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Head Start & Early Head Start |
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Welcome families and friends! |
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Your Food Service Staff would like to welcome you to Head Start. Head Start is a wonderful program designed with your child’s growing needs in mind. Our entire staff is food handler certified by the state of Idaho and receives annual training on HACCP. Our nutrition program received the USDA Outstanding Menu Award! In the classroom we serve family-style, which means serving foods in bowls or dishes on the table. Children are encouraged to serve themselves, or serve themselves with help from an adult if needed. This is a very fun and adventurous part of dining at Head Start. Family-style meals allow children to identify and be introduced to new foods, new tastes, and new menus. Children are often unsure about new foods. Seeing new foods and watching others serve themselves gets them interested. They are more willing to try a small serving when they see other children trying new foods. It takes as many as 12 –15 times for a child sometimes to try a new food-or 18 years like my son who came home one day and asked if I would make stuffed green peppers-I about fell over-(he forgot he hates them!). Children can choose the amount of food they want to have on their plate. They are never forced to take food. Children feel more in control to judge their hunger and fullness through out the meal, knowing that more food is within easy reach. Children practice good table manners and new skills with their hands and fingers. Serving themselves gives them time to practice skills like passing, pouring, and scooping foods. Taking turns, sharing, and politely turning down foods are all a part of table manners children learn by participating in family-style meal service. Children take turns setting the table for mealtime, and clean up after themselves when they are finished eating. This helps them to feel part of the family, community. It gives a since of gratitude, an “I can help” attitude, a “look at me I’m growing” attitude! You will notice a difference in your mealtime at home…they get quite accustomed to how mealtime should look. After every meal children brush their teeth too! Building strong bodies and minds! It’s very important to encourage your child’s participation in the mealtime. Throw out those thoughts that Susie doesn’t like peaches…you’ll be surprised at what Susie will eat if she is not given pre-conceived thoughts. Mealtime is an adventure! Menu cycles and meal patterns are planned according to the USDA guidelines for children 1-5 years old with good nutrition in mind, meeting the required meal patterns and components for each meal service. Menu cycles are created with old time favorites, but also to expand your child’s eating pleasures. The more variety of foods a person consumes the healthier you are, building a strong immune system, to fight sickness & disease. Some fun ways to help your child establish good eating habits for life: · Discuss new foods at the grocery store that you see · Purchase a new food and have a food experience at home · Allow your child to help prepare foods at home · Get fun books and videos for children that send good nutrition messages about food · Play with your food-count rice-roll your tortilla different-talk about sour foods · Allow children to have input on what is served · Encourage good eating habits- don’t let them know you don’t like a food-they follow your example · Play triple dare at meal time- it could be great family fun! I’ve been surprised at what I thought I didn’t like, eating with the children. I lead by example and much to my dismay I like peas, and I drink my milk. Food Service will be scheduling a menu-planning day in the fall & Spring of each year. This gives you an opportunity to give input on the menu, and also learn about the nutrition program. Food for thought… If we always ate, what we always eat, we would always eat, what we always ate!
I look forward to meeting you. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call.
Make meals an adventure! Sandy Buffington Food Service Coordinator
Friends of Children and Families 208-287-0883 |
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Food Service |
