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Lundin, Janet, Ed.; Smith, Theodore, Ed.Making Mealtime a Happy Time for Preschoolers: AGuide for Teachers. 1982 Edition.California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.8319p.Bureau of Publications, California State Departmentof Education, P.O. Box 271, Sacramento, CA 95802($7.50 for 10 copies, plus sales tax for Californiaresidents).Guides - Non-Classroom Use (055)

MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS.Child Caregivers; Child Development Specialists;Childhood At*itudes; *Day Care Centers; DiningFacilities; *Eating Habits; *Food; Guidelines;*Mutritiop; *Preschool Children; Preschool Education;*Teacher Role

IDENTIFIERS *PF Project

ABSTRACTPractical suggestions for improving the mealtime

environment in child care centers are provided for child developmentpersonnel. Nine factors to ensure a successful mealtime environmentare given along with suggestions for introducing new foods and forencouraging independence and socialization during mealtime. A sectiondealing with special circumstances such as slow eaters, obesechildren, allergies, and special diets is followed by ways toencourage children to participate in many aspects of he mealincluding planning the menu, growing the food, preparing the food,decorating and setting the table, and cleaning up. It is recommendedthat a statement of nutrition philosophy for a child care center beformulated. (A sample philosophy statement is included.) (JH)

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"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL IN MICROFICHE ONLYHAS BFEN GRANTED BY

T. SmithTO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."

U.S. DEPARTMENT DF EDUCATIONNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF Usu.:AVON

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

LI This document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it.

Iinor changes have been made to improvereproduction quality.

Points of view 07 opinions stated in this docu.

ment do not necessarily represent official NIE

position or policy.

neMaking Mealtimea appy efor PreschoolersA Guide for Techers

California Nutrition Educationand Training Program

Publishing Information.This pnblicatiom %vhieh was edited by JanetLundin and Theodore Smith. was prepared 'forphoto-offset production by the Bureau of Publi-cations. California. State Depart:tient of Educa-tion. The artwork anti layout were created byPaul Lee. The guide. which was published bythe Department, 721 Capitol Mall. Sacramento,CA 9551-1. was printed by the Office of StatePrinking and distributed under the provisions-ofthe Library Distribution Act.

1952

Copies of this booklet anti its companion docu-ment, ir repot-ivy f'o,01 fin- Prcschuolers. areavailable at a price of $7.50 for 10 copies. plussales tax fur California residents, from theBureau of Publications, California State Depart-ment of Education, P.O. Box 271. Sacramento,CA 95502. A list of other publications whiChare available from the Department, SeleetedPdolications of du. llifwwiu State Ow' rtniehtof Etiocat ion. may be obtained by writing to thesame address.

An Equal Opportunity ProgramThe Nutrition Education and Training Pro-

gram of the U.S. Department of Agriculture isavailable to all individuals regardless of race,color, national origin, age, sex, or handicap.Persons who believe they have been denied equalopportunity for participation may write to theSecretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department ofAgriculture, Washington, DC 20250.

Contents

°Acknowledgments iv

Introduction 1

Premealtime 2ff Mealtime 5Er Special Circumstances 8

How Children Can Help 10

Postmealtime 12

Developing a Nutrition Philosophy 13

Acknowledgments

Many of the ideas presented in this booklet came from aseries of nutrition education workshops for child develop-ment personnel. The California Nutrition Education andTraining Program, which conducted the workshops, wishesto thank all those who participated for their special contri-butions.

Appreciation is also expressed to the following personswho provided their expertise to help make this documentuseful to child development personnel:

Lynette Haynes Brown, Nutrition Education Specialist,California State Department of Education

Marilyn Briggs Ford, Nutrition Education Specialist,California State Department of Education.

Jamie Crane Wong, Nutrition Eclucation Specialist, Oak-land Unified School District

Introduction

The purpose of this booklet is to provide child develop-ment personnel with practical suggestions to improve themealtime environment in child care centers.

Children should have happy experiences at mealtime.During early childhood, children are developing attitudesabout food, learning to accept a wide variety of foods, andlearning to appreciate the pleasurable experiences that foodgives.

Mealtime is an important aspeiA of nutrition education.Through positive lunchruom experiences and classroominstruction, children can learn to appreciate nutritious food.For mealtime to be a pleasurable experience for the chil-dren in a child care center, a cooperative effort among thedirector, teachers, food service personnel, .ancl parents isneeded. This team must work together to plan and servenutritious meals, to develop children's positiveattitudes toward nutritious foods,and to encourage children'shealthful eating habits.

Premealtime

A pleasant mealtime climate helps shape positive foodhabits and attitudes in children. Serving meals in a relaxedand happy atmosphere facilitates children's acceptance andenjoyment of the food. It is important for children to enjoyeating a wide variety of foods because their nutritional well-being depends on this practice.

Many factors work together to make mealtime successful.Check the following list to be sure the mealtime environ-ment, is set for success:

Is an adultseated at thetable during allmealtimes?

An adult should be seated with thechildren during all mealtimes becauserole modeling is essential to the devel-opment of their healthful eating hab-its and positive attitudes toward nutri-tion. The role model exemplifies theeating behaviors children should imitate.The adult should eat tlw same mealthe children are eating and shouldrefrain from making any negativecomments or critical facial expres-sions while eating. Sweets, sodas, or

Is the table setfor family-styleservice?

Are tables andchairs at thecorrect heightfor children?

other less nutritious foods should notbe eaten in front of the children. Anadult's attitude of calm concern, inter-est, and encouragement sets a relaxedpace for the entire meal.

Meals can be served in differentways: family style, buffet style, or pre-plated. Family-style service presentsmany learning opportunities for pre-school children. Their coordination isimproved by having them use utensilsand pass and serve various kinds offood. Participating in mealtime activ-ities and conversation stimulates thedevelopment of children's languageand social skills.

Appropriately sized furniture is essen-tial for children's comfort. Their feetshould be firmly placed on the floorand should not dangle in the air. Sit-ting at a proper height at the tableallows children to reach their utensilseasily, thus reducing spills.

Are the tablesovercrowded?

Are the eatingutensils easy forchildren tohandle?

Only six to eight children should beseated at each table. Overcrowdedtables invite behavioral problems forthe teacher.

Disposable utensils are difficult forchildren to handle. Glasses, plates,and silverware that are unbreakableand child-size should be provided.Handles of silverware should be shortand broad for little hands to graspeasily. Tines of forks should be shortand blunt. Glasses with a broad baseare easy for children to handle.

a Children eat better in comfortable,Is the eating cheerful surroundings. Distractions,area attractive such as traffic through the eatingand clean? area or loud noises or voices fromadjoining rooms, should be minimized.The eating area should be clean, andwashing hands should be a regularactivity before each meal or snack.

Are mealtimeswell spaced?

Is a quiet timeplanned justbefore meals?

Is the menuposted?

1111 If meals are served too closely together,children may not eat because they donot feel hungry. On the other hand,too much time between meals andsnacks can make children feel irritable.

A short quiet time before meals canhelp children settle down and relax.The teacher may tell a story, play softmusic, or talk about the meal.

--10 The menu should be posted to informstaff, parents, and the children of thefoods to be served.

4

16

Mealtime

Mealtime can be used to introduce new foods and to pro-vide an opportunity for encouraging the independence andsocialization of children.

Introduction of New FoodsIntroducing new foods to young children requires patience

and ingenuity on the part of teachers and food service per-sonnel. The following are suggested ways to introduce newfoods:

Introduce one new food at a time.Serve a small portion of the new food. Ask the child totake only a tiny taste the first time. Start with a serv-ing of one or two teaspoons. For small bits of food, suchas carrot coins or peas, you might suggest, "Take thesame number of peas as the number of candles you blewout on your last birthday cake."Serve the new food so that it is easily identifiable.However, sometimes serving a new food with a famil-iar one can improve a child's acceptance of the newfood Cauliflower served with cheese sauce is anexample.

Emphasize similaritiesbetween the new foodand other familiarfoods. Say to the children,"Does it taste like a foodyou already enjoy eating?"

Serve finger foods whenever possible. Cut the food intobite-size pieces that are easy for young children to pickup and eat.Serve foods that are appropriate to the age group.Tacos, for example, may be difficult for some youngchildren to hold and eat. A tortilla may be moreact optable.Understand that textures, colors, and temperaturesare important in the presentation of food. When zuc-chini is overcooked, for example, it loses much of itsappeal.Do not be discouraged if a new food is offered andchildren reject it. Wait a few weeks and reintroducethe food. Try to find out what the children do not likeabout the food. Perhaps changing the way it is pre-pared can make the difference.Talk about food during a quiet time before lunch.Emphasize the new tastes, colors, shapes, and aromasthat the children will experience when they taste thenew food at lunch. 'The children may be so excitedabout "little green treetops" that they look forward toeating broccoli.Present new foods casually. Do not force the childrento eat.Give praise, a hug, or a smile as forms of positivereinforcement when children taste a new food. Trygiving rewards, such as buttons made from construc-tion paper that say, "I tasted tofu" or "I like carrots."Let the children see you eat and enjoy new foods.

6

Independence and SocializationWhen consistent structure and routines are established

for meals, children know what is expected of them. Meetingreasonable behavioral expectations becomes a regular partof the mealtime. The following behaviors encourage chil-dren's independence and socialization during- mealtime:

Have young children seat themselves independently;use placemats labeled with the children's names to hcipthem. The placemats create each child's own eatingspace and teach name recognition. They also help elimi-nate most seating problems.Allow children to serve themselves. This practice helpsthem develop gross motor coordination and also givesthem a chance to practice selecting the right size por-tion of food. Young children can begin by pouring theirown milk.Have the children take responsibility for their spills.Provide a sponge at the table so that they easily canclean up their own accidents. Expect children to bemessy sometimes. They will acquire skill with practice.Under all circumstances, try to handle spills calmly.Eat with the children to share in the social setting of themealtime. Encourage pleasant conversation and theuse of "magic" words, such as please and thank you.Remind children that courtesy makes people nice to bearound. Set an example for the children to follow, andthey will imitate you.

0

Special Circumstances

This section presents successful ways to deal with specialcircumstances during mealtimes.

Likes and DislikesChildren will have some likes and dislikes, just as adults

do. Avoid negative reactions to picky eaters. Finicky orunstable eating habits are characteristic of young children.Sometimes, when children refuse to eat certain foods, thisbehavior might be a way of their getting attention, or theymay have a real dislike for certain foods. Usually, if littleattention is given to children's dislikes and their tendency toeat only one kind of food, these habits will be outgrown.

Preference for One FoodIt is not unusual for children to have a food that they

suddenly want to eat every day, to the exclusion of others.However, this behavior usually does not last for very long,perhaps a week or so. Normally, the child will get tired ofeating the same thing at every meal and soon will begin eat-ing a variety of foods.

BriberyBribery creates a negative image about the food you

would like the child to eat. Have you ever said, "No dessertuntil you eat your vegetables?" The bribery in this statementimplies that the dessert is the better part of the meal. Physi-cally forcing a child to eat or using food for disciplinary pur-poses does not remove a child's dislike for a food. In fact,harsh treatment may increase a child's aversion to a certainfood.

Slow EatersGive children plenty of time to eat and enjoy their meals.

Allow slow eaters to serve themselves first and begin eating.Seat them next to you, so that you can provide direct positiveencouragement, such as a hug.

n

If children lose interest or dawdle at the table after areasonable length of time, quietly and firmly remove thefood.

Left-Handed ChildrenRemember to seat left-handed children on the left end of

the table, so that they do not bump elbows with theirneighbors.

ObesityIf children are diagnosed as being overweight by a nurse

or doctor, discuss the situation, as a team, with the parentsand children. If children want second servings at lunch,suggest that they take foods that have few calories, such asvegetables or fruits. You might also suggest that they eatmore slowly and chew each bite carefully before swnllow-ing. Also, encouraging children to be more active in playmty help them to lose weight.

Allergies*When a child is unable to eat certain foods because of an

allergy, the child care center staff may make substitutions ifa doctor's statement includes recommended alternativefoods. If the child has more than one allergy and the center isnot able to accommodate special diets, the parents shouldbe asked to provide substitute foods.

Food Preferences*Some parents request special diets for their children

because of alternative life-styles or for religious, cultural, orethnic reasons. Whether the children bring their own foodor eat parts of the school meal, show respect for their prefer-ences and do not allow the other children to ridicule them.Emphasize the parts of the meal that are the same or sim-ilar. You might say to the children, "We are all eating a kindof vegetable, bread, and fruit."*Staff from child care centers that are participating in the Child Care Food Programmay refer to Policy Memo 82-1 for further information regarding meal substitutions.

9

How Children Can Help

Children should be encouraged to participate in manyaspects of the meal. The tasks should be suited to the chil-dren's muscle development.

Planning the MenuChildren can help plan the menu. People who prepare

food can show children pictures of several fruits and vegeta-bles that are served for lunch and might ask the children,"Which vegetable do you like to eat with chicken?" Thesepeople then can plan menus around some of the children'spreferences.

Growing the FoodStart a backyard garden at your center. Children are

more likely t enjoy eating a vegetable if they watch it grow.Radishes and lettuce grow easily and quickly in most soilconditions.

Mung beans or alfalfa sprouts can be grown without soilin the classroom. Soak the seeds for several hours in an open

10

jar of water. With a rubberband, secure cheesecloth over themouth of the jar and drain the water from the seeds. Thenlay the jar on its side. Rinse and drain the water every day,morning and afternoon, for four or five days. Enjoy thesprouts on a sandwich or in soup or salad.

Preparing the FoodChildren can contribute to the mealtime food preparation

as a cooking activity. They may begin br choosing whichpart of the meal they would like to prepare. For example,they can help prepare a green salad or peel fruits for dessert.

Decorating the Eating AreaChildren might share an interesting, clean object from

the center or their homes to serve as a centerpiece. Rocks orshells from a collection, houseplants, an unbreakable knick-knack, or a favorite toy or book are all appropriate center-pieces.

The children can make a centerpiece of paper flowers bycoloring flower shapes cut out by the teacher. The flowersare then taped to the ends of straws and placed in a papercup vase.

Colorful, washable placemats make an eating area moreattractive and are easy for children to make. Each childdraws a picture of his or her favorite food on constructionpaper. The teacher then laminates the picture or covers itwith clear contact paper.

Setting the TableBy placing unbreakable utensils on the table, younger

children can help set the table.

Postrnealtime

Children should be encouraged to participate in allaspects of the mealtime, including clean-up activities. Anarea should be set aside where children can scrape and stacktheir dirty dishes. The table for scraping the dishes shouldbe a height that children can reach easily. Two plastic dish-pans. work well as receptacles: one for dirty dishes and theother for dirty flatware and glasses. A garbage can shouldbe placed at one end of the table. Stacking plates, flatware,and glasses separately gives children a chance to practicesorting different kinds of objects. Children also can removeplacemats or a centerpiece and wipe the table clean.

Washing hands and brushing teeth after eating should bea regular part of postmealtime activities, too.

DEVELoPINO A NUTRITION PHILOSOPHY

As your nutrition education program grows, you may findiL helpful to develop a nutrition philosophy for ycur center.Your philosophy should include the prin._:iples and goals ofyour nutrition education program. Developing a nutritionphilosophy will require recommendations from the communty,staff, parents, and chiidren.

THIRD STREET CHILDREN'S CENTERNUTRITION PHILOSOPHY

1. We are concerned about the physical andemotional well-being of the children inour care.

2. We are committed to providing nutritiousmeals in a relaxed and happy eatingenvironment.

3. We are committed to providing accuratenutrition information to help childrenmake wise food choices.

83-25 03-0088 300 9-83 5M