Primarily, everyone wants their kids to feel great about themselves. However, in thriving both mentally and physically, the eating habits of children require close checkout. The way children eat at an early age will influence their health, both currently and in the coming times. From the interview I did with the employee and director of a childcare center in Louisiana and observations I made in preparing meals for children under the age of three, it was clear that educators and teachers must have full knowledge of kids' healthy eating habits.
From the research, Louisiana Child Nutrition Programs Appeals procedures for preparing children's diets. As a reminder, all food facilities in the state of Louisiana must get inspected and permitted to work by the Louisiana state department of Health. In families with allergic conditions, they cook separate foods every night ( Gripshover, 2013 ). This is very overwhelming, trying to look for food supplies that each person likes. However, in childcare centers, planning menus is the most incorporated way of dealing with allergies among children. From the study, this will help in avoiding mealtime problems.
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Employees in the childcare center mentioned that the most evident challenge arising while trying to meet eating needs is climatic changes, which bring about food insecurity. This causes food prices to go high, among other factors like conflicts and poverty levels. In low-income families, it is always hard for parents to cater to their kids' balanced diet requirements.
Food allergies are estimated to affect approximately six percent of children in America. However, there are no guidelines set by government guidelines to help schools address allergies. Nonetheless, schools and early care education programs have set in place the steps required to manage food allergies from the study effectively. The participants reported a food security modernization act which offers guidelines in managing allergies in childcare institutions. The act specifies food allergy training schemes for educators in early childhood personnel who contact life-threatening food allergies associated with children.
Concerning foods brought from home, parents must make sure that they properly label the kid’s breast milk bottle with the date and name ( Metcalfe et al., 2018 ). Educators should never accept unlabeled bottles. Thus, through this program, teachers can prevent making a kid another kid’s milk or food. Food brought from home should also get served as a group, which gives kids table manners and a chance to speak with other children.
From the information gathered in the research, I have learned that parents and teachers should always encourage their children to get involved in the daily food menu. Also, to teach the kids on food safety to reduce wasting and other food borne diseases. Teachers must acquire knowledge and skills in meal planning for professional practice in childcare centers.
References
Gripshover, S. J., & Markman, E. M. (2013). Teaching young children, a theory of nutrition: Conceptual change and the potential for increased vegetable consumption. Psychological science , 24 (8), 1541-1553.
Metcalfe, J. J., Fiese, B. H., & STRONG Kids 1 Research Team. (2018). Family food involvement is related to healthier dietary intake in preschool-aged children. Appetite , 126 , 195-200.
