Planning Nutritious Meals and Snacks Adapted by Dr. Vivian G. Baglien

1. 12 Planning Nutritious Meals and Snacks Adapted by Dr. Vivian G. Baglien

2. Key Concepts • Teaching children about nutrition can help children develop lifetime healthful eating habits. • Meals served at the child care center should be appealing, healthful, and safe.

3. Learning Targets- Students will • List goals for a good nutrition program. • Explain the importance of a healthful diet. • Describe nutritional problems that can result from a poor diet. • Identify two systems useful in planning healthful meals and snacks. • Plan nutritious and appealing meals and snacks for children.

4. Planning Nutritious Meals and Snacks • Teaching children about nutrition is an important responsibility for teachers • Nutrition concepts integrated into curriculum • Provide nutritious meals and snacks • Introduce healthful foods • Involve children in meal activities • Provide nutrition information to parents

5. Nutrition • Nutrition is the science of food and how the body uses the foods taken in • Nutrients are the chemical substances in food that help build and maintain the body • Nutritional problems • Meeting special nutritional needs • MyPlate

6. Nutritional Problems • Undernutrition means not eating enough food to keep a healthful body weight and activity level • Malnutrition is lack of proper nutrients in the diet continued

7. Nutritional Problems • Overeating is the intake of more food than is needed by the body to function properly • Obesity is the major health problem caused by overeating • Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot properly control the level of sugar in the blood

8. Meeting Special Nutritional Needs • Special needs often caused by health conditions • People with diabetes do not produceinsulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar level • Many children need insulin injections • Eat healthful foods at regular intervals to control blood sugar levels continued

9. Meeting Special Nutritional Needs • An allergyis the body’s negative reaction to a particular substance (environmental or food) • Allergen is the offending substance • Anaphylactic shock is the most severe allergic reaction; needs immediate medical treatment • Talk to parents about their children’s special nutritional needs

10. MyPlate • MyPlate is the USDA food guidance system with a set of online tools to help people plan nutritious diets to fit individual needs • Use the following information as a guide to your planning your cookbook and nutritional needs of target age group. continued

11. MyPlate • Dairy group • 2 to 3 cups of milk or equivalent dairy products daily depending on the child’s age, gender, and physical activity • Best source of calcium for building strong bones • Provides riboflavin, protein, and phosphorous • Fortified dairy products contain vitamins A and D continued

12. MyPlate • Grain group • Daily ounce-equivalents are based on the child’s age, gender, and physical activity • Make half the grains whole grains • Carbohydrates, iron, and B vitamins are the chief nutrients • Examples: whole-grain or enriched breads, buns, tortillas, waffles, pasta, and crackers continued

13. MyPlate • Protein group • Daily ounce-equivalents are based on the child’s age, gender, and physical activity • The most important nutrient • Good sources of B vitamins, iron, and phosphorous • Vegetables • Daily cup amounts are based on the child’s age, gender, and physical activity • Sources of vitamin A and C continued

14. MyPlate • Fruit group • Cup amounts are based on the child’s age, gender, and physical activity • Sources of vitamin A and C

15. Food Appeal • Children eat more if food appeals to them • Variety • Texture • Flavor • Color • Food forms • Temperature

16. Food Preferences • Most children have at least a few foods they strongly like and a few they strongly dislike • Often influenced by home life • Accommodate food preferences unless they are unhealthful

17. Multicultural Experiences • Children need to be exposed to healthful foods from various cultures • Including foods from the children’s culture will help promote cultural identity and self-esteem • Food from new cultures will help children learn to taste new dishes and respect cultural differences

18. Serving Meals • Licensing requirements determine how often and how much food must be provided • Breakfast • Snacks • Lunch

19. Breakfast • The purpose of breakfast is to break the 10–14 hour overnight fast • Provides energy for morning activities • CACFP minimum recommendations are • 1 milk • 1 fruit, vegetable, or 100% juice • 1 grain source, such as bread or cereal • Other protein- eggs, cheeses,meats.

20. Snacks • Most children eat small amounts of food at one sitting • Children may not be properly nourished by just eating three meals a day • Serve mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks

21. Lunch • CACFP minimum lunch recommendations • 1 milk • 2 vegetables, fruits, or 100% juice • 1 grain source; bread, cereal, pasta, or rice • 1 meat or protein food; cheese, egg, beans, peanut (or similar nut) butter, or yogurt • Desserts should not be treated as a special part of the meal

22. Serving Safe Meals and Snacks • Young children are still learning how to chew and swallow • To prevent choking, avoid serving foods that, if swallowed whole,could block windpipes • Marshmallows, nuts, hard candies, gum, raisins, small raw fruits or vegetables, hotdogs, etc.

23. Discuss • Describe some nutritional problems that can result from a poor diet.

24. Review • Why is it important to teach young children about healthful eating habits? • So they grow up eating good food choices. • Name two consequences of the condition of obesity. • Diabetes and hypertension or high blood pressure • The most severe allergic reaction is called • Anaphylactic Shock

25. Glossary • allergen. A substance, such as dust, pollen, mold, or food, that causes a negative reaction in some people’s bodies. • allergy. The body’s negative reaction to a substance, possibly including rashes, swelling, or sneezing.

26. Glossary • anaphylactic shock. Extreme allergic reaction that causes shock symptoms and possibly death. • diabetes. A disease in which the body cannot properly control the level of sugar in the blood.

27. Glossary • insulin. A hormone that is needed to keep sugar in the blood at a proper level. As insulin is released into the body, the blood sugar level drops.

28. Glossary • malnutrition. A lack of proper nutrients in the diet that happens when a nutrient is absent or lacking from the diet; caused by an unbalanced diet, poor food choices, or the body’s inability to use certain nutrients properly.

29. Glossary • MyPlate. A food guidance system with a set of online tools developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help plan nutritious diets to fit individual needs. • nutrients. Chemical substances found in foods that are needed for growth and maintenance of health.

30. Glossary • nutrition. The science of food and how the body uses foods taken in. • undernutrition. Not eating enough food to keep a healthful body weight and activity level.