Chapter 9: Menu Planning and Food Safety in Early Childhood Education Environments

Nutritional Policies Needed • Five million children eat in child care settings every day • Early childhood education environments often do not meet the nutritional needs of children • About 2/3 of food preparers have no knowledge of nutrition or food sanitation and safety • ADA recommends 2/3 of nutrition for full-time child be offered in early childhood education settings © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Guidelines for Food Programs • Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) • Other programs • Food Distribution Program • Summer Food Service Program • School Milk Program • Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

CACFP • Available to: • nonprofit licensed or approved public or private early childhood education centers • family child care homes that belong to a sponsoring agency, such as Red Cross • for-profit private programs that received funding through Title XX • 25,000 early childhood education centers • 126,400 family child care homes • 2.9 million children served daily • 2 meals and 1 snack © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Other Programs • USDA Food Distribution—members of CACFP automatically receive applications • Summer Food Service Program—school aged children in care over summer may make caregiver eligible • The School Milk Program is available to nonprofit private residential child care centers if they participate in no other federal food program © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Menu Planning for Early Childhood Education Environments—Building a Menu • Level One • Knowledge • children’s nutritional needs • developmental stages • dietary guidelines • MyPyramid Food Guidance System © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Menu Planning for Early Childhood Education Environments—Building a Menu (continued) • Level Two • Accessibility • cost • convenience • storage • culinary skills • economy • seasonal foods © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Menu Planning for Early Childhood Education Environments—Building a Menu (continued) • Level Three • Environment • goal of care • personal history • cultural diversity • perceptions of children’s food choices © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Menu Planning for Early Childhood Education Environments—Building a Menu (continued) • Considering the differences at every level, the caregiver can begin to plan the menu • All prejudices, preferences, perceptions and other barriers removed • Must have nutritional knowledge needed to plan balanced, healthy menus • Menu planning should occur with regularity © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Breakfast • USDA recommends 25% of RDI be offered • Critical meal—effects • helps cognition, strength, attitude, endurance • less likely to be obese • skipping can result in poor nutrition © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Breakfast (continued) • Should consist of minimum of • milk, bread or cereal, and fruit • Cold cereal fortified with iron is an easy way to increase consumption of carbohydrates and iron • can be optional or nontraditional foods • may be culturally driven © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Snacks • Should provide adequate nutrition • Should be served at sufficient intervals between meals • Good time for cultural diversity • Should consist of • milk or meat/meat alternate, and bread/grain or fruit • may be typical or nontraditional © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Lunches • Provide greatest nutrition in care • Should consist of milk, meat/meat alternative, fruits and or veggies (2 minimum), and a bread or grain • Often contain too much fat/saturated fats • Should consider cutting back on fat and offering greater variety • From home—less nutritional © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Children on Vegetarian Diets • Vegan—nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits, and vegetables • Lacto-vegetarian, in addition dairy products • Ovo-vegetarian, in addition egg products • Lacto-ovo vegetarian, in addition both dairy and egg products © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Children on Vegetarian Diets (continued) • Caregiver needs to understand what type of vegetarian the child is and how to provide the needs of the child in a balanced way • Can be a challenge, especially for vegan • Ask parents for suggestions and help © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Food Safety Early Childhood Education Environments • Important to prevent foodborne illness • Involves • food purchasing • food storage • handling • preparation/cooking © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Food Purchasing • Food = good quality, fresh, undamaged • Buy from reputable places • Buy by “sell by” or “use by” dates • Avoid fresh products that have been frozen/defrosted • Keep meats and poultry away from fresh foods • Buy perishables last, put away first • No dented cans © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Food Storage • Key to keeping food safe • Temperature control, labeling, and arrangement • Protect from contamination—insects and people • Proper temperature maintenance is critical • Refrigerated foods • Wrap meats, poultry, and fish well and label them • Refrigerated products = refrigerate immediately (see Table 9-5) © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Food Storage (continued) • Unrefrigerated foods • Store in clean, rodent-free areas • Have doors to cover storage • Keep 8 inches off the floor • Order of use is first in, first out • Nonperishables should be stored in airtight containers once opened © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Food Handling • Never handle food if you are ill or have infectious skin sores that cannot be covered • Preferable that food handler not be a diaper changer • Key to sanitation is good handwashing habits (accounts for 85% of foodborne illness) © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Food Handling (continued) • Use sanitary practices and healthy habits • Never thaw food at room temperature • Wear clean clothing covered by an apron • Should be certified food handler © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Cooking Foods • Use safe, sanitary and healthy practices (see Table 9-6) • Use thermometer to check proper temperatures • even with microwaved foods • If using crock pot, take precautions for protection • less than 2/3 full • small uniform pieces of meat • Check internal temperature (160°F) © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Realty Check—E. coli and Children • As many as 20,000 cases per year and children most vulnerable • Incidences have gone down 43% from 1996 to 2003 • Found in rare or uncooked ground meat, unpasteurized fruit juices, alfalfa sprouts, dry-cured salami, lettuce, raw milk, fresh cheese curds, and game meat © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Realty Check—E. coli and Children (continued) • 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 • E. coli 0157:H7 has been infected with a strain of toxin-producing virus © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Realty Check—E. coli and Children (continued) • Most common place to find E. coli 0157:H7 is in ground beef • Preventative measures have been taken in the meat packing industry © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Realty Check—E. coli and Children (continued) • To prevent in early childhood education settings, cook all ground meat to a temperature of 160°F and other meats to 155°F • Avoid cross contamination • Wash all fruits and vegetables • Wash hands • Do not serve raw milk or unfiltered apple juice • Always handle diarrhea under strict universal hygiene conditions © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Implications for Teachers • Education • Use CACFP guidelines • Get training for food safety/sanitation • Know basics of nutrition • Teach children better nutrition • trying new foods, eating a variety of foods, and adding more fruits and vegetables • cook with children • field trips © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Implications for Teachers (continued) • For Families • Help parents—involve in menu planning • Share resources, provide information • Cultural Competence • Ask families to share recipes and information on foods of their culture • food restrictions, food preferences, setting • 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 © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Implications for Teachers (continued) • Supervision • Make sure guidelines followed for any food programs • Menu planning • Food safety • Observe children’s reaction to menus © 2007 by Thomson Delmar Learning

Chapter 9: Menu Planning and Food Safety in Early Childhood Education Environments