Meals and Snacks
Number of unique resources found: 27
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Description: This website provides snack ideas for children. There are suggestions for each month of the year. Handy when planning snacks to go with a calendar theme.
Nutrition Education: Preschool
Description: This is a resource list of nutrition and physical activities related to helping preschool age children be healthy. It includes, curriculums, activity books, pictures, games, etc. Some of the items can be downloaded, some can be borrowed, and some can be purchased.
– General Information –
Author: Byington, Teresa (9 more by this author); Madeleine Sigman-Grant, Anne Lindsay, Tara Spann
Description: This brochure is intended for use with parents and caregivers. It provides general information on healthy snacks; how to choose them, how to get kids to eat them, etc.
Choose My Plate (New Nutrition Guidelines)
Description: This Department of Agriculture website provides information on the new nutrition guidelines. There are links and resources for preschoolers, kids, weight loss, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the general population.
Food for Fitness and Fun - Recipes 
Description: The Food for Fitness and Fun recipes offers healthy recipes for snacks, fruits, vegetables, and main dishes. Recipes are arranged in alphabetical order by title.
Guidelines for Choosing Nutritious Foods for Children in Child Care
Description: The foods that a child care program serve to children can affect their health and well-being, and can influence their lifelong eating habits. This web article provides five recommendations to help child care programs plan healthy meals and snacks that meet the changing nutritional needs of all children in the child care program.
Healthy Eating for Children 2 Through 5 Years Old: A Guide for Parents and Childcare Providers
Author: Serrano, Elena (4 more by this author); Danielle Parra, Shelly Nickols-Richardson
Description: This publication covers different topics that are of interest to parents and caregivers of young children and gives an overview of healthy eating and feeding practices. Proper nutrition and opportunities to play and be physically active are critical to ensure that your child grows properly and adopts healthy behaviors for lifelong health.
Healthy Eating Strategies for Young Children
Description: This fact sheet provides information and tips for parents on healthy eating and meal planning with children.
Also available in Spanish at http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/Healthy_eating_parent_handout--sp.pdf?docID=4182&JServSessionIda004=ruilsxecp1.app213c.
Healthy Meals Resource System (USDA Child Nutrition Programs)
Description: Resources, information, and recipes, on preparing nutritious meals for children in child care programs.
Description: Finding, selecting and preparing nutritious snacks is a challenge when junk food can be so attractive and prevalent. As parents and youth professionals, we have to ask “Are we helping our children to make healthy choices?” This resource has links to guide adults and youth in selecting healthy snacks, the fuel between meals.
Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids: What Should I Do if My Child Is Overweight?
Author: Serrano, Elena (4 more by this author); Kathryn Branstad
Description: This publication provides information to parents on children who are overweight. It explains how to know if a child is overweight, concerns for overweight children, and what parents can do to help. It includes suggestions on how often to eat, what types of food to eat, and how to includes physical activities into their day.
Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids: What is a Healthy Weight?
Author: Serrano, Elena (4 more by this author); Kathryn Branstad
Description: This publication provides information to parents on weight and children. It provides information on guidelines for a healthy weight, how to know if a child is overweight, and what parents can do to help. It includes brief information on what foods to eat and how to include physical activities in their day.
Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids: What Should I Do if My Child Has a Poor Body Image?
Author: Serrano, Elena (4 more by this author); Kathryn Branstad
Description: This publication provides information to parents on children who may have a poor body image. Body image is how a person views him- or herself in the mirror and in his or her mind. It can change over time. A body image-positive or negative—can affect a person’s sense of worth or self-esteem.
It discusses the importance of body image, symptoms of eating disorders, and what parents can do to help.
Menu Magic for Children: Menu Planning Guide for Child Care
Description: Information about the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Meal Pattern requirements, serving quality meals and snacks, and tips on menu planning and grocery shopping. Also includes tear-out recipe cards.
Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers
Description: This website provides information about healthy nutrition for infant and toddlers. Topics include getting started on eathing right, breast feeding basics, formula basics, introducing solid foods, reducing the risk of food allergies, size wize nutrition for toddlers, coping with picky eaters, and feeding vegetarian and vegan infants and toddlers.
Description: This website provides information about healthy nutrition for children and teens. Topics include raising healthy eaters, promoting positive body images, physical activity and kids, eating right to play hard, no more food fights, nutrition for growing bodies, and meal suggestions.
Nutrition for the School-Aged Child
Author: Boeckner, Linda; Schledewitz, Karen
Description: This fact sheet provides information on the nutritional needs of school aged children including portions sizes and offers suggestions for foods and snacks.
Description: This newsletter provides suggestions for parents on preparation for a family picnic.
Description: This website provides information about healthy nutrition for reducing childhood obesity. Topics include getting started on eathing right, eating right at school, being active, and meal planning.
Description: This Extension website includes information on how to get the most out of your food budget. Some knowledge of nutrition, plus careful meal planning, skillful shopping, proper food storage, handling, and preparation will help you to serve satisfying meals while remaining within your food budget.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
Description: This fact sheet provides information on the legislation Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. This impacts the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), National School Lunch Program, Summer Food Service Program, and WIC. The provisions for CACFP are focused on the promotion of nutrition and wellness, reducing paperwork, and increasing access to after-school meals for school-age children.
Specific provisions for each program are included.
Description: This Web site provides recipes and nutrition information for child care providers. It is especially useful for those participating in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program.
– Professional Development –
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
Description: This fact sheet provides information on the legislation Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. This impacts the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), National School Lunch Program, Summer Food Service Program, and WIC. The provisions for CACFP are focused on the promotion of nutrition and wellness, reducing paperwork, and increasing access to after-school meals for school-age children.
Specific provisions for each program are included.
– Programming Resource –
Author: Sigman-Grant, Madeleine (1 more by this author); White, Jane
Description: This 31 pg snack guides contains information on educational activities that relate to food, nutrition activities, sensory activities with food, and lots of recipes and ideas for snacks for kids. From the Better Kid Care website.
Building Blocks For Fun and Healthy Meals: A Menu Planner for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Description: This document contains information on all aspects of meal planning for children in child care programs. Information includes planning to meet children's food needs, CACFP meal patterns, dietary guidelines and good nutrition, meal planning, and record keeping.
This website provides the links to each chapter in the pdf book. Not available as a whole book.
Description: This brief fact sheet in Spanish gives parents suggestions for choosing nutritious snack foods for children.
Food for "ME TOO": nutrition for the toddler and preschooler
Author: Litchfield, Ruth; Elisabeth Schafer
Description: This fact sheet discusses nutrition and eating patterns for toddlers and preschoolers.
Michigan Team Nutrition Preschool Booklist
Description: This is an annotated list of over 250 books with positive food, nutrition, and physical activity messages for children preschool age or younger. Many of the books on this list are also appropriate for children in older grades.