Learning Resources
Required Resources
Course Text:
Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education (4th ed.)
Chapter 9, “Menu Planning and Food Safety in Early Childhood Education Environments” (pp. 344–368)
Articles:
Optional Resources
Articles:
Web Sites:
Healthy Snacks, Anyone?
Knowing about nutrition and children’s developmental needs helps to provide a good start in making healthy food selections, yet there are other factors to consider, including children’s preferences, cultural backgrounds, and, of course, individual health issues. In other words, it’s not always simple to decide what constitutes a quality snack for young children.
For this Discussion, imagine you are an early childhood professional who is responsible for selecting snacks for the children in your program. Some of your children are overweight, some are obese based on nutritional guidelines, and others appear to be underweight or malnourished. Some are vegetarians, and others are accustomed to specific cultural foods. Referring to Table 9-1 (pp. 338–340) and Sections 9.3 and 9.5 in your text, what factors should you consider when choosing which snacks to serve?
With these thoughts in mind:
By Day 3:
Post your response to at least two of the following:
