Healthy Eating Habits- ChildCare

• Childcare
• Secondary Education

Learning for today: 

Balanced Meals: You will learn how to create balanced meals that include a variety of food groups, such as vegetables, protein sources, and grains. This foundational knowledge promotes healthy eating habits throughout our lives.

Listening to Hunger Cues: Teach toddlers to recognise and respond to their hunger and fullness cues, fostering a healthy relationship with food and preventing overeating or undereating.

Positive Feeding Environment: Learn to create a positive and nurturing feeding environment that encourages healthy eating habits, minimizes stress during mealtime, and promotes a lifelong enjoyment of food.

Why?

Healthy Eating Habits- ChildCare

Sometimes a child might want to eat a lot, and at other times, may not be hungry. It’s best not to force things or offer other foods as rewards, because this teaches children not to listen to their appetites.

• Children should be given healthy food and opportunities to eat it. It’s up to the child to decide how much to eat. If the child is growing and developing well, they’re probably getting enough to eat.
  
• Offering meals and snacks at regular
  
• times encourages a better appetite at mealtimes. Regular meals and snacks can be part of a healthy eating routine.

How can you encourage a better appetite at mealtimes?

1. Offering meals and snacks at regular times encourages a better appetite at mealtimes.
2. Discouraging children from eating at mealtimes.
3. Skipping meals and snacks throughout the day.
4. Offering excessive amounts of food at mealtimes.

Why is offering meals and snacks at regular times important?

1. Offering meals and snacks randomly improves digestion.
2. Offering irregular meals and snacks helps with appetite control.
3. Regular meals and snacks lead to overeating.
4. Regular meals and snacks can be part of a healthy eating routine.

What is the best approach to feeding children?

1. Children should be given healthy food and opportunities to eat it. It’s up to the child to decide how much to eat.
2. Children should be forced to eat a specific amount of food.
3. Children should be given unhealthy food.
4. Children should be given food only when they ask for it.

• Healthy eating habits start at home.
  
•  The child should be encouraged to make healthy food choices.
  
• There should be a bowl full of fresh fruit within easy view and reach on the kitchen table or bench. The child can be offered fruit as a snack.

• There should be a lot of healthy, nutritious options available if the child feels peckish.
• Fruit and vegetables of different colours, textures and tastes should be given. The more variety there is, the more likely it is the child will find something that they’re interested in eating.
  
•  A child should be involved in planning and preparing meals.

What should a child be involved in when it comes to meals?

1. Ignoring it
2. Planning and preparing
3. Leaving it to adults
4. Just eating

Why is it important to provide a variety of fruit and vegetables to a child?

1. Causes picky eating
2. Doesn't make a difference
3. Wastes food
4. Increases the likelihood of finding something they're interested in eating

What should be available for a child if they feel peckish?

1. Fast food
2. Sugary snacks
3. Healthy and nutritious options
4. Junk food

• A family should enjoy healthy meals together.
  
• While eating, the TV should be switched off and there should be no other electronic distractions. This is so that the child pays attention to eating.

Why should a variety of fruit and vegetables be given to a child?

Name some ways in which distractions during mealtimes can be avoided.

Why should a child be given meals and snacks at regular times?

Name some ways in which mealtimes can be made into positive experiences.

Group Tasks!!!  (in tow's.)

Design a role play or presentation that could be made to a group of Junior Infants children in a local National School on the theme of ‘bringing a healthy lunch box to school’. 

Group NO bigger than 2!!!

Use computer software, e.g. Powerpoint. Include with your

 E- Portfolio.

Example

Introduction :

Begin with a warm welcome to the children.

Explain the importance of healthy eating and how it helps us stay strong and active.

• Introduce the characters: Sarah and Tommy.
  

Scene 1 - Unpacking Lunchboxes (7 minutes):

Sarah and Tommy show their lunchboxes to the group.

Sarah has a colorful and healthy lunchbox, while Tommy has an unhealthy lunchbox.

Discuss the contents of each lunchbox, highlighting the healthy choices in Sarah's box and the not-so-healthy choices in Tommy's box.

Scene 2 - Meet Mr. Broccoli 

Mr. Broccoli makes a fun entrance.

He explains the importance of eating vegetables and how they make us strong.

Mr. Broccoli encourages the children to eat their veggies.

Scene 3 - Captain Carrot's Arrival (5 minutes):

Captain Carrot, the superhero, joins the group.

He talks about the power of eating colorful fruits and vegetables.

Captain Carrot invites children to be part of his "Colorful Food Team."

Interactive Activity - Sorting Healthy and Unhealthy Foods (5 minutes):

Show pictures of different foods.

Ask children to identify and sort them into "healthy" and "unhealthy" categories.

Discuss why certain foods belong in each category.

Example:

Scene 4 - Building the Ultimate Healthy Lunchbox (7 minutes):

Sarah, Tommy, Mr. Broccoli, and Captain Carrot collaborate to create a super-healthy lunchbox.

They fill it with fruits, veggies, whole grains, and a source of protein.

Emphasize the importance of variety and balance in a lunchbox.

Finishing up!!!!

Reiterate the importance of a healthy lunchbox.

Encourage children to ask their parents to help them pack a healthy lunchbox every day.

Offer stickers or small rewards for active participation.

Encourage children to ask questions and share their thoughts.

Discuss any concerns or experiences related to healthy eating at school.

Thank the children for being great learners.

Remind them to stay healthy and eat their fruits and veggies.