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)