Food allergies are increasing at alarming rates. In fact, one in every 13 children has a food allergy—which is about two per U.S. classroom! If you have children in your program with food allergies or intolerances, you know how important it is to prepare and serve safe meals. Having a plan and being prepared will help make sure children feel included and can safely join in meals. Knowing common allergens, reading food labels, and avoiding cross-contact will help prevent an allergic reaction and keep children safe.

Three-year-old Jade only eats white foods: bread, rice, and bananas. Does this sound familiar? If you work in child care, you likely know a child who is cautious, hesitant, or selective in the foods they eat. You are not alone. “Choosy” eating is common for many children as they move from infants to toddlers. Their growth rate slows down, and they become more independent. Rest assured, it is most likely temporary, and there are strategies to help get past this stage without mealtime battles.

Family engagement is a major part of quality child care. It offers opportunities for child care professionals to connect with families and share tools and resources to help improve and model healthy behaviors. There are two key ways to promote family engagement:

• Provide credible resources and information that will help families better understand concepts of nutrition, food preparation, and healthy mealtimes.
• Empower families to be positive role models for healthy behaviors.

Have you ever wanted to plant a garden at your child care program but didn’t know where to start? Or do you have a green thumb but want to engage children in learning more about food, nutrition, and the growing process? This Mealtime Memo provides ideas to get you started.

You may have heard of Farm to Preschool, Farm to Early Childhood, Farm to Early Childcare, or Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE). These terms all refer to the National Farm to School movement. The goal of the National Farm to School movement is to provide fresh, local foods to young children in child care settings. In this Mealtime Memo, we will use the term Farm to Early Care and Education or Farm to ECE.

Children establish food preferences and eating habits early in life. They depend on the adults in their lives to provide nutrition education and experiences to help make healthy food choices. Nutrition education for young children in child care settings has many benefits. It helps:

• Develop positive attitudes about foods.
• Create awareness about the importance of making healthy food choices.
• Offer experiences with healthy foods. Children will be more likely to try new foods and eat them again in the future.
• Allow children to see adults as role models for healthy behaviors.

October 2021 Mealtime Memo

CACFP Best Practice – Eat Better, Eat Together

Did you know that serving meals family style can increase a child’s confidence? This is only ONE benefit of family style meal service.

Family style meal service is when children serve themselves food and beverages from communal bowls, platters, and pitchers [Read More]