1. Chapter Seven: Menu Planning and Food Safety in Child Care

2. Nutritional Policies Needed l 5 million children eat in child care every day l Child care does not meet their nutritional needs l Only 34% of food preparers have any knowledge of nutrition or food sanitation and safety l ADA recommends 2/3 of nutrition for full-time child be offered in care

3. Nutritional Policies for l Guidelines for Food Programs l Menu Planning l Food Sanitation and Safety

4. Guidelines for Food Programs Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Other Programs l Food Distribution Program l Summer Food Service Program l Nutrition Education and Training Program (NET) l Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program

5. For Children and Families l WIC l Food Stamps l National School Lunch Program l School Breakfast Program

6. CACFP l Available to l Nonprofit licensed or approved public or private child care centers l Family child care homes that belong to a sponsoring agency, such as Red Cross l For-profit private programs that received funding through Title XX l 25,000 child care centers l 160,000 family child care homes l 1.9 million children daily

7. Other Programs l USDA Food Distribution—members of CACFP automatically receive applications l Summer Food Service Program—school- aged children in care over summer may make caregiver eligible l NET—provides education to help teach children about nutrition

8. Menu Planning for Child Care— Building a Menu Level One l Knowledge  Children’s Nutritional Needs  Developmental Stages  Dietary Guidelines  Food Guide Pyramid

9. Level Two l Accessibility  Cost  Convenience  Storage  Culinary Skills  Economy  Seasonal Foods

10. Level Three l Environment  Goal of Care  Personal History  Cultural Diversity  Perceptions of children’s food choices

11. Considering the differences at every level, the caregiver can begin to plan the menu l All prejudices, preferences, perceptions, and other barriers removed l Must have nutritional knowledge needed to plan balanced, healthy menus l Menu planning should occur with regularity

12. Breakfast l USDA recommends 25% of RDI be offered l Critical meal—affects  Cognition, strength, attitude, endurance  Less likely to be obese  Can result in poor nutrition

13. Should consist of minimum of l Milk, bread, or cereal and fruit  Cold cereal fortified with iron is an easy way to increase consumption of carbohydrates and iron l Can be optional or nontraditional foods l May be culturally driven

14. Snacks l Should provide adequate nutrition l Should be served at sufficient intervals between meals l Good time for cultural diversity l Should consist of  Milk or meat/meat alternate, and bread/grain or fruit  May be “typical” or nontraditional

15. Lunches l Provide greatest nutrition in care l Should consist of milk, meat/meat alternative, fruits and/or veggies (2 minimum), and a bread or grain l Often contain too much fat/saturated fats  Should consider cutting back on fat and offering greater variety l From home—less nutritional

16. Children on Vegetarian Diets l Vegan—nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits and vegetables l Lacto-vegetarian—in addition, dairy products l Ovo-vegetarian—in addition, egg products l Lacto-ovo vegetarian—in addition, both dairy and egg products

17. l Caregiver needs to understand type of vegetarian child is and how to provide the needs of the child in a balanced way l Can be a challenge, especially for vegan  Ask parents for suggestions and help

18. Food Safety l Important to prevent foodborne illness l Involves  Food purchasing  Food storage  Handling  Preparation/cooking

19. Food Purchasing l Food = good quality, fresh, undamaged l Buy from reputable places l Buy by “sell by” or “use by” dates l Avoid fresh products that have been frozen/defrosted l Keep meats and poultry away from fresh foods l Buy perishables last, put away first l No dented cans

20. Food Storage l Key to keeping food safe l Temperature control, labeling, and arrangement l Protect from contamination — insects and people l Proper temperature maintenance is critical l Refrigerated Foods l Wrap meats, poultry, and fish well + label l Refrigerated products = refrigerate immediately (see Table 7-5)

21. l Unrefrigerated Foods l Store in clean, rodent-free areas l Doors to cover storage l 8 inches off the floor l First in, first out l Nonperishables should be stored in airtight containers, once opened

22. Food Handling l Never handle food if ill or have infections, skin sores that cannot be covered l Preferable that food handler not be a diaper changer l Key to sanitation is good handwashing habits (accounts for 85% of foodborne illness)

23. l Use sanitary practices and healthy habits l Never thaw food at room temperature l Wear clean clothing covered by an apron l Should be certified food handler

24. Cooking Foods l Use safety, sanitary, and healthy practices (see Table 7-6) l Use thermometer to check proper temperatures  Even with microwaved foods l If using crock pot, take precautions to protect  Less than 2/3 full  Small uniform pieces of meat  Check internal temperature (160 degrees F)

25. Education l Use CACFP guidelines l Get training for food safety/sanitation l Know basics of nutrition l Teach children better nutrition  Trying new foods, eating a variety of foods, and adding more fruits and vegetables  Cook with children  Field trips l Help parents — involve in menu planning  Share resources, provide information Implications for Caregivers

26. Cultural Competence Ask families to share recipes and information on foods of their culture Have potluck dinners Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables to help those less likely to get them at home Provide resource information to families

27. Supervision l Make sure guidelines followed for any food programs l Menu planning l Food safety l Observe children’s reaction to menus

28.  Reality Check: Children of the Fast Food Generation l Children consuming fast food with increasing frequency  Mothers in workforce  Easy availability l Rise in obesity related to increased consumption of fast food

29. l Children get an abundance of fat and sodium and empty calories l Due to children’s increased consumption of fast food it is important that the caregiver provide nutritious meals and help children make better choices

30.  Realty Check: E. coli and Children l As many as 20,000 cases per year and children are most vulnerable l Found in rare or uncooked ground meat, unpasteurized fruit juices, alfalfa sprouts, dry-cured salami, lettuce, raw milk, and game meat

31. l E. coli = Escherichia coli  Most abundant species of bacteria in our environment  Lives in intestines of humans and animals  Strains from animals are different and can be harmful to humans, especially E. coli 0157:H7 l E. coli 0157:H7 has been infected with a strain of virus producing toxins l Most common place to find E. coli 0157:H7 is in ground beef l Preventative measures have been taken meat packing industry

32. l To prevent in child care cook all ground meet to a temperature of 160°F and other meats to 155°F  Avoid cross contamination  Wash hands  Do not serve raw milk or unfiltered apple juice  Always hand diarrhea under strict universal hygiene conditions