Title: Plan meals for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Course: GRADS: Family Focus (19905-18) > Section: Providing Childcare

Planning meals should include

- selecting nutritious foods
- factoring in cost
- identifying sources of nutrition information
- identifying the effects of food allergies on health
- identifying the effects of nutrition on wellness
- maintaining feeding/meal schedules
- maintaining, handling, and storing food supply
- identifying cultural, ethnic, and family traditions related to food
- developing strategies for establishing a healthy and social mealtime environment and routines
- identifying community resources available to help meet family nutritional needs.

Process/Skill Questions

Thinking

- How does the nutritional health and wellness of your child affect you and your family?
- What are the family or cultural traditions that influence the foods you select for your family?
- Why are mealtime or eating routines important to children? Their families?
- Why should you avoid pre-packaged and already prepared foods? Why are they more costly?

Communication

- What are your child’s favorite foods?
- How can you motivate your child to eat foods that are nutritious?
- How will you create a healthy mealtime environment for your child?
- How do you determine the nutritional value of each type of food?

Leadership

- What reliable guides are there for making your own baby food?
- How can you learn to shop for and prepare foods that not only provide good nutrition, but that also taste good?

Management

- What are the long-term consequences for children and communities who do not eat a healthy diet?
- What kinds of meals/snacks do you prepare for your child?
- How can you budget the cost of meals?
- What community resources can help you meet your family nutritional needs?