| With your child in child care, there are many things | | | | shape food habits. |
| you might be hoping he/she takes away from the | | | | Choose the cultural heritage of one or more children |
| experience. There are the lessons that will be carried | | | | as for the themeof a day’s meals and snacks. |
| throughout life, and healthy eating is one of them. | | | | Foster Creativity |
| Not only you want your children to learn about the | | | | Under adult supervision, young children can bake their |
| importance of healthy eating, but also you want your | | | | own whole breads. Make fun of it by shaping the |
| children to practice eating healthy. | | | | dough into different animal shapes. |
| Below are some suggestions that your child care | | | | Visit a local farm or farmers marketthis type of |
| provider to promote for healthy eating in your | | | | outing will put the children in touch with local |
| children. | | | | surroundingsand create awareness of how food is |
| More than graham crackers | | | | grown and sold in a supermarket. If your child is |
| Help build self-esteem and teach good eating habits | | | | unable to take a field trip, maybe a local farmer could |
| by allowing children to plan, prepare and serve simple | | | | speak about the vegetables and fruits on his farm. |
| nutritional snacks. For example, create smiling faces | | | | Seeing is believing |
| using rice cakes and cheese. Introduce new foods in | | | | Trade some of the unhealthy plastic foods in toy |
| small portions to encourage children to taste their | | | | kitchens with replicas of vegetables and fruits, |
| creations. | | | | wedges of cheese and bread loaves. Better yet, |
| Integrate learning activities | | | | replace the unhealthy foods in your real refrigerator |
| Use seed catalogs and real vegetables. Children can | | | | with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. Lessons |
| conduct a taste-test on different raw vegetables and | | | | about healthy foods will “STICK” more when |
| cooked vegetables. Then they can discuss the | | | | eat healthy too! |
| nutritional value of each vegetable. The children can | | | | Parents, caregivers, teachers should work together |
| also work together to make vegetable soup and | | | | to establish an understanding of how best to meet |
| create a labels for their own soup cans. | | | | child’s nutritional needs. Teaching the children to |
| Learn about different cultures | | | | eat moderately and wisely is an investment in the |
| Discuss at mealtimes how factors such climate help | | | | future and important. |