SUCCESSFUL SOLUTIONS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LLC A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care Chapter 1 Child Development

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A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care Chapter Topics The food program in a child care center serves many purposes. Proper food handling, food preparation, and serving children nutritious meals are extremely important. Eating meals together can help children to develop social skills and good eating habits.

It was lunchtime at Olympic View Child Care Center. Kirk asked for a second serving of spinach, a food being served for the first time. Kathy said the potatoes were yummy. Jana said her mother was sending oranges for her birthday treat. Throughout her meal, teacher Christina talked with the children and ate portions of the foods served. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

The lunchroom was decorated with 12 large paper ice cream cones. Each cone, represented one month of the year. The children's names and birthdays were written on paper scoops of ice cream. These scoops were placed in the cone that matched their birthday month. On the other side of the lunchroom was a large carrot cut out of tagboard. A cloth measuring tape was pasted down the center. Each child's height was marked next to the tape. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

In this classroom, children learn about nutrition both directly and indirectly. For instance, the variety of foods served and the teacher's comments about the food are direct learning experiences. Children learn about many types of food and that mealtime is a pleasant time. The positive attitudes and pleasing surroundings of the lunchroom are indirect learning experiences. By watching friends and teachers, children develop habits and attitudes about food. Many of their food attitudes and behaviors will last into adulthood. Hopefully, they will establish a lifelong pattern of eating a nutritious diet. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Proper nutrition is needed for children's health, growth, and development. Behavior and learning ability is related to nutrition. Teaching children about nutrition will be an important responsibility for you as a child care professional. Some studies suggest that young children who have learned healthful food choices may experience lifelong health benefits. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Nutrition is the most important part of a well-planned menu. However, many other factors also contribute to a well-planned menu. For instance, scale serving sizes to the children's appetites. Children manage best with small servings. Their appetites often vary from day to day. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Children will eat more if the food appeals to them. Variety, texture, flavor, color, form, temperature, and food preferences all affect how much a child enjoys a meal. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Children like variety in the foods served to them. A meal with all the same texture or color could be boring for children. Children also enjoy trying new foods. A new food should be added with a meal of familiar and well-liked foods. This is because children may be overwhelmed if given too many new foods at once. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

It is wise to combine textures when planning meals and snacks for young children. This also provides you with an opportunity to include language concepts during meals and snacks. Dry foods are hard for children to eat. Serve dry food only in combination with two or more moist foods. Soft, hard, chewy, mashed, chopped, crisp, creamy, and rough are all textures. This makes the meal more interesting for the children. For instance, at mealtime, serve one soft food, one crisp food, and one chewy food. Combine contrasting textures for a pleasing effect. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Serve most foods in bite-sized pieces. Therefore, slice cooked carrots and other vegetables in large pieces rather than dicing them. Try adding diced vegetables to another food. For instance, add diced carrots to mashed potatoes. Children have poorly developed fine motor coordination skills. They find it difficult to use spoons and forks well. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

This can be done by adding solid ingredients or a thickener, such as flour. The second method is to let the children drink the soup from a cup. Whenever possible, prepare foods so they can be eaten with the fingers. For example, serve chopped raw vegetables instead of a tossed salad. Soup is also difficult for many young children to eat. They become tired from spooning. Children may get frustrated if they spill on clothing or the table. Two methods can be used to make soup easier to eat. One method is to thicken the soup. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

In general, children prefer mildly seasoned foods. One rule of thumb is to use only half as much salt as noted in a recipe. Whenever possible, enhance the natural flavor of the food. This means that only small amounts of sugar and spices should be added. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Children enjoy color in their meals. If the foods you are serving are not very colorful, add color to one or more of the foods. For example, tint the applesauce pink. For St. Patrick's Day, you might color vanilla pudding green. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

At mealtime, serve a cold fruit or pudding with a warm casserole. For safety reasons, be sure to serve each food at its proper temperature. Keep in mind, however, children are more sensitive to temperature extremes than adults. Variety in the temperature of foods served can be appealing, too. For snack, offer a cold glass of milk with a room-temperature food, such as crackers. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Nondairy milk substitutes may be served only with written permission of the child's parent for children over the age of twelve months. Only pasteurized milk or pasteurized milk products can be served to children in your care. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

The amount of required milk fat in the milk product is determined by the child's age: If the age of the child is under 12 months: Full strength formula or full strength breast milk unless there are specific written instructions from a licensed health care provider. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

The amount of required milk fat in the milk product is determined by the child's age: If the age of the child is between 12 and 24 months: Full strength whole milk or breast milk unless there are specific written instructions from a licensed health care provider. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

The amount of required milk fat in the milk product is determined by the child's age: If the age of the child over 24 months: With or without fat content of provider's or parent's choice. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Children between twelve and twenty-four months of age should consume whole milk and children over the age of twenty-four months can consume whole milk or lower fat milk. Cow's milk is a significant source of nutrients that are important for growth in children over twelve months of age. Milk substitutes for children over twelve months may be served with parent permission. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Because the typical American diet has a high fat content, it is usually recommended that children over the age of twenty-four months consume lower fat milks such as 1% (low fat) milk or non-fat milk as a means to lower the total fat content of the diet. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

When included, desserts should be part of the meal, like the vegetable or bread. They should not be treated as a special part of the meal. Never tell children they must eat everything on their plates in order to get dessert. This will only make desserts appear special. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Desserts are optional, and in fact licensing has limitations on how often some desserts can be served. Plan desserts carefully. Many are high in fat and sugar and low in other nutrients. For example, plain cookies and cakes have little nutritional value, but are high in calories. Instead, plan to use carrots or pumpkin in recipes to provide vitamin A. Custards and puddings are considered good desserts since they contain calcium and protein. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

The amount of food a child needs depends on the child's activity level, current weight and stature, growth spurts and appetite. The amount of food children eat may be influenced by hunger, appetite, food choices, mood and whatever else is happening in their lives. If a child fills up fast, making the child eat more may cause a negative association with eating. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Plan quiet activities right before meals. Quiet activities help children move from active play to the mealtime routine. Serve meals family-style. Child care providers sit with children to eat meals at a table, family style Children practice good manners and pleasant mealtime conversation Children can choose the amount of food they want on their plates Children serve themselves Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Offer healthy foods that look good to children. Serve a variety of nutritious foods with different colors and textures. This helps meals look good to children. Have enough food available. Offer food in a positive way. Help mealtime to be pleasant. Eat with children to encourage pleasant conversation at the table and to model or show children good eating habits and manners. Food should never be used as a reward or punishment. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Give children the freedom to choose which foods being served they want to eat and how much. Offer foods twice to each child. Avoid commenting about how much or how little a child has eaten. Children often will reject a food for reasons that have nothing to do with the food being served. Some reasons could be: o Their mood o Trouble at home o They are going through a period of slow growth o They are showing their independence o They are angry because they had to quit playing and come eat Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Involve children in setting the table and clearing away eating utensils when finished Remember that average serving sizes are just that – average. Some children may want to eat smaller portions or they may leave food on their plate. Other children will eat larger portions or want seconds. Avoid shaming children for not eating or for overeating. Take time to teach children to take small bites or short breaks while eating. Allow children to serve themselves. Give children enough time to enjoy eating meals and snacks. Minimize waiting time. Have food ready when the children are ready to eat. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

Keep in mind the different ethnic backgrounds of the children. If unfamiliar with foods from the different cultures, ask the parents about the kinds of food they tend to serve at home. Introduce children to foods of other cultures. Plan for special dietary concerns. Because of allergies or chronic diseases such as diabetes, some children need special foods or to follow a special diet. Establish guidelines for food management. Disability could make it hard for the child to chew or even swallow. Chapter 1 Menu Planning A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care

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