Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• Outline the mean patterns for infants and children.
• Create nutritious menus that follow the meal patterns.
• Describe factors to consider when menu planning.
• Identify a variety of sources of food for each food group.
• Examine individual and cultural food preferences.
• Explain special considerations for planning vegetarian menus.
• Discuss the benefits of family style meal service.
• Relate ways to support families in providing well-balanced foods from home.
• Outline important considerations for buying, storing, preparing, cooking, and serving food safely.

Introduction

Knowledge of menu planning is essential to providing appropriate nutrition to young children. Early learning and childcare programs must have staff who plan and prepare food who are aware of individual preferences, including vegetarianism, and cultural and religious differences in food choice, preparation, and service. To protect children’s health, proper hygiene and sanitation processes must be followed closely. Only safe food should be purchased. And how that food is stored, prepared, and served must follow proper protocol to prevent foodborne illness.

Menu Planning

Let’s examine several factors that are important for menu planning, including the meal patterns licensed programs must follow, the importance of variety and balance, and aesthetics.

Sample Breakfasts

Sample Lunches

Sample SNACKS

Other Factors to Consider

Menu planning principles include aesthetics, and variety, including color, texture, flavors, shapes, and sizes of food, cost, balance, and nutritional quality. The availability of equipment and staff knowledge and skill to prepare the foods on menus are also important considerations in planning the menu. Along with all of these, an effective menu also considers cost. 

Aesthetics and Variety

How our food is presented, along with texture, consistency, color, shape, and the preparation method, influences how we feel and what we think about a menu. It can even influence our appetite and our interest in eating.

Select nutritious foods that are contrasting colors and textures. This adds to the visual and chewing appeal. Try to vary the colors of the foods being served. Avoid serving foods that are all one color. For example, select a green, soft vegetable (spinach), a red, crunchy fruit (an apple), and colorful, chewy wild rice to go along with a piece of chicken and a glass of milk. This lends visual and chewing appeal as the children can see different colors and feel different textures as they chew.

Cost

While well-balanced nutrition should never be sacrificed to save money, early learning and childcare programs must also consider the costs of the menus they plan. One way to save costs is to use cycle menus. A cycle menu follows a particular pattern and repeats on a regular basis. The length of the cycle can vary but may be 4-6 weeks long and can be different lengths for different meals/snacks (for instance, with breakfast repeating more often than lunches). And they can be updated as needed to include new foods or make other accommodations.

Cycle menus allow a program to forecast costs, order in bulk, and reduce waste (with tried and tested menus). Cycle menus are often planned seasonally so an operation might have a spring, summer, and fall/winter cycle. Buying produce seasonally is often more affordable.

Nutrition and Balance

The most important consideration for menu planning is that it meets children’s nutritional needs. The meals and snacks provided by full-day early learning and childcare programs should provide a substantial portion of a child’s daily nutrition. All programs should be supporting children’s well–balanced diet, in which all the nutrients the body needs for proper functioning and energy are taken in. A well-balanced diet contains a variety of foods from all the food groups, as well as all the necessary vitamins and minerals we need. It also means taking in an adequate supply of water for adequate health. A well-balanced diet can be planned by selecting healthy foods from each of the food groups.

Food Groups

Let’s look at each of the three food groups in Canada’s Food Guide a bit more closely and identify sources for each. The three food groups are: Protein (including dairy products), fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

Protein Group

All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, dairy, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the Protein Group. Select a variety of protein foods to improve nutrient intake and health benefits, including cooked seafood. Meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat.

Sources of protein include:

• Beef
• Pork (ham, pork chops)
• Lamb
• Veal
• Poultry (chicken, turkey)
• Beans (black, kidney, chickpeas, lentils, navy, pinto, white, soybeans, split peas)
• Eggs
• Canned fish (sardines, salmon, tuna, anchovies, clams)
• Fish (cod, tuna, sea bass, catfish, flounder, halibut, swordfish, trout, mackerel)
• Shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab, mussels, oysters, scallops)
• Nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts, pecans)
• Seeds (sesame, pumpkin, squash, sunflower)
• Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese, calcium fortified juices and cereals)

Tips for Serving the Protein Group for Children

• Choose a variety of protein foods such as seafood, beans, lean meats, poultry, and eggs.
• Limit highly processed poultry, fish, or meat (like hotdogs, chicken nuggets, and fish sticks). Even some “reduced fat” meats and cold cuts, like sausage, bologna, and salami, may be high in saturated fat and sodium.
• Add beans to children’s favorite foods. Add beans and peas to tacos, casseroles, stews, pastas, and side dishes.
• Serve unflavoured, fat-free, and low-fat milks most often. They have less added sugar and fewer calories than flavoured, whole, or reduced-fat milk.
• Low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese provide much needed calcium. Try making a dip for fruits or vegetables from yogurt.
• Blend dairy into smoothies. Combine low-fat or fat-free yogurt with bananas and cocoa powder for a smoothie, or try milk, ice cubes, and frozen berries.

Fruits and Vegetables Group

Any fruit or 100% fruit juice is considered to be a fruit. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed. Intake of fruit juice should be limited to no more than once a day.

Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice is considered to be a vegetable. Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed. Based on their nutrient content, vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups: dark-green vegetables, starchy vegetables, red and orange vegetables, beans and peas, and other vegetables. While it is not necessary to eat vegetables from each subgroup daily, over the course of a week, vegetables from each subgroup should be eaten to reach ensure the daily intake recommendation of the different vitamins is met.

Sources of fruit include:

• Apples
• Apricots
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe
• Cherries
• Fruit juices (100% fruit juice, all varieties)
• Grapefruit
• Grapes
• Kiwi
• Lemons
• Limes
• Mangoes
• Nectarines
• Oranges
• Papayas
• Peaches
• Pears
• Pineapples
• Plums
• Raisins
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Watermelon

Sources of vegetables include:

• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Bok choy
• Broccoli
• Celery
• Collard greens
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Green lima beans
• Green peas
• Lettuce
• Kale
• Mushrooms
• Mustard greens
• Onions
• Peppers (green, red, orange, yellow)
• Potatoes
• Spinach
• Squash (all varieties)
• Sweet potatoes
• Taro
• Tomatoes
• Turnip greens
• Water chestnuts

Tips for Serving the Fruit and Vegetable Group for Children

• Focus on whole fruits.
• Serve a rainbow of choices. Fruit can be a quick and easy way to make meals and snacks healthier and more colorful.
• Choose from fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits. Purchase canned fruit in water or 100% fruit juice instead of syrup.
• Limit fruit juice. While 100% fruit juice can be part of a healthy diet, it does not contain the dietary fiber found in other forms of fruit.
• Offer raisins or other unsweetened dried fruit instead of chewy fruit snacks or strips, which usually contain very little fruit.
• Serve a variety of colourful choices. Brighten children’s plates with red, orange, and dark-green vegetables.
• Choose from fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables. Prepare and serve vegetables without added salt or solid fat.
• Try a dip. Kids love to dip their foods. Whip up a quick dip for veggies with yogurt and seasonings such as herbs or garlic. Serve with raw vegetables like broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower.
• Provide at least one serving each of dark green vegetables, red and orange vegetables, beans, and peas (legumes), starchy vegetables, and other vegetables once per week.

Whole Grains Group

Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel ― the bran, germ, and endosperm. Examples of whole grains include brown rice, oats, whole wheat flour, rye flour, barley, and corn. Other whole grains, often referred to as “ancient grains” include buckwheat, bulgur, farro, spelt, millet and quinoa.

Tips for Providing the Whole Grain Group for Children

• Substitute half the white flour with whole wheat flour in your regular recipes for cookies, muffins, quick breads, and pancakes.
• Replace one-third of the flour in a recipe with quick oats or old-fashioned oats.
• Add cooked wheat or rye berries, wild rice, brown rice, sorghum, or barley to your favorite canned or homemade soup.
• Use whole corn meal for corn cakes, corn breads and corn muffins.
• Add three-quarters of a cup of uncooked oats for each pound of ground beef or turkey when you make meatballs, burgers, or meatloaf.
• Make risottos, pilafs, and other rice-like dishes with whole grains, such as barley, brown rice, bulgur, millet, quinoa, or sorghum.
• Try whole-grain breads. Kids especially like whole-grain pita bread.
• Look for cereals made with grains like kamut, kasha (buckwheat), or spelt. (Gordon Food Service, 2023) 

Oils

Oils are not a food group, although they provide essential nutrients. Oils include items such as butter, oils, margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressings. These food items should be used sparingly. Foods such as fish, nuts, and avocados are good choices of fats. Many foods we eat, especially those that are processed, often are high in fat. This should be considered when planning meals.

Tips for Providing Oils for Children

• Limit serving purchased pre-fried foods to no more than one serving per week.

Individual and Cultural Preferences

What families eat, how those foods are prepared and served, and the routines surrounding meals and snacks are going to vary in every family. For some children, those will be similar to what they encounter in their early learning and childcare program. And some children will easily adapt to new foods and routines. But gathering information from families on these is one way to understand the food experiences and preferences children have. Menus can be planned that include familiar foods.

Cultural and Religious Considerations

Some people do not eat various specific foods and beverages in conformity with various religious, cultural, legal, or other societal prohibitions. Many of these prohibitions constitute taboos. Many food taboos and other prohibitions forbid the meat of a particular animal. Some food prohibitions can be defined as rules, codified by religion or otherwise, about which foods, or combinations of foods, may not be eaten and how animals are to be slaughtered or prepared. Some foods may be prohibited during certain religious periods (e.g., Lent), at certain stages of life (e.g., pregnancy), or to certain classes of people (e.g., priests), even though the food is otherwise permitted.

Families and children may choose to exclude, include, or prepare foods in a particular way according to their religious faith and beliefs. The guidance given in Table 1 on food choices for specific religious groups is very general (and does not include prohibited items, such as alcohol that do not apply to children in early learning and childcare programs). There will be individual differences and varying levels of adherence to guidelines which should be discussed for each child with their family. Some people within some of the faith groups identified may not observe the dietary guidelines listed. Prohibitions and restrictions even within a particular faith may change between denominations or branches.

Indigenous Perspective

“Traditional foods are also referred to as country foods or wild foods. They mainly consist of animal and plant species that are harvested from the natural environment, such as wild meat, fish species, bird species, plant species, and berries acquired through traditional activities such as hunting, fishing and gathering during seasonal periods.” (Government of BC)

Table 1 – General Guidance for Religious Food Choices

Here are the different types of vegetarian diets:

• Vegan: Includes only plant-based foods. No animal proteins or animal by-products such as eggs, milk, or honey.
• Lacto-vegetarian: Includes plant foods plus some or all dairy products.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Includes plant foods, dairy products, and eggs.
• Semi- or partial vegetarian: Includes plant foods and may include chicken or fish, dairy products, and eggs. It does not include red meat.
• Pescatarian: Includes plant foods and seafood.

Vegetarian diets that include some dairy products and eggs have all the nutrition needed. But the more restrictive the diet, the harder it can be to get certain nutrients. When a vegetarian’s diet avoids most or all animal foods, close attention is required to make sure there is adequate intake of all the following nutrients.

Vitamin B12: This vitamin is needed to help prevent anemia. Eggs and dairy foods have the most B12, so vegans may have a hard time getting enough. Sources of B12 include:

• Eggs
• Milk, yogurt, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, and other dairy products
• Foods that have B12 added to them (fortified), such as cereal and soy products.
• Nutritional yeast
• Seafood such as clams, salmon, and tuna (this only applies to pescatarians and semi-vegetarians)

Vitamin D: This vitamin is needed for bone health. Vitamin D can be produced from sun exposure, but sun exposure should be limited due to skin cancer concerns. So, vegetarians most likely will not be able to get enough from sun exposure. Sources of vitamin D include:

• Fatty fish, such as sardines, salmon, and mackerel (this only applies to pescatarians and semi-vegetarians)
• Egg yolks
• Foods that are fortified with vitamin D, such as orange juice, cow’s milk, soy milk, rice milk, and cereals.

Zinc: Zinc is important for the immune system and cell growth, especially in teens. The body does not absorb zinc from plant foods as well as from meat and other animal foods. Sources of zinc include:

• Beans and legumes, such as chickpeas, kidney beans, and baked beans
• Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, peanuts, and cashews.
• Seafood, such as oysters, crab, and lobster (this only applies to pescatarians and semi-vegetarians)
• Yogurt and cheese
• Foods fortified with zinc, such as milk and cereals.

Iron: Iron is needed for red blood cells. The body does not absorb the type of iron found from plant foods as well as from the type found in meat and other animal foods. Sources of iron include:

• Beans and legumes, such as white beans, lentils, and kidney beans
• Green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, kale, and collard greens
• Dried fruit, such as prunes, raisins, and apricots
• Whole grains
• Foods fortified with iron, such as cereals and breads.

Eating foods that are high in vitamin C at the same meal as iron-rich foods increase iron absorption. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. Foods high in vitamin C include tomatoes, potatoes, citrus fruits, bell peppers, and strawberries.

Calcium: Foods high in calcium help keep bones strong. Dairy products have the highest amount of calcium. If a vegetarian does not eat dairy, it can be hard to get enough. Oxalates, a substance found in plant foods inhibits calcium absorption. Foods that are high in both oxalates and calcium are not good sources of calcium. Examples include spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens.

Good sources of calcium include:

• Sardines and canned salmon with bones (this only applies to pescatarians and semi-vegetarians)
• Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and cheese
• Green vegetables, such as collard greens, kale, bok choy, and broccoli
• Oranges and figs
• Tofu
• Almonds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, tahini, and white beans
• Foods fortified with calcium, such as cereal, orange juice, and soy, almond and rice milk

Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3s are important for heart and brain health. Sources of omega-3s include:

• Fatty fish, such as halibut, mackerel, salmon, herring, and sardines (this only applies to pescatarians and semi-vegetarians)
• Nuts and seeds, such as walnuts, pumpkin seeds, ground flaxseed, canola oil, chia seeds
• Soybeans and soy oil
• Foods fortified with omega-3s, such as bread, eggs, juice, and milk

Protein: If you eat fish and/or eggs and dairy getting enough protein will not be a concern for most people. Protein sources also include:

• Soy foods, such as soy nuts, soy milk, tempeh, and tofu.
• Seitan (made of gluten).
• Vegetarian meat substitutes. Just watch for products that are high in sodium.
• Legumes, beans, and lentils.
• Nuts, nut butters, seeds, and whole grains.
• Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese.

These foods do not need to be combined in the same meal to get enough protein.

Tips for Menu Planning for Children with Vegetarian Diets

When following a vegetarian diet, keep in mind the following:

• Provide different kinds of foods, including vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy and eggs if their diet includes these.
• Choose fortified foods, such as cereals, breads, soy or almond milk, and fruits juices to get a full range of nutrients.
• Limit foods that are high in sugar, salt (sodium), and fat.
• Include a protein source with all meals.
• Learn to read the Nutrition Facts Label on food packages. The label tells you the ingredients and nutrition contents of the food product.
• If you follow a more restrictive diet, you may want to work with a dietitian to make sure you are getting enough nutrients.

Note: Vegetarian children may need to take supplements at home if their diet lacks certain vitamins and minerals.

Family Style Meal Service

Currently, traditional family style meal service is the recommended approach to serving meals in early learning and childcare programs. Using this approach, all foods on the menu are served at the same time in serving bowls that are passed around the table, and children self-serve the amounts they desire. There are several potential advantages to traditional family-style meal service including allowing children the opportunity to self-regulate consumption (match food selection with hunger level).

This approach to mealtime creates several healthy habits that are important to the growth and development of children at any age. Children tend to eat more healthy foods if they see their friends try it. They learn skills such as taking turns, sharing, and teamwork. Family style dining opens opportunities for conversation, which increases vocabulary, promotes proper use of language and interaction with friends.

There are even more benefits that support healthy growth. Children learn:

• Portion sizes for each food group
• To recognize when they are hungry or satisfied
• How to identify healthy foods and where they come from
• To improve fine motor skills

Children are not the only ones who benefit. Providers get a better grasp of food costs, get help with mealtime service and, with less food being wasted, they save money. 

Tips for Family Style Dining

• Start with the right equipment. When purchasing serving dishes, utensils, and other place settings, keep in mind that they need to be kid-friendly and sized for little hands to maneuver.
• Remember each child’s skill level when choosing your menu. Finger foods and foods that are easy to navigate with a child-size fork or spoon are easiest to self-serve for younger children.
• Have multiple sets of utensils and serving spoons in case someone drops one on the floor.
• Give each child a task to help set the table. One child can set the plates, one can place the cups and so on. Children have a sense of pride and belonging when they have a contributing role.
• Offer a variety of familiar foods and don’t forget to introduce new foods. Children are more willing to try something new when they serve themselves.
• Reserve extra servings for second helpings or in case the bowl of food gets contaminated.
• Provide a trash can for children in which to dispose napkins and uneaten food. Provide a tub for them to place dirty dishes after they scrape them off.
• Keep cleaning supplies nearby. Spills will happen. Be patient and use this opportunity as a teaching moment on how to clean-up.
• Most importantly, eat with the children. Children learn from good role models. Sitting with them while everyone eats also allows you to start positive mealtime conversations.

Food from Home

Some early learning and childcare programs depend on families to provide some or all of children’s meals and snacks. According to Sweitzer et al (2011), “[o]bservations of lunches of three- to five-year-old children attending fulltime childcare support the need for parent education about packing healthy lunches.” They cite several studies that show inadequate servings of fruit and vegetables and foods that fail to meet the Daily Reference Intakes for essential nutrients in foods brought from home. They also cite several studies that demonstrated that knowledge and attitudes about nutrition were positively linked to serving fruits and vegetables to children. As they stated, parents report barriers to supporting their young children’s healthy eating. “Common barriers for consumption of fruits and vegetables are the child’s preferences, preparation time involved, and higher cost of those items.” (Sweitzer et al, 2011).

Food brought from home, must be labeled with the child’s name and date, and stored in the refrigerator when needed. When prepared and served to children it is important to follow food safety practices (discussed in the next section of the module). Foods for one child must never be given to another child.

Tips for Supporting Families in Providing Nutritious Food from Home

In the Sweitzer et al (2011) study, parents were interviewed about how early care and education programs could help families provide better nutrition for their children. Here are some tips based on their findings:

• Provide regular written information to families about nutrients and their importance for health.
• Provide convenient and affordable recipes and tips for families.
• Foster connection and interaction between families through events, support groups, and recipe exchanges
• Consider including nutrition as a topic of workshops for families.
• Connect with community resources and local markets to expand opportunities and information for families.
• Remember to be budget-friendly with resources and recipes shared.

Food Safety

Even the most nutritious, visually appealing, affordable, delicious food won’t keep children healthy if it isn’t stored, prepared, and served safely. In Ontario, licensed early learning and childcare programs that prepare and serve meals and/or snacks are considered a food premises and must comply with Ontario Regulation 493/17: Food Premises.

Safe Shopping

When purchasing food for an early learning and childcare program:

• Do not buy or use meat, poultry, and meat products unless they have been inspected.
• Do not use or buy home-canned food from outside sources, food from dented, rusted, bulging, or leaking cans, or food from cans without labels.
• Do not buy or use raw or non-pasteurized milk or milk products, or non-pasteurized juices.
• Place frozen food and perishables such as meat, poultry, or fish in plastic bags and put them in the shopping cart last.
• Do not buy torn or leaking packages.
• Do not buy foods past “sell-by” or expiration dates.

Storage Before Preparation

To keep foods safe from spoilage and contamination before you prepare them:

• Keep your refrigerator and freezer clean and in safe condition.
• Store soaps, detergents, cleaning compounds, or similar substances away from food supplies to prevent accidental poisoning, potential leakage problems, and contamination. Always keep these substances away from children.
• Do not store pesticides and other similar toxic substances where you store, cook, or prepare food, or where you store kitchen equipment or utensils. Always keep these substances away from children.
• Unpack perishable foods from the car first and put them in the refrigerator right away.
• Keep the refrigerator temperature at 40° F or less, and the freezer at 0° F, to slow the growth of most bacteria and keep them from multiplying.
• Check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer daily with an appliance thermometer.
• Keep all food stored in the refrigerator and freezer covered, wrapped, stored in airtight containers, or otherwise protected from contamination.
• Wrap raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely to prevent raw juices from contaminating other foods. Store them in the meat drawer or coldest section of the refrigerator or freezer.
• Do not store perishable foods, such as eggs, in the refrigerator door. The temperature of storage bins in the door fluctuates more than the temperature in the cabinet.
• Cook or freeze fresh poultry, fish, ground meat, and mixed meats within 2 days after you buy them. Cook or freeze other beef, veal, lamb, or pork within 3 to 5 days.
• Use the cold storage chart in Table 15.9 for guidelines of how long different food products can be safely stored in the refrigerator and freezer.
• Store food that does not need refrigeration in a way to keep insects and rodents from entering the food. For example, keep storage containers off the floor.
• Store dry, bulk foods that are not in their original, unopened containers off the floor in clean metal, glass, or food-grade plastic containers with tight-fitting covers. Label and date the containers.
• Keep storerooms clean, dry, well ventilated, and cool (about 60° F).
• These storage guidelines for home-refrigerated foods will keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only. Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely.

Preparation

Safe food preparation practices include:

• Keep all kitchen equipment, dishes, and utensils clean and in safe condition.
• Wash dishes and eating and serving utensils in a dishwasher (reach a temperature of 165° F during the washing or drying cycle) or by hand with a sanitizing agent.
• Keep the food preparation area separate from the eating, napping, play, toilet, and bathroom areas, and from areas where animals are kept. Never use the food preparation area as a passageway while food is being prepared.
• Make sure that all staff wash their hands before preparing food, serving, and eating meals and snacks, and after toileting, diapering, and outdoor activities. The best way to combat the spread of communicable disease or germs is by careful handwashing with liquid soap, rinsing under running water, and drying with paper towels.
• Do not wash hands in food preparation sinks to prevent contamination of food.
• Keep all surfaces that come in contact with food (including tables and countertops), floors, and shelving in good repair. Use smooth and nonporous materials that are easily cleaned and sanitized.
• Use cutting boards that can be disinfected (such as glass, Formica, or plastic). Always clean them with soap and hot water after each use.
• Do not use cutting boards with crevices and cuts because they can hide food material that can grow bacteria and contaminate the next food cut on the surface.
• Always clean and sanitize cutting boards, knives, and other utensils after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Use one cutting board for raw meat products and another for salads and ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross-contamination of bacteria from one food to another.
• Air-dry hand-washed dishes to eliminate recontamination from hands or towels.
• Use dishes with smooth, hard-glazed surfaces that do not have cracks or chips.
• Clean and sanitize table surfaces before and after use.
• Sanitize kitchen dishcloths and sponges often because these materials can hide bacteria and promote their growth.
• Wash kitchen towels and cloths often in hot water in the washing machine.
• Clean the can opener blade after each use.
• Keep garbage in a covered container, away from children. Empty the garbage every day to reduce odors, control insects and rodents, and protect children and the childcare center from contamination.
• Occasionally sanitize the kitchen sink, drain, disposal, and connecting pipe by pouring a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach in one quart of water or a commercial cleaning solution down the drain.
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables with water, and soap and scrub brush when needed, to reduce or eliminate any pesticides or residues.
• Do not allow infants and toddlers in the food preparation area to protect them from kitchen hazards.

Thawing

To protect against foodborne illness, follow the following practices when thawing frozen foods

• Do not thaw meat, poultry, and fish products on the counter or sink because harmful bacteria can grow at room temperature.
• Thaw food in the refrigerator or microwave oven.
• Immediately cook food thawed in the microwave.
• Use defrosted food (cooked or frozen) within 1 to 2 days.

Cooking

Foods must be cooked at high enough temperatures and for long enough to kill any possible microorganisms they may be contaminated with. Here are some general guidelines.

• Never serve raw or slightly cooked eggs. Cook eggs until the white is firm and the yolk begins to harden. Substitute pasteurized eggs for raw eggs if sampling homemade dough, cake batter, or eating other foods made with raw eggs such as ice cream, mayonnaise, and eggnog.
• Use a meat thermometer to determine the temperature in the thickest part of the meat.756Cook all food to minimum internal temperatures as measured with a food thermometer before removing food from the heat source. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook food to higher temperatures.

Table 2 – Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart

Food Service

To continue to protect against foodborne illness and prevent injury, food must be served following food safety guidelines, including:

• Keep hot foods hot (over 140° F) and cold food cold (under 40° F) until they are eaten or cooked.
• Carry perishable picnic food in a cooler with a cold pack or ice. Store the cooler in the shade and open it as little as possible.
• Do not leave cooked, perishable foods, including hot foods such as soups or sauces, out for more than two hours after cooking (one hour in temperatures over 90° F). The bacteria that cause foodborne illness grow rapidly at room temperature.
• Never offer foods that are round, hard, small, thick, and sticky, smooth, or slippery to children under four years of age because they can cause choking. Hot dogs (sliced into rounds), whole grapes, hard candy, nuts, seeds, raw peas, dried fruit, pretzels, chips, peanuts, popcorn, marshmallows, spoonfuls of peanut butter, and chunks of meat, which are larger than can be swallowed whole are examples of foods that can cause choking.
• Cut food into small pieces for infants (¼ inch) and toddlers (½ inch).
• Do not use microwave ovens for warming infant bottles and infant food because the microwave can heat liquids or food unevenly and to scalding temperatures. The milk or formula in a microwaved bottle may reach a higher temperature than the outside of the bottle.

Handling Leftovers

All food that has been served to children must be discarded after the meal or snack. If a program chooses to save food that has not been served to children, follow these guidelines:

• Divide large amounts of leftovers (for example, large cuts of meat or poultry) into smaller portions and place them in shallow containers before refrigerating for faster cooling.
• Use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days or discard them.
• Bring sauces, soups, and gravy to a boil when reheating. Heat other leftovers to 165° F.

Food Poisoning

1. Coli and salmonella are two of the germs that you may also have heard mentioned in the news when grocery stores send back fresh vegetables, meat, or poultry. These organisms originate with farm animals themselves and they can cause diarrhea and vomiting if children or staff eat contaminated food. Properly preparing and serving fresh produce, meat, and poultry is essential to prevent food poisoning.

References

1. Gordon Food Service (2023). What are Whole Grain Foods and How to Add Them to Your Menu. https://gfs.ca/en-ca/ideas/what-are-whole-grain-foods-and-how-to-add-them-to-your-menu/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl__Wmtf6gAMV-AetBh3-lAWJEAAYASAAEgKcV_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
2. Government of British Columbia (2022). Traditional foods and indigenous recipes. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-and-seafood/feedbc/traditional_foods_and_indigenous_recipes_in_bcs_public_institutions.pdf
3. O.Reg. 137/15: GENERAL. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/150137#BK54
4. Sweitzer, S. J., Briley, M. E., Roberts-Gray, C., Hoelscher, D. M., Staskel, D. M., & Almansour, F. D. (2011). How to help parents pack better preschool sack lunches: advice from parents for educators. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 43(3), 194–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2010.09.002