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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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Childhood Obesity, Photo by Wendy Copely

September is National Childhood Obesity Month.  According to a AMA board member Dr. Mary Anne McCaffree, “Obesity kills more Americans every year than AIDS, all cancers, and all accidents combined…It is causing health problems in children that were unthinkable 30 years ago. That is why the AMA is working to halt the spread of obesity”.

“The early period of life — including the prenatal months and infancy to age 5 — is a key time to prevent childhood obesity,” said Pat Simmons, nutrition specialist with the [Missouri] state   health department. “If we can reduce childhood obesity, we will eventually reduce obesity in adults.”*

While good nutrition begins at home, daycare providers are called upon to support appropriate eating behaviors. This means offering a variety of healthy foods in appropriate portions as well modeling healthy eating behaviors in order to help children learn to enjoy healthy foods from an early age.

According to the USDA Child and Adult Food Program guidelines, the following serving sizes are recommended for children ages 1-2:

Ages 1-2
1 serving of milk:
½ cup fluid milk
2 servings of fruit or vegetables:
¼ cup of juice, fruit and/or vegetables

1 serving of meat or meat alternative:
1 ounce meat, poultry, fish, or meat alternative or
1 ounce of cheese or
½ egg or
¼ cup beans or
½ ounce  nuts

1 serving of grains:
½ slice of bread or
¼ cup cereal or
¼ cup pasta or
½ serving of biscuit, roll, or muffin

In addition to healthy nutrition, child care providers must provide and promote physical activity. Chidren should have about one hour of physical activity per day, so child care providers should incorporate movement into the curriculum. This means some activities should focus on enhancing large motor muscle activity, like running, jumping, dancing, kicking, throwing a ball, or riding a tricycle.

Daycare providers should promote physical activity by incorporating games throughout the day, such as music and movement and dramatic play.  Toys and equipment should encourage physical activity, such as hula hoops and balls.

Communication with parents is a very important part of daycare jobs. It is important to work in conjunction with parents to create healthy behaviors in children, so do not be timid in approaching parents if there are apparent issues relating to nutrition or physical activity. Some parents, especially new parents, may not be aware of (or embarrassed about) nutritional behavior that may cause problems down the line and may welcome suggestions and support.

*National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month (2010, September 10). Daily Dunklin Democrat.

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Proper eating habits should start at an early age and begin at home. However, if young children are in daycare throughout a parent’s long work day, the “burden” of meeting a child’s dietary needs shifts to daycare providers. Just like with  daycare licensing requirements and regulations that must be met, there are also nutritional requirements that must be met. It is important that daycare providers and preschool teachers meet the health and nutrition requirements for the children you care for.

We constantly hear the buzz words “all natural” “trans-fats” “free range” “organic”. What do these terms mean and are these types of foods more expensive? New studies and reports are released daily. These reports can contradict each other and become confusing and overwhelming.

There are companies such as Real Food for Real Kids, a Canadian company which offers healthy, organic, free range, refined sugar free, trans-fat free, meal delivery to childcare centers, but it is relatively expensive. While many daycare centers may not be able to afford delivery service, there are some things you can do. Daycare providers can arm themselves with knowledge and provide children or families in your daycare around you with knowledge. For parents who send their children to daycare with home lunches and for daycare providers who provide breakfast, lunch and snacks to children it is important to have knowledge of age appropriate, balanced nutrition.

Children’s Nutrition Guides

There are many guides that can help erase many of the confusions child care providers may have with respect to nutrition for young children. The Yale Guide to Children’s Nutrition by William Tamborlan, is a comprehensive guide to children’s nutrition and a good place to start to learn the basics. The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine. Lapine is also excellent. Lapine is really on to something with highly creative, healthy dishes that get finicky eaters to eat healthfully. How to Teach Nutrition to Kids by Connie Liakos Evers helps child care providers teach children about a balanced diet. And finally, Tidbits: A Quick and Healthy Guide to Kids’ Snacks by Gina La Monica and April Brimer is the go-to guide for snacks. It’s a colorful picture book chock full of healthy alternatives that kids will love.

Even making a few simple additions to daycare menus can make a big difference. One child care center designates two days each week as “salad bar days”. Get creative and really mix up the fruits and veggies. Be sure that you foods you serve in your daycare are age appropriate and fresh. Educate children about the benefits of eating healthy and then model healthy eating in the food you serve.

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Eventually kids in daycare centers will get tired of the same old peanut butter and jelly or mac and cheese from a box for lunch. Mix it up with these quick, creative, nutritious toddler lunches and snack ideas:

Veggie Pasta Sauce

One way to get children to eat more vegetables is to add them to pasta sauce. Serve this delicious sauce over fun pasta shapes.

Ingredients:
1 can 28oz crushed tomatoes
1 T olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt
1 cup frozen carrots
1 cup thinly sliced yellow summer squash
1 can 14.5 oz Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
1 cup baby spinach leaves
2 roasted red peppers (from a jar)

Heat crushed tomatoes, olive oil and garlic salt in a saucepan over medium high heat. Place carrots and squash in microwave safe bowl and cook for 5 minutes. Puree carrots and squash in a food processor with diced tomatoes, spinach leaves, and roasted red peppers. Add pureed mixture to tomato mixture cooking in saucepan.  Cook 10 more minutes or heated through. Serve over cooked pasta.

*Recipe adapted from toddlermag.com

Hummus
Hummus is a delicious, nutritious dip made of chickpeas. Hummus is great with veggie sticks, crackers, or pita bread.

2 cups canned organic chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup tahini sauce (sesame seed paste)
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly until water is clear. In a food processor, puree chickpeas, garlic, lemon, one tablespoon of EVOO and cumin in food processor. Scrape down sides of food processing bowl and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Continue to process until paste-like.

Baked Potatoes with Fun Fillings

Baked potatoes are rich in vitamin B and C and potassium. Topping baked potatoes with a variety of toppings keep baked potatoes interesting for toddlers. It also is an easy way to serve a complete meal. Prick potatoes with a fork and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the potato. You may also use sweet potatos or yams.

Topping Ideas:
Diced or shredded chicken with sautéed peppers
Diced sautéed veggies and cheese of your choice
Hummus dip or avocado dip
Last night’s leftovers – very quick and convenient

Quick and Easy Snacks for Toddlers

Slices of cucumber and whole grain crackers with hummus
Apple slices and cubes of low fat cheese
Whole Fruit smoothie and pretzels
Carrot sticks and whole grain crackers with cream cheese
Banana chunks with a handful of dry cheerios

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Toddlers can be very fussy eaters. Sometimes toldders will go on food jags, requesting to eat same foods day in and day out. The trick to getting kids to eat an array of healthy foods is to make it appealing to the eye, creative, and delicious. Whether you are a parent or a licensed day care provider, consider the following lunches at home and at daycare:

1. Fancy Sandwiches: Get out of the boring sandwich rut by making  fancy, creative sandwiches using an assortment of breads and cookie cutters. Find cookie cutters in a variety of shapes and sizes and use them to cut the bread for super cool sandwiches. Children will be intrigued by your creativity and will be more apt to finish their sandwich. Also try switching up the bread.  Plain white bread day to day can become mundane and uninteresting. There are a wide variety of breads to choose from that are made fresh at your local bakery to choose from like honey wheat, rye, asiago, tomato basil, pumpkin, focaccia, and ciabatta . Their unique flavors, colorful presentation, and textures can be appealing to young children.
2. Mini Pizzas: Mini pizzas are a great alternative to sandwiches and a healthy alternative to pizza.  Top whole wheat English muffins with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a host of veggies like tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, or broccoli. Let children take turns choosing their own healthy toppings. Broil the mini pizzas in a toaster oven or under the oven’s broiler.
3. Whole Grain Crackers: Crackers are a great substitute for bread. You can take two large crackers like Wasa Hearty Rye Crisp bread and put sandwich fillings between them. As an alternative you can pack a lunch of whole grain crackers along with low fat cheese slices, sliced lean meats, and sliced veggies. Spread crackers with a variety of spreads like cream cheese, peanut butter, cottage cheese, whole fruit spread or mashed bananas.
4. Wraps or Roll Ups. Tortillas are great for making sandwiches because they are less likely to get soggy.  Wraps can be made with whole wheat tortillas. Add healthy combinations like lean cold cuts, grilled chicken and veggies and lowfat cheese. You can make rollups on a whole tortilla topped with all sorts of healthy fun toppings. Try lowfat cream cheese topped with veggie slices or dried fruits like raisins, apples, and apricots.  You can even make rollups out of your usual sandwich toppings like peanut butter and jelly.
5. Healthy Dips: Dips are a great way to provide a nutritious, deconstructed lunch.  There are a variety of healthy, great tasting dips like fruit and yogurt dip, hummus dip, bean dips, and avocado dip. Cut whole grain bread into strips or cut pita bread into triangles for dipping. Sliced fruit and veggies can also be used as dippers.

It is important to offer young children choices from a wide variety of foods in an assortment of colors and textures presented in small portions. Also remember one of the responsibilities you hold as part of your child care job is being a role model. Children learn good eating habits from their role models. When an adult models good eating habits in childcare centers, helps instill good lifelong eating habits in young children.

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When starting your child care business, daycare food programs and daycare nutrition are vital component to consider. Parents in conjunction with child care providers must work together to ensure that children receive the proper amount of vitamins and minerals each day.

According to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine research by the Children’s Hospital in Boston shows that at least 40 percent of American infants and toddlers aren’t getting enough vitamin D. 12 percent of the young children in the United States are deficient in vitamin D while 28 percent of infants and toddlers are at risk for vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D is a nutrient important for bone grown, bone strength and neuromusular health. Vitamin D helps toddlers’ immune system function and reduces inflammation in the body. It also helps reduce the risk of rickets (softening of bones in children which can lead to fractures and deformity). A deficiency in vitamin D will restrict calcium absorption. The amount of Vitamin D currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics is 400 IU (international units) daily.

As a daycare provider, how do you make sure the children in your care are receiving enough Vitamin D and that you are serving foods that are rich in vitamin D? The best source of Vitamin D is Milk. 8 ounces of vitamin D fortified milk contains 100 IU. However, be aware that the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines state that toddlers need no more than 16 ounces of milk per day (about 2 glasses). Too much milk can put your toddler at risk for iron-deficiency anemia and irritate your toddler’s gut.

Luckily, children in your daycare center can absorb vitamin D from sunlight or by eating vitamin D rich foods in addition to milk. There are a variety of vitamin D rich foods that help toddlers meet their Vitamin D requirements. Some examples of vitamin D rich foods to include in your child’s diet:

• Salmon
• Sardines
• Swiss cheese
• Tuna
• Yogurt
• Mackerel
• Beef liver
• Egg yolks
• Mushrooms
• Ice Cream
• Vitamin D -fortified cereal (check the label – Total or Cheerios for example)
• Cream Cheese

You may also try these tasty, toddler-friendly, vitamin D-rich recipes at home or in your child care center:

Pineapple-Orange Smoothie: Blend 8 ounces calcium and Vitamin D-fortified orange juice, pineapple chunks and low-fat vanilla yogurt in using a blender, hand blender, or food processor.

Teriyaki Salmon: Marinade salmon steaks in teriyaki sauce for 2 hours. Arrange salmon skin side down in a pan sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle brown sugar over the salmon according to taste. Bake in an over at 375 for about 30 minutes or until salmon flakes with a fork.

What about Supplements? The American Academy of Pediatrics supports Vitamin D supplements for children. In your daycare business, is important to keep the lines of communication open to be sure you are meeting the needs of infants and toddlers in your care.

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