NUTRITION: Part Three
Menu Ideas
As a child care provider I have had to persistently be aware of the foods the children eat. Working with the CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program) I have the information needed to provide a safe and healthy meal each day. As well as the significance of using a variety of foods to insure the kids receive all the vitamins and minerals they need to grow strong and healthy.
What I rarely find though is what I’m truly looking for; menu ideas and examples already set up using the variety of foods needed. I have learned from the parents I provide care for, other providers and friends alike that this is primarily what we all really want.
Having the underlying knowledge of why something is needed is well and good but without the quick and easy mealtime suggestions; we can find ourselves falling back into old patterns very quickly. Being a parent, working and caring for your home and family, having a few suggestions can make all the difference between grabbing a fast food meal and preparing one yourself.
Luckily, I have an idea.
Most providers on the CAC
Food Program
have access through their referral agencies for just this type of thing. The Day Care Connection of Johnson County, Ks (my referral agency), offers providers with over 200 breakfast, snack and lunch/dinner menu options. They have even set up a system to help providers choose what meals to serve to meet that day's nutritional needs. Almost every one of the menu suggestions provide, iron or vitamin A or C as well as the supper foods that are high in both iron and vitamins A and C. Their menu plan also includes how often each of the different components should be included through the course of a week.
Having ready made menus set up with a large variety of foods helps to eliminate the need for constantly referring to a chart or book for reminders on what foods provides what nutrient.
If your provider has this type of a referral agency ask if you can receive a copy of the menu suggestions they provide. Or you can check with the referral agency yourself. Many times they will be more than happy to send you a copy.
Below I have added a very small sample of the selections I can choose from during the course of a week.
.
With permission-Day Care Connection,
Johnson
County, Ks http://www.daycareconnection.org/
|
Breakfast
|
Snack
|
Lunch
| |
Banana
Blueberry muffin
Chocolate milk
(Vit C/Iron) |
Bread Sticks
HM Tomato Sauce Dip
(Super foods)
|
Pork Chop
Caulif/Applesauce
Mac/Cheese
Milk (Vit C/Iron) | |
Apple Juice
Cheerios
Milk
(Vit C/Iron) |
Cheese Cubes
Apple Slices
(Vit C/Iron) |
Chicken Nuggets/Yogurt
Gr Beans/carrot-potato patty
Muffin
Milk (Super foods) | |
Grape J.+ C
PB/Banana
Sandwich
Milk
(Vit C/Iron) |
Celery/carrots
Cottage Cheese Dip |
Little Smokies
Pea/Carrot/Orange
Mac/cheese
Milk (Super foods) |
We’ve all heard about the new food pyramid and the importance of choosing our foods from the different categories. You can even find a kids pyramid site at http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/kids-pyramid.html
People have gone so far as to suggest choosing the food we eat by their color: reds, yellows, and greens to name a few. Http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041900.asp offers information on foods and the nutrition that gives food its color.
I know there are many other resources out there to provide us with knowledge we need to make informed decisions. I’ve read many of them and spent hundreds of dollars on books telling me how to choose the right foods and the importance of each food category and how you’ll benefit from eating a larger variety of foods.
What I have found the most invaluable though is the suggestion and ideas offered from those around me who have worked hard on our behalf to make serving a wide variety of healthy foods easier. I hope you will be able to do the same. |
Childcare 