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Whether it’s lunch for children in your daycare, preschool, or for a field trip, make sure toddlers get proper nutrition by making a well-balanced lunch.  In addition, packing a lunch for your own child is economical and ensures that your child is eating nutritious foods in age-appropriate portions.

Making lunch for preschool-aged children is snap when following these simple guidelines. Lunch should include:

1 item from the milk group:

• Low-fat or fat free milk
• Part-skim mozzarella string cheese or other part-skim cheeses
• Low-fat or 2% cheeses and Low-fat or fat-free yogurt.

Tip: Select yogurt that is lower in sugar, yet does not rely on artificial sweeteners.  When looking at labels, remember that 12 grams of sugar = 1 TBSP.

1 or 2 items from the fruit group

• Fresh fruit salad
• Melon wedges
• Orange
• Banana
• Apple
• Grapes (cut in halves to minimize choking hazard)
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
• Kiwi
• Pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots or plums

1 or 2 vegetables:

• Celery sticks, baby carrots or carrot sticks (cut lengthwise down the middle to minimize choking hazard)
• Cherry or grape tomatoes (cut in halves)
• Cucumber, zucchini or squash sticks
• Grilled or baked eggplant slices
• Coleslaw with low-fat mayo or vinaigrette
• Cooked beans (chickpeas, soybeans, black beans, pinto, low-fat refried, etc.)
• Cooked butternut or other winter squash
• Bell pepper slices
• Avocado slices
• Broccoli or cauliflower
• Lightly blanched green beans or asparagus
• Sugar snap peas
• Spinach or tossed salad

Tip: Fruit roll ups and fruit snacks are not considered a fruit.  Use fruits and vegetable to add color to your child’s lunch.  Include foods with two or more colors from the rainbow along with the neutral colors from grains, meats and dairy products

1 Grain/Bread:

Choose whole grains and breads made from whole grains.  Look for a whole grain to be the first ingredient on the food label.  Avoid grains containing high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.

• Whole grain bread, whole grain pita bread, whole grain roll
• Whole wheat English muffin or bagel
• Whole grain tortilla
• Potato (sweet or white- baked, mashed or boiled)
• Whole grain pasta
• Brown rice
• Whole grain crackers
• Whole wheat couscous
• Homemade corn muffin
• Read-to-eat whole grain cereal

1 Meat or Meat Alternative

• Chopped egg
• Pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds
• Sunflower Butter
• Cottage Cheese
• Meats (chicken, roast beef, turkey, etc.)
• Skinless chicken breast slices
• Cooked beans or low-fat refried beans
• Tofu or tempeh
• Hummus
• Tuna or egg salad

Although nuts are considered a meat alternative, many preschools are a nut free environment due to allergies.  Please do not send nuts or nut butters in the lunch if the child’s preschool makes this request.

You may be wondering, “where is the dessert?” Please do not include sweets (candy, cookies, chips, cakes, etc.) in the toddler’s child’s lunch.  At home, small amounts of unhealthy fats and sweets can be a part of a healthy diet.  Sweets should only be included occasionally in a child’s diet, and always in small amounts.

By following these simple guidelines, you can ensure your child (or a child in your care) is getting a wholesome lunch even when you aren’t in their presence.

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Meal plans for children should be simple and include a wide array of colors. Many times, you may have to introduce children new foods must 10-15 times in order for a child to accept them. While you meals should be varied (within reason) in order to nutrient needs, caregivers must still keep the foods repetitive enough so that the child feels safe with the predictability of familiar foods.

A child will be more likely to eat adequately by mixing new and familiar foods together in the daycare meal plan. Caregivers should allow plenty of time at meals and snacks. Make sure that the caregiver or teacher is comfortable with eating, sits down with the children at meals and neither pressures nor restricts the child’s food choices.

Caregivers should allow kid-friendly fare such as candy and sweets to be used occasionally as a prize or reward earned and use other rewards as well such as game time, crayons, special responsibilities to also teach the child manners and cause/effect of choices.

Food Safety for Day Care providers is usually regulated by the government.  If the Day Care provider “cooks” or “serves” the food they must be licensed.  Licensing comes from the initial application, provision of adequate facilities, and then “regular” inspections usually 2 times each year.  The Day Care provider follows the same “rules” that as the government regarding food safety  — ultimately the U.S. Public Health Services Food Code through the FDA. States and Counties (and even cities) can have stricter Food Codes than the U.S. one but not “less strict”.  A Day Care facility should have a copy of their daycare license posted in a conspicuous place and they should have their inspections available for review.

As you evaluate the mealtime environment consider the following:

• Look at the overall cleanliness of the food preparation facilities.  If the food is “catered” I would look at the caterer’s credentials and if possible their facility.
• Look at the area where the children eat.  Are the tables sanitized before the meal?  Is the area clean?
• Look at the cleanliness of the employees.  Do they wash their hands before handling the food?  Are they clean and neat?
• Look at the process for serving the food.  Are the cold items held in the refrigerator or on ice?  Are the hot foods hot?

It is important for parents to ask questions; however, the most influential messages about nutrition still come from how the primary care giver models behaviors in the home.

In daycare, the nutrition program is best when a variety of foods are offered in a relaxed environment where some emphasis is put on proper eating but not so much so that it creates anxiety and shame for children. Good nutrition includes eating with balance, variety and moderation; letting one’s own body regulate what foods are “good” and how much is enough. Nutrition education is done best when a relaxed, neutral approach is taken toward food and eating. Allow the child’s body to develop on schedule as naturally intended. Avoid over-emphasizing rules and restrictions around food and body sizes. Encourage diversity in eating styles, amounts and frequency; celebrate diversity in body sizes, colors and shapes.

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In terms of toddler nutrition, calcium is an important nutrient for building strong teeth bones and teeth in toddlers. The recommended amount of calcium for toddlers (children ages 1-3) is 500 milligrams per day. How do you make sure your child is getting those 500 milligrams each day?

To meet this need, many toddlers get their calcium requirements met through milk. One glass of milk provides a toddler with more than half their daily calcium requirement. Understand that the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines state that toddlers need no more than 16 ounces of milk per day (about 2 glasses). More than this and you can put your toddler at risk for iron-deficiency anemia and too many servings of milk can aggravate your toddler’s gut. Also realized that some of the vitamins in milk, like vitamin A, are fat soluble so less is absorbed when you drink lower-fat milk. Children under the age of two should have full-fat milk.

Not only does calcium build strong bones and teeth but according to recent research, a high calcium diet in childhood appeared to be associated with reduced risk of death from stroke. Specifically, researchers found that a calcium intake of approximately 400 milligrams per day was associated with 40% to 60% lower mortality due to stroke compared with a daily calcium intake below this level.

Milk is not the only way to meet a child’s calcium requirements. If a child is lactose intolerant, dairy products may be off limits. Fortunately, there are both dairy and nondairy solutions to getting in those 500 milligrams per day:

The following foods provide about 300 mg of calcium per serving:

• 8 ounces of yogurt
• 1 cup orange juice, calcium fortified
• 1 cup of pudding
• 1 cup of soy or rice milk
• 3 cups of broccoli
• 4 ounces of canned salmon with bones
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 cup turnip greens
• 1 cup of almonds
• 1 ounce of cheese

Those children who live a vegetarian lifestyle can reach their calcium requirements with some of the non-dairy foods above as well as through calcium fortified foods like fortified rice milk, fortified soymilk or fortified juice.

As a side note, you may want to consider organic milk in your family daycare for a few reasons. Firstly, organic milk has 71 per cent more Omega 3 than regular milk because of the cows’ clover-rich natural diet. It also doesn’t contain any pesticides, added hormones or antibiotics.

Making a habit of getting in the daily recommended amount of calcium in the most healthiest ways possible helps promote strong teeth and bones throughout the life of your toddler.

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If you’re a daycare provider, daycare owner, or child care center owner, you will have to manage the individual needs of children with respect to daycare nutrition. Many times the children in your care will have food allergies that must be considered and addressed.

What exactly is a food allergy? According to the Food Allergy and Anaphlyaxis Network, a food allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks a food protein. Ingestion of certain foods in certain children may trigger the sudden release of chemicals, including histamine, resulting in symptoms of an allergic reaction. The symptoms may be mild symptoms like rashes, hives, itching, and swelling. Symptoms might be severe like trouble breathing, wheezing, loss of consciousness, etc.).

Recent statistics show 4 out of 100 children have a food allergy. The most common food allergies in young children are caused by cow’s milk, eggs, soybeans, peanuts, wheat and tree nuts.

So how do you manage and attend to the nutritional needs of a group of children? Here are a few handy tips to help you help manage allergies in the group daycare setting:

• Request that parents provide you with comprehensive information about their child’s allergy. They should list foods to avoid, any cross-sensitivities, and usual treatment.

• Educate parents and children about food allergies. Request that someone from an Allergy Association come in and speak with families to discuss the seriousness of food allergies.

• Ban foods from a classroom if you have found that a child in your care is severely allergic. This may seem extreme but this is necessary because even very small quantities of the allergen in the atmosphere can affect the child. Let all parents know about your food rules and reassure the parents of the allergic child that the child care is allergen sensitive (meaning you do your best to keep allergens out of the school.

• If you find that a child in your care has food allergies, be sure to let other parents know. This will help ensure that the food rules for the classroom are being followed.

• Do not allow children to share or trade snacks or lunches.

• If a child in your child has food allergies, do not allow them to try foods they are not familiar with.

• When serving foods, select those  that are plain and easily identified such as fruits and vegetables

• Avoid planning class celebrations around food. If parents do donate foods for special occasions, be sure they are prepackaged and that it lists the ingredients.

Remember to steer clear of using allergens in arts and crafts activities. For example don’t use nuts or eggs in crafts.

Most importantly, know where the child’s EpiPen or Anakit is located at all times. Be sure all staff knows how to administer it.   In addition, it is extremely imperative that you work collaboratively with parents to ensure that child’s their health and safety needs are met. Communication is the key!

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A daycare nutrition program is an important component of the overall daycare program. What are parents looking for (or what should they be looking for) when they evaluate your nutrition program, nutrition education programs, and mealtime environments?

To answer these questions we asked Juliet Zuercher, we asked Juliet Zuercher, Nutrition Coordinator for Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center for eating disorders and substance abuse in the Chicago area .

OwnADaycare: How would you describe a good mealtime environment?

Juliet Zuercher: A good meal time environment is one in which the caregiver has taken the time to provide tasty, nutritious foods and the child is given the freedom to explore and experience eating without pressure. Trying to teach a child abstract concepts like “fat is bad” or “avoid sugar” is futile and dangerous. Too many rules around food confuse a child and do not allow for natural food selection to occur for growth and development. Many serious eating issues have their roots in early childhood experience with food; eating disorders may unfortunately result from these early negative environments.

OwnADaycare: For parents that send their child to daycare with lunch and snacks, can you recommend the best foods to send to daycare?

Juliet Zuercher: The best foods to send are ones that the parent knows the child likes and will eat along with new foods to expand the child’s food repertoire. This can have high variability based on the resources at the daycare, how much preparation is involved in the food sent, what is the food storage available, what is the budget of the family, etc?

OwnADaycare: For parents that send their child to daycare with lunch and snacks, what is the best way to pack them?

Juliet Zuercher: Again, this varies greatly depending on the travel time to the daycare, the resources available for food storage once there, the cost of food containers, the space available and the types of food (prepackaged, fresh).

OwnADaycare: Do you have any additional tips?

Juliet Zuercher: One resource I highly recommend is a pioneer in the field of feeding children, Ellyn Satter, MS, RD, CICSW, BCD. Her book, Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family, 1999, Kelsey Press, Madison, WI, includes a section on “Raising a Healthy Eater in Your Community” chapter 10. In it, she describes “what is a healthy eater” and describes how to provide sound nutrition education to young people. I recommend this book to anyone in the field of childcare and certainly for parents of children of all ages.

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A daycare nutrition program is an important component of the overall daycare program. What are parents looking for (or what should they be looking for) when they evaluate your nutrition program, nutrition education programs, and mealtime environments?

To answer these questions we asked Juliet Zuercher, Nutrition Coordinator for Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center for eating disorders and substance abuse in the Chicago area .

OwnADaycare: When selecting daycare for children, how important is it for parents to consider its overall nutrition program, its nutrition education program and the mealtime environment?

Juliet Zuercher: It is important for parents to ask these very good questions; however, the most influential messages about nutrition still come from how the primary care giver models behaviors in the home. In daycare, the nutrition program is best when a variety of foods are offered in a relaxed environment where some emphasis is put on proper eating but not so much so that it creates anxiety and shame for children. Good nutrition includes eating with balance, variety and moderation; letting one’s own body regulate what foods are “good” and how much is enough. Nutrition education is done best when a relaxed, neutral approach is taken toward food and eating. Allow the child’s body to develop on schedule as naturally intended. Avoid over-emphasizing rules and restrictions around food and body sizes. Encourage diversity in eating styles, amounts and frequency; celebrate diversity in body sizes, colors and shapes.

OwnADaycare: When selecting a daycare program what should parents look for with respect to meal plans and scheduling?

Juliet Zuercher: Meal plans for children should be colorful and simple. For most children, new foods must be introduced sometimes 10-15 times in order for a child to accept them. Although reasonable variety is essential for meeting nutrient needs, keep the foods repetitive enough so that the child feels safe with the predictability of familiar foods. She will be more likely to eat adequately by mixing new and familiar foods together in the meal plan. Allow plenty of time at meals and snacks. Make sure that the teacher is comfortable with eating, sits down with the children at meals and neither pressures nor restricts the child’s food choices. Allow kid-friendly fare such as candy and sweets to be used occasionally as a prize or reward earned; use other rewards as well such as game time, crayons, special responsibilities to also teach the child manners and cause/effect of choices.

OwnADaycare: What questions should parents ask child care centers about their food safety and sanitation policies? Are there usually local and state regulations for nutrition in daycare?

Juliet Zuercher: Per Debra Johnston, RD (Remuda Ranch Culinary Services Director): I believe that Food Safety for Day Care providers is handled by the County Health Department – Maricopa County Government (in AZ).  If the Day Care provider “cooks” or “serves” the food they must be licensed.  Licensing comes from the initial application, provision of adequate facilities, and then “regular” inspections (I think 2 times each year).  The Day Care provider follows the same “rules” that we do regarding food safety – ultimately the U.S. Public Health Services Food Code through the FDA. States and Counties (and even Cities) can have stricter Food Codes than the U.S. one but not “less strict”.  A Day Care facility should have a copy of their “license” posted in a conspicuous place and they should have their inspections available for review.

If I were looking at Day Care providers that handle food I would:

1. Look at the overall cleanliness of the food preparation facilities.  If the food is “catered” I would look at the caterer’s credentials and if possible their facility.
2. Look at the area where the children eat.  Are the tables sanitized before the meal?  Is the area clean?
3. Look at the cleanliness of the employees.  Do they wash their hands before handling the food?  Are they clean and neat?
4. Look at the process for serving the food.  Are the cold items held in the refrigerator or on ice?  Are the hot foods hot?

If a Day Care provider gets government assistance for providing meals there are strict guidelines about what has to be included in the meal.

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Dealing with preschooler’s eating habits can be wearisome. Sometimes they don’t eat enough, request the same foods over and over, or reject healthy foods for young children.

We asked the OwnADaycare Facebook fans, “What do you do when you have a picky eater on your hands or a you have a child in your care who is on a food jag (eats the same foods over and over, refusing others)”?  Here are some suggestions:

• Have him help you make food. Try finger foods in cupcake papers (bento style lunch). Be consistent. And don’t let him fill up on milk/juice.
• I had a picky eater whose obsession was corndogs. My sister in law suggested serving a little bit smaller serving sizes and tell him if he eats what he is served he can have a chicken nugget or a small sandwich. Every day make the serving sizes a little bigger. I did this and it worked. Although I didn’t fix him a corndog after he ate his lunch, I told him I would fix it for a snack (he went home before snack, so I gave him a treat for the road). Today his mom told me that if he eats his lunch she will reward him with ice cream.
• I would let him know that this is what lunch is today. If he choose to not eat any of it that is fine however when the other children are all having something yummy for snack he will be served his lunch that  he choose not to eat a few hours before. I do this with a few of my picky eaters. Let me tell u a few times of them eating their lunch at snack while the other kids got a yummy snack the child was not happy and they eat a little bit of what I serve every day now.
• A parent and I came up with this solution- if the child decides not to eat what we’re having for lunch that’s fine, I wrap it and put it in the fridge, heat it up and serve it to her for snack! She usually ends up eating it then because she’s so hungry! And nine times out of ten she realizes she likes it!
• I have a couple picky eaters.. I do the how old are you rule…when the four year old says she doesn’t like something I reply with  “Well it’s a good thing you are only 4 then because you ONLY have to try four bites of those”. And usually she finishes it because after the four bites she is close to a clean plate also as I am fixing lunch we talk about what we are having and they know they are not allowed to say they don’t want, they don’t like something until they have tried it.
• I have one of those for almost 3 1/2 years now, and she literally like and eats maybe a dozen foods. I started trying everything, but then realized that it is the parent’s responsibility to get her to eat. What I now do to save my sanity is give her what is served, and if she eats it then good, and if she doesn’t then she will be hungry. I limit her fluids as well.
• When an issue like this is handled with a heavy hand (ie, You WILL do it MY way.) I’ve found that children become more and more resistant. When you make them a part of the solution, you help them to discover that they are capable of trying new things and foster a love of learning and eating healthy foods. I’ve learned this the hard way with my first born, now almost 9 years old. He makes his own school lunches with a requirement of two veg and one fruit. I don’t need to require a protein or carbs, because that’s all he’d eat left to his own devices. In short, I would be cautious with advice that would lead you into a power struggle. We are here to teach and guide the little ones trusted to our care.
• It sounds cruel but you just have to offer things to him cook your food that is on your menu and serve it he will eventually eat when he is hungry enough My grandson is 4 and he is just now starting to try new things. Just keep offering he will try new things someday.
• You can offer food, but it is up to him if he chooses to eat it or not. I tell my kids when they say they don’t like or don’t want what I serve, “That if fine, but you will be hungry later”. I don’t really cater to kids’ likes or dislikes, but rather choose healthy.
• I have a “funny” eater as well, if her meat is on her sandwich and not on the side, she doesn’t want it or she eats cheese, but she doesn’t like it on her macaroni. Luckily, I’ve talked to her mom and she takes care of lunch, now I just do snack, which she doesn’t seem to have a problem with anything. My approach was, “Suzy” may be hungry because she refused to eat her lunch. After a week or two of this, mom finally stepped in.
• Start by having them take a no-thank you bite. IT WORKS. I have been doing it for years! We watch Green Eggs and Ham also and talk about how if we will just try things that a lot of times that we like it! They always take their no thank you bites and get so excited for me to watch them take it and as I said most will realize that they do like it.

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There is a great book by William G Wilkoff, MD called Coping with a Picky Eater that every parent or provider of kids should read and have a copy of.  This book has what I call the Picky Eater Plan. I have used this plan with kids that literally threw up at the sight of food and within 2 weeks they were eating normal amounts of everything and trying every food.

First, you need to get everyone who deals with the child on board. If you are a provider it’s ok to make this the rule at your house and not have the parents follow through but you won’t see as good results as what I describe.

The plan is to limit the quantities of food you give the kid. When I first start with a child,  I give them literally ONE bite worth of each food I am serving. The book suggests that every time you feed the kids (breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner) you give all 4 food groups. So, for lunch today I would have given the child one tiny piece of strawberry, one spoonful of applesauce, 3 macaroni noodles with cheese on them, and 2 oz of milk. Only after they have eaten ALL of what was on their plate would you give them anything else.

They can have the same amounts for seconds. If they only want more mac and cheese, they only get 3 noodles then they would have to have more of all the other foods in order to get more than that. If they don’t eat, fine. If they don’t finish, fine. Don’t make a big deal out of it, just make them stay at the table until everyone else is done eating. They don’t get more food until they are sat at the next meal and they only get what you serve. When I first do this with a child I don’t serve sweets at all. So, no animal crackers for snack but rather a carrot for snack or one of each. I don’t make it easy for them to gorge on bad foods in other words. Now if they had a meal where they ate great then I might make the snack be a yummy one cause I know they filled up on good foods.

Even at snacks you have to limit quantities of the good stuff or else they will hold out for snack and just eat those snacky foods. I never give a picky eater the reward of a yummy snack unless they had that great lunch prior to it.

It really is that easy.

Here is a proper eating schedule for children under 5 yrs old . The times are just for demonstration purposes to give amount of time between each feeding:
7 eat breakfast
8:30 snack
11 lunch, followed by nap
3 snack
5:30 dinner, no further food for the day unless under 2 yrs old, then a bedtime snack is ok

Here is an example of my Menu Form

Finger Foods for Toddlers

Nora Parkman has owned and operated Tara’s Toyland Home Daycare in Plainfield, IL since March 2000. Prior to that she has worked in daycare centers, babysat, been a nanny and taught art, math and reading in a Catholic school. She has a degree in Elementary Education but has spent many hours learning about early childhood topics.

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Planning meals and snacks for toddlers in daycare can be overwhelming. Here a few tips for serving young children in daycare:

Firstly, be sure to select foods that aren’t choking hazards. Choose foods and snacks that are nutritious and easy to prepare. Avoid foods with added sugar and salt.

Finger Foods

Finger foods are best toddlers because they are small in size and allow him to feed himself. They are also just the right size for small mouths. The best finger foods for 1-year-olds are bananas, circle-shaped cereals, cooked diced sweet potatoes, cubed avocado, small chunks of soft meat, finely diced fruit, diced tofu, cubes of soft whole grain bread, well cooked pasta in fun spiral shapes, chopped hard boiled eggs, and small pieces of graham cracker.

Sliced Fruit

The key to getting children to eat sliced fresh fruits is to cut into fun shapes. Select vibrantly colored fruit and then serve them with a healthy yogurt dip. Combine 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon orange zest, and 3 tablespoons honey.

Grains

Low sugar cereals, such as cheerios, are great finger foods for toddlers. They also help toddlers meet their daily grain requirements. Whole wheat crackers are also a great grain to serve toddlers. You can take two large crackers and put sandwich fillings  or spread crackers with a variety of spreads like cream cheese, peanut butter (check for allergies first), cottage cheese, whole fruit spread or mashed bananas.

Frozen Fruit Pops

Homemade Fruit pops made with 100% fruit juice and fresh fruit are a great treat for teethers and toddlers with sensitive gums.  Combine 5 large strawberries, trimmed and chopped, 1 banana peeled and chopped, 1 cup plain yogurt, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¼ cup no sugar added apple juice, and 1 tablespoon honey in a bowl.  Stir well and then spoon the mixture into four 5ounce paper cups. Cover each cup with foil and insert a Popsicle stick in through the foil into the center of the mixture. Freeze about 4 hours.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Use whole wheat tortillas to make delicious wraps. Top with lean meats, veggies and low-fat cheese for a savory wrap. For a healthy but sweet wrap, add reduced fat cream cheese and veggie slices or dried fruits.  Roll up the tortilla and slice to create pinwheels.

Apple Sauce
Apple sauce and other fruit purees are a great way for toddlers to meet their daily fruit requirements. 1. Peel, core and cut apple into slices then add them to a pan with enough water to cover the apples. Boil the apples until tender. Then mash with a potato masher.

Finely Diced Veggies

Present finely diced vegetables, both cooked and raw. Encourage children to eat veggies with healthy toppings like low-fat cheeses, hummus, tomato sauce, peanut butter, or salsa.  Also consider sweet potatoes cut into cubes and baked, or potato wedges topped with cheese or salsa.

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Planning snacks for toddlers can be daunting. Kids eventually get bored with goldfish or animal crackers and milk for snack each day. Mix it up with quick and nutritious toddler snack offerings. Here is a sample 2-week snack menu with morning and afternoon snacks that are appropriate for preschool age children.

1. Be sure to serve water with all snacks.
2. According to the National Network for Childcare, a preschooler’s total caloric intake is about 1,000-1200 calories and snacks should provide an estimated 20 to 25 percent of those calories.
3. Never force your child to eat. The more you push a child to eat, the more they will refuse to eat. Patience, understanding, and good role modeling go a long way in helping picky eaters develop healthy eating habits and enjoy food.

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