Menu Planning with Staff

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Menu Planning with Staff Parents

• Presented by
• Susan Hunter

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Objectives

• To understand the importance of parent
  participation in nutrition education
• To apply nutrition concepts to menu planning
• To assist staff with developing nutrition
  policies in the centers.

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Topics to Cover

• Parent involvement with nutrition education and
  menu planning
• Parent involvement with ICP and menu
  modifications
• Apply nutrition concepts to menu planning

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Purpose Of Involving Parents With Nutrition
Education

• To ensure compliance with Head Start Performance
  Standard 1304.23(b)(4) Parents and appropriate
  community agencies must be involved in planning,
  implementing and evaluating the agencies
  nutritional services the following guidelines
  have been defined.

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How To Involve Parents With Nutrition Education

• Encourage parents to request nutrition education
  training through the Parent Training and Literacy
  Form.
• Provide nutrition related topics to parents
  through nutritional concerns identified in the
  community.
• Submit requests for parent nutrition education
  trainings to the Nutrition Manager.

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Option 1 Involving Parents With Menu Planning

• Include Menu Review On The Parent Meetings
  Agenda.
• A copy of the menu is reviewed by parents and
  recommendations are welcomed.
• Minutes of meeting must reflect menu review.
• Send copies of menu home to all families.
• Copy of menu, sign in sheet, agenda and
  minutes are submitted to Shirley Campas.

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Option 2 Involving Parents With Menu Planning

• Form a Menu Planning Committee
• Committee should be comprised of parents and
  facilitated by staff.
• Committee should meet 3 times a year.
  Dietitians can be invited to attend meetings
• Parents recommendations are welcomed and
  documented.

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Dietary Modifications

• Head Start performance standard mandates that our
  program meets the nutritional needs and feeding
  requirement of each child, including children
  with disabilities and special dietary needs.

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Disabilities

• USDA regulations require that special meals be
  provided to disabled children whose condition
  requires
• special medical food(s)
• food substitution(s)
• textural modification(s)
• Documentation regarding childs disability and
  modifications must be provided by a licensed
  physician

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Medical Documentation Required For Disability

• Professional statement
• Disability
• Omitted foods
• Indicate appropriate substitutions

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Food Allergy

• Food allergy is caused by the bodys immune
  system reacting inappropriately to a food or food
  additive.
• Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act, not a
  disability.
• Documentation of need and food(s) to be
  substituted must be provided by a recognized
  medical authority.

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Food Intolerances

• A food intolerance is an adverse food induced
  reaction that does not involve the bodys immune
  system.
• A food intolerance does not fall under USDAs
  definition of disability. Head Start is required
  to provide substitutions to children who cannot
  consume the regular meal.
• Documentation of need and the food(s) must be
  provided by a recognized medical authority.
  Dietitians may provide the documentation.

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Other Dietary Modifications

• Dietary modifications to meet ethnic, religious,
  or physical needs are encouraged.
• Modifications include vegetarian meals such as
  vegan, lacto-vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian,
  pesco-vegetarian.
• Modifications must be approved by the Dietitian.

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Other Dietary Modification

• Vegetarian Meals and snacks can be planned to
  meet the CACFP meal pattern. Dry beans, cheese,
  and eggs can be served in place of meat.
• Religious Preferences can be accommodated where
  variations may be made in the meal where there is
  evidence that such variations are nutritionally
  sound.

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Steps To Follow For Dietary Modifications

• At time of childs enrollment, gather all
  documentation relating to any dietary
  modifications.
• When documentation is provided from a medical
  professional regarding a childs disability and
  required modification(s), the necessary food(s)
  substitution must be purchased and available by
  the center prior to the childs first day.

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Steps To Follow For Dietary Modifications

• A ICP is completed through a team approach
  including the Dietitian.
• If necessary a separate menu is completed each
  month to ensure the childs health and safety is
  maintained.
• All approved food(s) substitutions must be
  purchased by lunch aide/cooks. Parents are
  discouraged from bringing food(s) from home into
  the center during hours of operation.

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Overweight Children

• Overweight children are usually not placed on a
  calorie-restricted weight loss diet.
• A determination of whether a
• child is overweight or underweight
• should be made only by a licensed
• physician.
• Caregivers should never place any child on a
  special diet without documentation from a
  physician or other recognized medical authority.

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Menu Planning

• Flavor-children generally prefer mild and sweet
  flavors
• Familiarity- children prefer familiar foods.
  Introduce new foods in small amounts.
• Coordinate snacks with the overall meal to avoid
  repetition of foods.
• Color is critical-children prefer bright colors.
• Texture-serve a variety of textures at meals.

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Menu Planning

• Avoid having too much of the same type of food in
  the same meal. For example, too many
  carbohydrates in one meal
• Add contrast- include hot and cold foods. Present
  food in different shapes such as cubes, strips
  and shredded bits

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Menu Planning High fat/sugar items

• CACFP limits the number of high fat high sugar
  items to no more than 2 per week
• cookies donuts granola bars
• corn dogs muffins French fries
• hot dogs jam flavored milk
• pepperoni pop tarts cinnamon rolls
• pastries syrup high sugar cereals
• cake processed lunch meats

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Reminders for 1-5 year olds

• In the same meal service, dried beans or peas may
  be used as a meat alternate or as a vegetable.
  Such use does not satisfy the requirement for
  both components.
• No more than 50 of the requirements shall be met
  with nuts or seeds. Nuts or seeds shall be
  combined with another meat/meat alternate to
  fulfill the requirement.
• Juice may not be served at snack when milk is
  served as the other component.

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Reminders for Infant Meals

• Formula served must be iron-fortified-unless
  prescribed by physician
• Infant cereal must be iron-fortified
• Bread crackers must be made from whole grain or
  enriched meal or flour
• Nuts, seeds or nut butters are not allowed as a
  meat alternate

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Menu Planning

• Creditable Foods are foods that may be counted
  toward meeting the requirements for a
  reimbursable meal based on
• Customary function in a meal
• Regulations governing the Child Nutrition
  Programs
• Nutrient content
• FDA Standards of Identity
• USDA Standard for Meat and Meat Products
• Administrative policy decisions on the crediting
  of particular foods

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Non-Creditable Foods may be served during the
meal/snack as an extra food, but cannot be
counted toward the meal pattern requirements

• Bacon
• Tofu
• Jell-O
• Cream cheese
• Salsa(only homemade is creditable)

• Fruit roll-ups
• Potato chips
• Ice Cream
• Trail mix
• Olives
• Fruit punch

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Child Nutrition Labels (CN label)

• Commercially prepared products must provide CN
  label for meal to be reimbursable.
• Helpful in determining a products contribution
  to the CACFP meal pattern requirements.
• Voluntary label administered by USDAs Food and
  Nutrition Service.

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Child Nutrition Label will always contain

• The CN logo (which is a distinct border)
• The meal pattern contribution statement
• A 6 digit product identification number
• USDA/FNS authorization statement

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Products Eligible for CN Label

• Main dish products which contribute to the
  meat/meat alternate component of the meal pattern
  requirement
• Beef patties
• Cheese or meat pizzas
• Meat or cheese bean burritos
• Egg rolls
• Breaded fish portions or chicken nuggets

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Good Menu Planning

• Provides essential nutrients to prevent
  nutritional excess and deficiencies
• A balance of carbohydrates,fat protein
• A variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables
  whole grains

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Menu Review
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Remember All Children Deserve A Well Nourished
Life