Spring, 2000
Consider nutrition when choosing daycare
Selecting the perfect preschool care is more than evaluating
storytime and playtimeactivities. Although often overlooked,
mealtime is equally important.
"Child-care centers have a real impact on the nutritional
quality of children's diets and can significantly influence developing
eating habits," said Dr. Theresa Nicklas, a research nutritionist
with the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center and a professor
of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
When choosing a day-care facility, parents should take
into consideration the center's overall nutrition program, including
the content of meals and snacks, its nutrition education program
and the mealtime environment, Nicklas said.
Meals and snacks:
Day-care center menus often lack variety. And they tend to
be low in calories, iron and zinc, and high in fat and sodium, Nicklas
said. To avoid these nutritional shortfalls, check that a
minimum of fat and sodium is used in food preparation, that menus
feature a variety of foods from every group of the Food Guide Pyramid
and that selections change frequently. Menus that change frequently
offer an additional advantage of letting young children experience
new tastes.
Menus are also more likely to be nutritionally complete
if the center contracts with a registered dietitian to assist with
menu planning. Ask other parents who use the center
if their children get enough to eat. Children who often seem
ravenous at pick-up time have probably not had enough. Day-care
centers should offer children food a minimum of every three hours.
Children who are in day-care for eight hours or more should receive
at least one meal and two snacks.
Nutrition education:
In addition to complying with regulations regarding
food safety and sanitation, child-care centers should train
staff members in the basics of children's nutrition and methods
that promote healthy eating habits, Nicklas said. Centers
that use resources from state, local and national programs like
the American Cancer Society and the USDA's Nutrition Education and
Training Program usually have effective nutrition-education plans.
Nicklas also suggests that parents look for providers who emphasize
good hand-washing habits and for centers with fun, food-related
activities, such as a child-tended vegetable garden.
Mealtime environment:
Child-care providers who are good role models make mealtime and
snacktime positive, cheerful, unhurried events. Nicklas said
providers should sit with children during meal periods, eat the
same foods the children do, offer choices and give children an opportunity
to serve themselves. They should also engage the children
in upbeat food-related conversations, make positive comments about
nutrition and encourage, but not require, children to taste all
foods. Providers who force children to "clean their plate"
and use food as a reward, punishment or pacifier are less likely
to help children develop healthy eating behaviors.
"Working parents who screen day-care centers for
good food and nutrition practices can be confident their children
are getting the nutrition they need and developing healthy eating
habits that can help them avoid diet-related problems as they grow
older," Nicklas said.
Child-Care Resources
County cooperative extension service offices are excellent resources
for child-care information and nutrition educational materials.
Some larger offices an also provide assistance with staff training.
For more information, contact your local county extension office
(listed under local government in most telephone directories).
On-line resources:
National Network
for Child Care
Nutrition
Training Course for Child-Care Providers
Child
Care Nutrition Resource System
Healthy
Child Care America Campaign
Nutrition Standards
for Child-Care Programs
Making
Food Healthy and Safe for Children
The ABCs of
Safe and Healthy Child Care
National
Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care
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