Nutrition & Eating Nutrition & Eating RoutinesRoutines

Early Childhood Services 120

Canadian Paediatric SocietyCanadian Paediatric Society

According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, three important principles apply to feeding children of all ages. Every child in any care setting should be offered food in quantity and quality that:

meet individual metabolic and nutrient needs, as well as promoting normal growth

are age-appropriate, safe and consistentare culturally appropriate, promoting feelings

of love and security

Hunger and AppetiteHunger and Appetite

Feeding babies and children well means learning to read their hunger cues, offering food when they are ready to eat and letting them decide when they are satisfied.

There is a difference between hunger and appetite:

Hunger is a natural physical desire that protects you from starvation.

Appetite is a desire rather than a need to eat.

Appropriate FeedingAppropriate Feeding

Letting children take the lead about how much they need to satisfy their hunger is the basis for appropriate feeding as they grow. Good eating habits learned in childhood can last a lifetime, and early childhood educators are in an ideal position to help families instill those good habits.

Food SecurityFood Security

Food security means having access to enough healthy food without experiencing difficulty meeting other basic family needs. Not all families you meet will have enough safe, nutritious food to feed their children throughout the month. Food insecurity has both psychological and social consequences for children.

Child care services can post and provide information about community services and local food security initiatives such as community kitchens and gardens.

Golden Rules of Feeding ChildrenGolden Rules of Feeding Children

The Canadian Paediatric Society’s Golden Rules of Feeding Children are:

offer meals and snacks at regular intervals provide a variety of food in accordance with Canada’s Food Guide have a comfortable place to sit and eat supervise and share in mealtimes by eating with the children offer food in forms children can manage easily (in other words,

cut into pieces or mashed) to prevent a choking hazard provide devices or utensils - such as booster seat, a cup or small

spoon – that help children to feel included and eat more independently.

Teach age-appropriate table manners Make mealtimes pleasant. Allow children to Choose to eat or not eat the meal Eat as much or as little as they want

Questions for DiscussionQuestions for Discussion

What about fat? How is fat bad for a child’s health? How is fat good for a child’s health? Which fats are healthier than others?

What are food allergies? How are they different from food intolerances? Why is it important to know about food allergies and food intolerances?

Sometimes children are picky eaters. Why is this, and how can you help them through this difficulty?

Why should you never warm a baby’s bottle in the microwave or on the stove top?

Why should infants never be left with a bottle propped in their mouth?

What’s the story on giving young children fruit juices? What are strategies for feeding children with developmental

delays? What are strategies for feeding children who are overweight or

obese?

FatFat

Children should be breast fed or drink formula until the age of one

Children should not be given low-fat milk until age two or skim milk until age five.

◦ Fat is required to sustain rapid and healthy brain development in young children

◦ Healthy fats are found in vegetable oils such as olive, canola, sunflower, soybean, grape seeds, etc. They contain essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 that cannot be made in the body and must come from the diet.

◦ Fat is needed to transport vitamins in your blood and to maintain healthy skin

◦ Avoid trans and saturated fats – fats that are solid at room temperature – limit butter, margarine, shortening, lard and fatty meats such as hamburger

Food AllergiesFood Allergies

involves an immune reactions triggered by contact of ingestion of food or food additives;

might require only a minute amount. Allergies can be sudden, severe and even

life threatening

Food IntolerancesFood Intolerances

involves the digestive system – a child who has a food and/or food additive intolerances may experience bloating, loose stools or other symptoms.

The food might be tolerated in small amounts or it might be necessary to avoid it altogether.

Picky EatersPicky Eaters

Home-made baby food allows a more gradual transition from puree to solid textures. Children will react adversely to textures more often than taste.

Children who eat home-made baby food share family dinners at a very early age and do not expect ‘special’ food.

Don’t label foods as good or bad. They are everyday foods/nutritious or sometimes food/ desserts. Associate desserts with special occasions but not treats for good behavior.

Don’t serve a snack 15 minutes after a child refuses lunch. Serve meals and snacks at regular times. You may have to put up with cranky behavior from time to time, but children will learn to eat when meals and snacks are served. Furthermore, eating food will become a matter-of-fact routine not a battle ground for control.

Encourage children to help prepare the food; the activity appeals to their growing independence and they are more likely to want to eat what they have helped to make

Eliminate distractions – turn off the TV and do not allow toys at the table

BabiesBabies

NEVER WARM BOTTLE IN MICROWAVE It may contain hot spots that can scald a baby’s

mouthNEVER WARM MILK ON STOVETOPoverheating milk will destroy its nutrientsNEVER PROP A BOTTLE IN AN INFANT’S MOUTHThe child should receive physical contact – they

should be held and loved – every feeding. Remember socialization requires trust which begins in infancy.

It increases the risk of choking, aspirating milk into the lungs, ear infections and early childhood tooth decay.

Fruit JuicesFruit Juices

Offer fruit juices only in a cup, never a bottle, as the sucrose can cause early childhood tooth decay

Give 100% fruit juice only as part of a meal or snack – limit to 60 to 120 mL as too much juice can cause diarrhea and decrease a child’s appetite for more nutrient dense foods. Fruit drinks, sweet powdered drinks reconstituted with water, soda, pop, teas and energy drinks are not suitable for children and should not be offered in day care settings.

Provide fruit rather than juices – it is an easy way to decrease sugar and increase fiber.

Developmental DelaysDevelopmental Delays

Learn from the parents – what have they discovered through trial and error? If possible watch them

Be patient – give time needed to chew and swallow; do not rush the child

Encourage self-feeding even if it does take longer and even if it is messier

Designate one care-giver and one alternate so they learn the child’s special techniques and the child learns to trust that the caregivers know and anticipate their needs correctly.

Ensure that the child feels included in the group at mealtimes

Do not allow children to feed other children

Overweight or Obese ChildrenOverweight or Obese Children

Make sure your menu includes appropriate amounts of healthy fat

Eliminate processed foods – they often contain a combination of high fat and sodium

Offer the same food and quantities as the child’s peers – do not focus on weight in any way – do not comment on how much or how little they eat

Provide lots of opportunity for physical activities that burn fat

Encourage parents to set time limits on computer games and TV – don’t include these activities in your program

Be a good role model – eat well and join in physical activities with the kids

Choose games, stories and activities that promote self-esteem.

Deli MeatsDeli Meats

Three types: whole cuts, sectioned and ‘re-formed’ and processed – ie. not so bad to same thing as a hotdog in 200 different varieties and flavours

Most contain sodium nitrate which has been linked to cancer of stomach and pancreas when deli meat is consumed in large quantities

Most contain BHT or BHA to retard rancidity and protect some of the natural nutrients. Meat becomes rancid as the fat breaks down – rather disgusting

Listeria is a concern with processed meat – it can become contaminated between the time the meat is cooked and the time it is packaged. It is recommended that people with compromised immune systems or women who are pregnant not eat processed packaged meats at all – not good for some people, not good for me either

Once processed meats are opened they should be eaten in 3 to 5 days or less – not too hard to remember if you are the only one who opens things. Do you think the people at fast food restaurants really care? How often does the Health Department inspect? How clean do the employees and their workspace look?

What is the reason children go to What is the reason children go to school hungry?school hungry?

Poverty – one in eight children in Canada live below the poverty line

Busy morning routinesLack of parental supervision Long commutes to schoolAll of the above

Which of the following is not true Which of the following is not true about breakfast?about breakfast?

In Canada, 31% of elementary and 62% of secondary students do not eat a daily breakfast

Breakfast provides essential vitamins & nutrients for a child’s growth. Without breakfast, they often will not meet iron requirements and are less likely to meet the minimum number of servings of fruits & vegetables.

Children who eat breakfast can sometimes have too much energy and will have decreased behavior

Without BreakfastWithout Breakfast

Children cannot concentrate on the tasks at hand and do not have the energy to respond to academic challenges.

Children and youth show lower levels of self-esteem and social skills.

Children and youth may experience difficulty with weight control, contributing to long-term healthy issues such as diabetes and obesity.

Schools report increase absenteeism, detention rates and conflicts

QuestionsQuestions

Make up 10 good questions about children and food, based on these notes.

Provide answers to the questions.