Chapter Six: Chapter Six: Providing Good Nutrition Providing Good Nutrition

in Child Carein Child Care

Specific Nutrition PoliciesSpecific Nutrition Policies

Needed because Children in day care for more than 8 hours

should receive at least one meal and 2 snacks and should have between 50 and 67% of their nutritional daily intake provided

Caregivers are being asked to take on the role of nutritional gatekeeper for the hours children in care

What is important? Cost Convenience Culture Purpose of Care

Nutrition Policies Needed forNutrition Policies Needed for

Early Feeding and the Infant Establishing Feeding Behavior of the Toddler Food and the Preschool Child School-Age Nutrition Nutrition and the Child with Special Needs Exercise as a Part of Diet

Early Feeding and the Early Feeding and the Infant in CareInfant in Care

Breast-Feeding Benefits Providing support to nursing mother Safe and sanitary practices Optimizes cognitive development

Bottle feeding Formulas Safe and sanitary practices

Feeding pattern Cues

Drawing head away from nipple, releasing it or biting it

Sucking stops, mouth shuts tightly Changing posture Being attentive to surroundings and not feeding

Infant controlled feeding requires caregiver to be attentive to behavior

Also to allow amount to vary depending on infant’s needs

Introducing Solid Foods Feeding pattern to developmental level

Start slowly, one new food at a time for 5-7 days This allows for food allergy to appear

Utensils should be small and age appropriate Only small amounts on tip of spoon Food placed in small bowl—only enough for 1

serving

Order of Introduction Cereals Vegetables Fruits Other Foods

Caregiver guidelines Never use food as bribery, diversion, or

reward Try new foods at baby’s best time Make mealtime pleasant, not distracting Avoid serving foods that may cause choking

See page 210 for more guidelines

Feeding the ToddlerFeeding the Toddler

Food is the first place toddler shows autonomy/independence

Caregiver should Maintain good nutrition while establishing

good eating habits Understand growth patterns and

developmental changes that affect toddler’s actions

See page 212 for common patterns

Food as an Issue of Control Adult is responsible for food that comes in

and how it is presented Adult is responsible for making sure child is

at meal, on task, behaves well, and regulates time for meals and snacks

Child is responsible for how much he or she eats, whether he or she eats, and how his or her body turns out

The way an adult treats a child at mealtime reflects how adult treats child elsewhere

Make mealtime significant to child Know child’s temperament, tempo,

capabilities Manage eating environment

Set limits as to time and place for eating Prepare child for transition

Child should come to table ready to eat Sit at the table for a few minutes if not

hungry Child’s choice not to participate—adult

reinforces child’s choice Keep food out of sight See page 215

Nutritional Considerations Variation in food consumption

Food jags Milk should have proper place Not too much juice

Guidelines for Good Food Habits Table 6-9 (page 216)

Food and the PreschoolerFood and the Preschooler

Outside influences Peers, teachers, parents, TV

Positive reinforcement Cereal aisles and negative behavior

Encouraging child participation

School-Age NutritionSchool-Age Nutrition

More likely to be involved with snacks and maybe breakfast

Snacks should be substantial and ready when they get to care

If sack lunches are prepared, the child should be included in mealtime activities

Child should be encouraged to understand nutrition, select and prepare healthy foods, and have good dietary habits

Nutrition and the Child with Nutrition and the Child with Special NeedsSpecial Needs

Developmental disabilities or chronic illness may affect Feeding skills Equipment needs Feeding procedures Foods

Can child care accommodate these needs?

Exercise as Part of DietExercise as Part of Diet

Should be included as part of normal activities New guideline in Dietary Guidelines for

Americans Healthy People 2010 added physical

exercise to its list of priorities

Large motor activities versus sedentary activities Caregiver should encourage physical activity Playground play helps to ensure children are

getting exercise

Weather a factor Try to provide for indoor physical activity Remove temptations to inactivity

Implications for CaregiversImplications for Caregivers

Education and Role Modeling For parents With children

Cultural Competence Cultural influences and food selection Caregiver’s cultural perspective

Supervision Requires skills

Selection of healthy food choices, focus on healthy choices and preparation methods

Food sanitation and safety practices

Meals from home Monitor for acceptable food choices Proper food storage

Directing mealtime behaviors Good role modeling

Reality Check:Reality Check:Television and Its Effects on Television and Its Effects on

Children’s NutritionChildren’s Nutrition

Children watch as many as 200,000 food ads between 2 and 12 years of age

Food advertised is not healthy High sugar, high fat, empty calorie foods

Cereals, cookies, drinks Ads for fast foods Less than 5% of ads were for healthy foods

TV viewing discourages exercise—“couch potatoes”

Some children eat in front of television Consumption of soft drinks have

increased 500% due to TV ads

Caregivers Promote good nutrition by helping children

make healthier choices Can talk about misleading food ads Help children by helping them read labels

and their own internal cues

See Saturday Morning Food Pyramid (page 220)