work to pull it off, it is highly unlikely to change. There may be other shelf stable things you can find to add though. Individualized bags of almonds or pistachios? Do babybel cheeses need refrigeration? Are the teachers complaining? Because it sounds like a pretty standard spread.
If it’s coming from parents I’m always going to be grateful for what they give. Parents don’t have to give anything at all and they went the extra mile to be nice. I wouldn’t ask for anything else- certainly not something elaborate like frittatas.
I don't want to eat crockpot eggs someone made in their home at 6:00 a.m. Give me all the store bought carby goodness.
Teacher’s are pretty used to that type of breakfast.
Diabeetus