Inspirational and Empowering Child Care Business Owners To Build Successful Child Care Businesses

Posts tagged ‘menu planning’

A Lunch Time That Kids Love!

25tips_kidsLunch time can be a very busy time of the day and the time of day that the kids Really Love!

Today I am going to give you some ideas on how to have a smooth transition into lunch, how to get the kids involved and most of all some healthy meal ideas!

Lunch time is a great time to promote self-help skills and there many ways that you can get the children involved, including:

  • Selecting a child to help you clean  and set the table
  • Place the food in serving bowls to encourage the children to serve themselves and to serve the food Family style. (be sure to use child size serving utensils)

Also, Children love to sing songs and what a great way to start lunch time by singing a lunch time song. Here’s a lunch time song:

I smell lunch, I smell lunch,

(rub your tummy) um um good. um um good.

I can smell the______ (name the food) I can smell the_______ (name the food)

um um good um um good.

Then repeat!

According to the Missouri Eat Smart Childhood obesity and Missouri’s Eat Smart Guidelines for Child Care, “Overweight is now the most nutritional disease of children. Preschool children who are overweight are almost 5 times more likely to be overweight as young adults.”

Missouri Eat Smart Guidelines for Childcare also concludes that children may get 50%-75% of daily food needs in childcare. This is why it is vital that childcare programs serve nutritional balance meals.

Here are Five Healthy Lunch Ideas for your menus:

Day 1

Turkey Slices

Whole Grain Bread

Corn

Peaches

Low Fat Milk

Day 2

Tuna Salad

Whole Grain Crackers

Tossed Salad

Apple Slices

Low Fat Milk

Day 3

Turkey Meatballs

Mashed potatoes

Orange slices

Whole Grain Bread

Low-Fat Milk

Day 4

Beef Stew (with vegetables)

Whole Grain Cracker

Fruit Cocktail

Low Fat Milk

Day 5

Chicken & Rice Broccoli Casserole

(Boil the rice, drain the water when fully cooked, add canned chicken & cream of chicken, broccoli and cheese)

Blueberries

Low Fat Milk

**Menu ideas meet the Child Adult and Food program Guidelines

Need more menu ideas, be sure to download your copy of my Healthy Child Care Menus ebook.

With Healthy Kids in Mind!

Shiketa Morgan

Category:

Health/Safety, Menu Planning

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A Pumpkin Spread Snack Idea

 

Its Pumpkin Season!!

In fact, kids love to explore pumpkins and yes..taste the pumpkin too! Last week, as I walked through my Child Care Center, I observed the toddlers creating a pumpkin friend with Bagels, pumpkin spread and raisins.

The kids were so engaged in the activity and could hardly wait to taste their creations. Today I want to share the recipe and step by step instructions on how to make a Pumpkin snack for the children in your child Care Business to enjoy.

** Be sure to check for pumpkin allergies

You will need the following:

  • Canned Pumpkin Spread (1 can for every 10 children)
  • Cinnamon
  • Large Box of Raisins
  • Bagel half
  • Spoons
  • Raw or Organic Sugar
  • Paper towels
  • Medium size bowl to mix the pumpkin spread
  • Can opener
  • A Fork to mix the ingredients

Step by Step Instructions

Ahead of time set out all the ingredients & materials (listed above) on the table for the children to see. Have the children to wash their hands before sitting at the table.

Give each child a paper towel with a slice of bagel. Open the canned pumpkin, invite one child to pour the spread into the bowl. Then invite other children to help add the sugar and cinnamon to the spread.

Next, invite a child to mix the pumpkin spread. Then give each child a slice of bagel, pass the bowl of pumpkin spread around the table and invite each child to get a large scoop of pumpkin spread to spread on their bagel.

After each child spreads the pumpkin spread on their bagel, be sure that each child has the recommended serving size of raisins to add to their bagel.

Finally, encourage the children to create facial features for their pumpkin friends by using the raisins to create the eyes, nose and the mouth; then enjoy! Be sure to take pictures!!

This snack meets the Child Care Adult and Food program guidelines.

Grain: Bagel

Fruit/veg: Raisins/Pumpkin

For more menu ideas, Download your copy of the Healthy Child Care menus ebook.

Til next time…

Shiketa

Category:

Menu Planning

Tagged with:

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