Early Childhood Education Food & Nutrition

Conclusions

Nutrition plays an essential role in lifelong health. Child-care providers have a responsibility to provide children with access to nutritious foods and have the opportunity to help children feel positive and enthusiastic about meals. Understanding meal requirements, menu planning, and healthy food behavior will help you succeed in the child-care environment.

Food Allergies

Allergies differ dramatically, from minor reactions to anaphylactic reactions that affect the whole body and may be life-threatening. Regardless of the severity, all children with food allergies should have medical information, including an action plan, on file.

Infant Feeding

Babies under 12 months of age have special feeding requirements. Parents are free to bring in breast milk, formula, or baby food of their choice. Infant meals are reimbursable under the CACFP, whether you feed formula purchased by the child-care facility, provided by the parent, or breast milk. This is intended to help alleviate the additional costs of providing infant care. Infant feeding guidelines for babies under one year require caregivers to offer formula or breast milk along with solids when age appropriate. From birth to three months, infants should be offered four to six ounces of breast milk or formula, regardless of the meal or snack. Breast milk may be offered in smaller amounts for babies who do not typically consume the full amount as long as more is available. You can feed breast milk in smaller amounts as desired for babies up to a year. If the baby is still hungry, offer an additional bottle.

Menu Planning

Pick a variety of healthy and child-friendly foods. Avoid serving similar foods multiple days in a row. Offer common foods in healthy preparations; for instance, choose roasted chicken instead of nuggets. Pair higher-fat main dishes, like grilled cheese sandwiches, with lower-fat sides, like carrots and apples. Offer new foods repeatedly in the menu cycle to allow children time to accept the new flavors and textures. Vary the fruits and vegetables offered to children. Change preparations, sometimes offering raw vegetables and other times cooked. Choose foods that are low in sugar and rich in vitamins and minerals and opt for whole grains over processed ones wherever possible. Make cured meats, high-sugar foods, and high-fat foods treat, rather than regular parts of the menu. Give whole milk to children under two. Children over two should receive reduced-fat or skim milk. Reduced-fat flavored milk, like chocolate milk, are allowed for school-age children. Preschool-age and younger children should receive plain, unflavored milk.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is funded and managed by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. This program is designed to reduce child-care costs and improve the quality of food served in the child-care environment, providing better nutrition to children in care. CACFP provides grants to the states, which authorize and fund meal programs in child-care homes and centers. These funds are intended to improve nutrition for at-risk children, so at least 25 percent of the children in the child-care facility must receive child-care assistance or qualify for free or reduced lunch programs. The guidelines for child-care homes require that they be registered or licensed. Child-care homes must be located in a lower-income area or meet the guidelines for registration of lower-income children. Children from families with an income less than 130 percent of the federal poverty level qualify for free meals while children with incomes up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level meet the guidelines for reduced-price meals. The provider's children may be included in the reimbursement program if they meet income guidelines. Child-care providers may charge a single flat rate that includes meals and snacks or charge per meal or per diem rates, according to the CACFP guidelines. Centers may claim two meals or one meal and two snacks per day per qualified child. Reimbursement rates depend upon the child's income and the meal. Providers can be reimbursed for meals served to children up to age 12. The children of migrant workers qualify for reimbursements up to age 15, and disabled children qualify at any age up to 18.

Mealtime Practices and Policies

Pre-plated meals: Assembled in the kitchen by caregivers. This method is relatively quick and efficient but may increase food waste. Each child should receive the serving sizes suggested by the USDA when pre-plating meals. Larger centers are more likely to opt for pre-plated meals, particularly if food-service staff or a cook is available to prepare plates. Even when meals are pre-plated, children can pick up their plate or tray, take it to the table, and sit with other children for their meals. Child-size tables, chairs, and utensils will reduce messes during mealtime. At the end of meals, they can clear their plates. Caregivers can sit with children, helping with spills and assisting them as needed. Family-style meals: Served seated at a table. For young children, a child-size table and chairs are preferred. Children may take an active role in setting the table, helping to pour drinks, and taking dishes to the table. This helps to teach responsibility. Small serving dishes of various foods are placed on the table, but it is acceptable to pre-plate a portion of a family-style meal if children could not serve it themselves safely or easily. Serving dishes, including pitchers, should be sized appropriately for children. Children take portions they choose of various foods and eat what they would like of the meal. Let children know that they can take seconds if they want more. Serving utensils should be chosen to provide appropriate portions of available foods. Family-style meals allow children to eat as much as they would like, according to their own appetites. Serving meals family style may also reduce food waste since children can avoid foods they dislike. Some facilities opt to pre-plate meals but to serve snacks family-style.

Choking Hazards

Some common foods, including nuts, popcorn, hot dogs, and grapes, are considered choking risks. Hard or large chunks of fruit, vegetables, meat, and cheese also pose a choking risk, as do nut butter, like peanut butter or sunflower seed butter. Some of these foods are fine if prepared safely while others, like popcorn, dried fruit, and dried vegetables should be avoided entirely. To safely prepare high-risk foods, chop them finely. Hot dogs should be quartered lengthwise and chopped. Grapes may be cut in half lengthwise and cut into smaller pieces. Raisins can be cooked into other dishes to soften them. Nuts may be finely chopped. Cut chunks of meat, cheese, or fruit finely. Fruits and vegetables may also be cooked to soften them, pureed, or sliced into slender ribbons. Peanut butter can be spread thinly or mixed with another product, like applesauce or yogurt, to reduce the choking risk. Children over four do not require these precautions.