# Log Meals
URL: https://guide.whitepenguin.co/docs/classrooms-activities/log-meals/
> Log meals in WhitePenguin to keep daily records up to date and (optionally) notify parents/guardians.
## Overview [#overview]
Use **Log Meal** to record a child’s meals during the day. Each entry shows in the Activities feed and helps admins and staff keep a clear history of what was logged.
You can record:
* **Classroom**
* **Student**
* **Meal Type**
* **Time**
* **Food Item**
* **Notes** (optional)
* **Notify parent/guardian** (optional)
## How to access [#how-to-access]
* **Admins**
1. Click **Classrooms** in the left sidebar.
2. Open the **Activities** tab.
3. Click **Create Activities** (top right), then choose **Meal**.
* **Staff**
1. Click **Activities** in the left sidebar.
2. Click **Create Activities**, then choose **Meal**.
## Roles & Access [#roles--access]
**Access is based on custom roles.** Your **school admin** creates **custom roles** for all users and controls exactly which permissions each role has — **View**, **Edit**, **Create**, and **Delete** — for every section of the system, including Activities.
Whether you can log meals depends entirely on the **custom role** assigned to you:
* Roles with **Create** permission for Activities can log meal entries.
* Roles with **View** permission can see the Activities feed and meal history.
* Classroom and child visibility follows the role's permissions and the user's classroom assignments.
**Where to manage roles:** Go to **Settings → Roles & Permissions**, then click **+ Create Role** to build a new custom role, or select an existing role to toggle its permissions. **Super Admin** permissions are fixed and cannot be edited.
## How to log a meal [#how-to-log-a-meal]
When the **Log Meal** window opens:
1. **Classroom**
* Select the classroom.
* **Admins:** can choose from all available classrooms.
* Other roles typically see only their assigned classroom (or assigned children).
2. **Student**
* Select the child.
* If the list is empty, select a classroom first.
3. **Meal Type**
* Choose the meal type (for example: breakfast, lunch, or dinner).
4. **Time**
* Enter the time the meal was given.
5. **Food Item**
* Enter what the child ate (for example: “pasta”, “fruit”, or “sandwich”).
6. **Notes (optional)**
* Add any details you want to keep on record.
7. **Notify parent/guardian** (optional)
* Turn this on if you want the parent/guardian to be notified.
8. Click **Save**.
## Tips [#tips]
* Use the same naming style for **Food Item** across your team (it makes activity history easier to scan).
* If you don’t see the right classroom, ask an admin to confirm your classroom assignment.
## FAQs [#faqs]
Classroom visibility depends on your **custom role** and classroom assignments. Roles with full Classroom access see every classroom; others only see the classrooms (and children) they're assigned to.
Your custom role may not include **Create** permission for Activities. Ask your school admin to update your role in **Settings → Roles & Permissions**.
Select a **Classroom** first. If it's still empty, the child may not be assigned to that classroom — or your custom role may not have access to it.
Parents/guardians receive a notification based on your school’s notification settings.