National Food Service Management Institute The University of Mississippi

for Child Care

for Child Care

February 2013

Understanding the Basics of MyPlateMyPlate for Preschoolers was designed for parents and caregivers of children between the ages of 2 and 5. It was designed to be an educational and motivational tool for assisting young children in developing healthy habits at an early age. MyPlate for Preschoolers provides guidance on stratagies to help preschoolers eat well, be active, and be healthy. The colorful plate is a reminder to eat a variety of foods on a daily basis from each of the five food groups: fruits, grains, proteins, dairy, and vegetables. The MyPlate icon displays the proportions of each food group and is a reminder to eat balanced portions of vegetables, fruits, grains, protein, and dairy each day. While the portions are a general guide and not exact, this is a reminder to eat more from some groups and less from others.

Let’s look at each group.

MyPlate for Preschoolers

Green - Vary your veggies. A variety of vegetables should be included each day including dark green, deep yellow, orange, and red. Red - Focus on fruits. Include fresh, frozen, dried, canned (packaged in water), whole, cut-up, or 100 % juice.Orange - Make at least half your grains whole. Aim to make at least half of all grains whole grains because of the health benefits. Substitute a whole grain with a refined grain.

Purple - Go lean with protein. Go lean with protein by choosing lean sources such as, beans, peas, and lean meats. Limit processed meats like hot dogs and luncheon meats. Blue - Get your calcium-rich foods. The dairy group is represented by the blue circle next to the plate. Foods from the dairy group are needed as part of a healthy meal plan. Include fat free or low fat dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt.

for Child Care

Getting Healthy with MyPlate for PreschoolersHealthy eating habits are important for children and adults. Preschoolers are still developing their eating habits. That’s why it’s important for children to learn how to make healthy food choices sooner rather than later. MyPlate has a vast amount of information for developing healthy eating habits and including physical activity on a daily basis. Other available information includes: • daily food plan for preschoolers; • indoor and outdoor activities; • basic food safety guidelines; • strategies for picky eaters; and • meal and snack ideas.

Using MyPlate in the ClassroomThe child care setting provides an opportunity to help teach young children about the importance of healthy eating habits. The messages of MyPlate can be incorporated in to the curriculum, active play, meal times, and through modeling. Let’s look at some ways for incorporating MyPlate in the classroom.

Books are great for teaching preschoolers the importance of healthy eating and being physically active. Books that center on fruits and vegetables can be shared during story time. Use them to help introduce the five food groups and MyPlate for Preschoolers. You can build upon math concepts such as sorting, categorizing, and counting through hands on activities. Children can cut out pictures of healthy foods from magazines and grocery ads. The pictures can be sorted and categorized by their food group.

Another idea is to have children cut out or draw pictures of healthy foods. They can use MyPlate to identify the food group to which each food item belongs. Children can also make their own MyPlate using a paper plate and crayons.

Cooking is a way to help children learn vocabulary words and enhance reading, math, and science skills. They can see how foods are prepared by using and following a step by step recipe and how food changes during the cooking process. Children can perform tasks suited for their age such as, stirring batter, adding ingredients, tearing lettuce, or measuring ingredients into cups and bowls. Cooking can help foster their interest in food and nutrition.

Another idea is to incorporate color coded divided plates at meal times. Children can state which food group each section of their plate represents and name foods belonging to each group.

for Child Care

February 2013, continued

This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service through a grant agreement with The University of Mississippi. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The University of Mississippi is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA Employer.

for Child Care

for Child Care

February 2013, continued

Nutrition Tip of the MonthDo you struggle with selecting whole grains? A quick way for selecting whole grains is to purchase items with a whole grain stamp. The Whole Grains Council developed two stamps, the Basic Stamp and the 100% Stamp to provide an easy and “eye-catching design” for consumers. The Basic Stamp ensures the products contain at least 8 grams of whole grains, which is equivalent to a half of a serving. But, if the grain product has a basic stamp, it may contain some refined grains. The 100% Stamp ensures the food item is 100% whole grain with a minimum of 16 grams of whole grains in each serving.

For more information about selecting whole grains, visit the Whole Grains Council website at http://wholegrainscouncil.org/

If you have other tips about selecting whole grains and would like to share, email us at nfsmi@olemiss.edu. We would love to share your responses in our upcoming memos and social media pages.

What are the Facts – Physical Activity?Physical activity is essential for maintaining body weight and promoting good physical and mental health. For young children, exercise strengthens bones and muscles, develops motor skills, and teaches healthy lifestyle habits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at the age of 5, 1 in 3 children are obese or overweight. In addition, obese children are at a higher risk of becoming obese adults. This is why it is imperative for young children to have structured and unstructured active play each day.

If you would you like to share some physical activities you do at your child care facility, email us at nfsmi@olemiss.edu. Also, comment on our Facebook post regarding physical activities.

Vegetable of the Month It’s veggie time! The vegetable of the month is broccoli. Broccoli was first grown in Italy over 2000 years ago. The name broccoli comes from the Latin word brachium, which means “branch” or “arm”. Broccoli is filled with many essential vitamins, include vitamin C, A, B6, and folate. Broccoli can be a fun veggie steamed, baked, or served fresh. In addition, broccoli can be a great tool for nutrition-related educational activities, such as planting broccoli seeds and watching them grow.

for Child Care

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights; Room, 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

for Child Care

February 2013, continued

SourcesCen ters for Disease Control. (nd). Obesity among low-income preschool children. Retrieved from http://www.

cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/PedNSSFactSheet.pdfCle mson University Cooperative Extension. (2008). Kids in the kitchen. Retrieved from http://www.clemson.

edu/extension/hgic/food/nutrition/nutrition/life_stages/hgic4113.html. Flo rida Department of Health. (nd). Choose myplate. Retrieved from http://www.doh.state.fl.us/ccfp/Nutrition/

NutritionEd/Lesson1.pdf.

National Food Service Management Institute

Do you know a CACFP Rock Star?The National Food Service Management Institute would like to recognize people doing an awesome job in the CACFP profession. A CACFP Rock Star takes initiative, shows leadership, and is an asset in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. A CACFP Rock Star has a commitment to planning, creating, and/or serving healthy and appealing meals. In addition, this person has a willingness to perform additional assignments beyond their required job responsibilities. Lastly, a CACFP Rock Star has a positive attitude; and he/she is motivated by the success of CACFP participants.

Please nominate someone who you think is a CACFP Rock Star. In the nomination, include the following information.

Name of Nominee:Title:CACFP Facility:Briefly describe how this nominee is a CACFP Rock Star. Please give specific examples using the following criteria. 1. Describe how the nominee is committed to planning, creating, and/or serving healthy

and appealing meals. 2. Describe how the nominee takes initiative, shows leadership, and is an asset to the

CACFP. 3. Describe how the nominee is willing to perform additional responsibilities beyond the

required job duties. Nominated by:Telephone:Email:Date: Email the nominations to nfsmi@olemiss.edu with the subject header CACFP Rock Star by March 8, 2013.

for Child Care

National Anti-Hunger Policy ConferenceThe National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference, co-sponsored by the Food Research and Action Center and Feeding America, in cooperation with the National CACFP Forum, will be held on March 3-5, 2013, at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC. The conference will also focus on strengthening the quality and reach of federal nutrition programs. For more information and to register, visit the conference page at http://www.antihungerpolicyconference.org.

If you have other state or national level CACFP news you would like to share, email them to nfsmi@olemiss.edu

It’s News Time

for Child Care

Nat ional Food Service Management Institute. (2011). MyPlate-the new generation food icon. Retrieved from http://nfsmi.org/documentlibraryfiles/PDF/20110831084307.pdf

Nat ional Food Service Management Institute. (2011). Young children and daily physical needs. Retrieved from http://www.nfsmi.org/documentlibraryfiles/PDF/20120103092223.pdf

Sou th Dakota Cooperative Extension Service. (2008). Broccoli. Retrieved from http://www.sdstate.edu/sdces/fcs/upload/Broccoli-Card.pdf

U.S . Department of Agriculture. (2013) Choosemyplate.gov. Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers.html

U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2011). ChooseMyPlate.gov Website. Washington, DC.Wh ole Grains Council. (2013). Whole grain stamp. Retrieved from http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-

grain-stamp