Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/nutrition-balancing-game-standards-and-what-really-gets-eaten/5027258/
Nutrition in the child care center can be a balancing game. On one side, there is understanding what constitutes quality nutrition. On the other side, there is understanding how to convince children to eat it! Let’s take a closer look at some of the official nutrition standards and then some tips on how to make them work.
Federal government standards help us provide adequate nutrition to kids in our care. These standards outline child care nutrition guidelines for serving healthy, balanced meals, and offer some nutritional best practices. These government guidelines are worth reviewing every so often when planning meals for kids in your center.
Mealtimes, as we all know, are about more than nutrition! They are an important opportunity for children to learn about a variety of foods, learn what to do when they spill their milk, learn where food comes from, develop motor skills, to socialize and laugh with others. Discovering the pleasure of eating and observing healthy food practices in adult role models sets kids up to develop positive lifelong habits and attitudes around food.
Let’s take a deeper look at how you can ensure the children at your center are eating healthy food.