Unit 3: Nutrition
A healthy child care setting also provides natural light, fresh air, uncluttered space, opportunities to exercise, opportunities to rest and good nutrition.
As a ‘Responsible Adult’ and child care professional you have an important role in promoting good nutrition.
Therefore you must be familiar and confident with:
- Providing balanced meals using the Canada Food Guide and Food Safety Regulations
- Modeling healthy eating habits and positive attitudes towards food
- Offering developmentally, culturally and age-appropriate meals, snack andfood experiences
- Having consistent meal routines and eating with the children
- Inviting children to participate in menu planning and preparation
- Allowing children to decide whether they want to eat and if they want to eatto allow them to decide what and how much to eat
- Refraining from using pressure, rewards, bribes and punishments
- Being aware of your language and words around food and body image
Healthy food is important in achieving optimum growth and development, as well as in developing good dietary habits for life.