Promote and Provide Healthy Food and Drinks

This article provides tips for promoting and providing healthy food and drinks for infants and toddlers. It covers the best practices for preparing and heating formula for bottle feeding, the regulations and requirements for children services, and the recommended servings per day for different food groups. It also discusses the importance of reading food labels and notifying the service of any special dietary requirements relating to medical conditions.

Running head: HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
Promote and provide healthy food and drinks
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

1HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
Bottles of infant/toddler food formula are to be prepared and heated in a careful manner. The
food is given to the toddler and infants with the aim of prevention of illness. The following steps
are to be followed while preparing and heating formula for bottle feeding.
Preparation of formula for bottle feeding-
1. Wash hands with an effective disinfectant
2. Ensure that the work surfaces, feeding bottles and equipment are cleaned.
3. Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer for the respective feeding formula.
4. Store the prepared formula in refrigerator or in frozen condition.. all bottles are to be
labeled with the date of preparation of the bottle.
Heating of formula for bottle feeding-
1. Place the bottle in a big container with hot water and hold for maximum 15minutes
2. Check the temperature of the formula by enabling a drop of the formula drop onto the
inside of the wrist. It must feel comfortable- neither too hot nor too cold.
3. Warm the formula once and discard unused formula.
Note: Check the date of manufacturing of the formula before preparing it. Never refreeze thawed
formulation and heat bottles only once. Never allow a bottle to cool and then reheat it as germs
might grow (Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and
care services 2013).
P
r
e
p
a
r
a
t
i
o
n
a
n
d
h
e
a
t
i
n
g
i
n

2HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
2.
It is considered to be the best practice to label and store bottles in a dedicated refrigerator
so that one can understand the child’s name for the corresponding formulation, and the date of
bottle preparation by the parent. It is to be noted that formulations prepared on a considerable
earlier date might promote to growth of bacteria.
3.
Element 2.2.1 the NQS focuses on the promotion of healthy eating, and believes in the
principle that food and drinks that the service provides must be nutritious and suitable for each
child being care for. The element aims to achieve good nutrition for all children as a necessity for
healthy living since healthy living can allow children to take up an active role in playtime and
leisure. Further, care settings and education settings must provide multiple opportunities to the
children for experiencing a range of healthy foods, and learning about food choices from
educators and other children (acecqa.gov.au 2017).
4.
The National Education and Care Services Regulation’ requirements in relation to children
services who provide food and beverages for children are as follows-
 The provider must safeguard that the food and beverage provided to the children is
adequate in quantity and nutritious
 The provider must confirm that the food and beverage provided to the children is
chosen as per the dietary requirements of individual children taking into account (i) the

3HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
growth and developmental needs of a child, and (ii) religious, health and cultural
requirements of a child (classic.austlii.edu.au 2017).
5.
The Regulations requirement in relation to a weekly menu is as follows-
The approved provider must ensure that the weekly menu-
 is as per the Australian Dietary Guidelines
 is displayed at an appropriate place of the service premises that parents of the children
being cared for can access
 describes the food and beverages that the service provides each day
6.
Dietary fats provided by breast milk or infant formula are particularly important for
children less than 2 years since the fat is responsible for supplying the child with energy benefits.
Since the child is not able to consume large amount of food, dietary fat is crucial for the
maintenance of energy and enabling proper growth. Fat encourages brain and nervous system
development, and helps in wound healing (Prince et al. 2014).
7.
a.
Recommendations have been outlined that solids are to be introduced to children strictly after the
age of four months since the immune system of the child is immature till then. Ideally, six
months age is the appropriate time for introducing solids.

4HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
b.
Solids are to be introduced one food at a time, and it is recommended that one should start with
small portions of solids. Children are to be given a gap of several days between the introduction
of new food item for the child to identify the taste and the parents to assess food sensitivity/
allergies (health.gov.au 2011).
8.
Age Types of food and
consistency
Examples of foods that can be consumed
8-12
months
Mashed or chopped
foods and finger
foods (no salt, sugar,
fat or other flavours
added)
Breastmilk.
Infant formula (if partially or no longer breast
feeding).
Infant cereals.
Well-cooked and mashed or minced fish, minced
liver and minced or finely shredded meat, chicken
and egg.
Variety or mashed or soft cooked vegetables,
including beans lentils and broccoli.
Mashed and cooked fruit.
Chopped soft raw fruit such as melon and banana.
Cereals such as rice, wheat, oats, bread, pasta and
noddles.
12 months Family Foods Breastmilk and/or plain pasteurised full cream milk.

5HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
+ Variety of foods from all food groups, with varying
textures and flavours.
(Caution must be taken with hard foods, as choking
is still a risk)
9-12
months
Mashed or chopped
foods and finger
foods (no salt, sugar,
fat or other flavours
added)
In addition to foods for 8 – 12 months; Cheese,
custards and yoghurt.
Birth-
around 6
months
Liquids Breastmilk.
Infant formula (if partially or no longer
breastfeeding) (health.gov.au 2011)
9.
Food Group Name Food Group Description
Vegetables and legumes Provides vitamins including C and folate.
Milk, yoghurt cheese
and/or alternatives, mostly
reduced fat
Provides calcium, protein, riboflavin and vitamin B12.

6HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
Lean meats and poultry,
fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and
seeds and legumes/beans
Provides protein, iron, zinc, niacin, and vitamin B12.
Grain foods Provides carbohydrates, protein, fibre and a wide range of
vitamins and minerals like folate, thia min, riboflavin,
niacin, and iron.
Fruits Provides vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and carbohydrate
(eatforhealth.gov.au 2015)
10.
Educators must be actively taking up initiatives to ensure that the children meet their
daily nutritional requirements. Children are to be encouraged to enjoy different variety of foods,
especially vegetables and fruits. Further, it is recommended to make the children understand the
importance of these foods in relation to the growth and development. Encouragement can be
given by praising the children and providing positive motivation. Lastly, children are to be
encouraged to enjoy their mealtimes and focus on positive aspects of the food (Mahan and
Raymond 2016).
11.
In regards to daily nutritional requirements, care should be taken to

7HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
 Ensure that the calorie intake is adequate for supporting growth and development of the
child
 Ensure that food is low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and added sugar
 Select a variety of food for getting adequate carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients
12.
Recommended Servings Per Day
Food group 4-7years
Breads and cereals 5-7
Vegetables 2
Fruit 1
Milk and dairy products 2
Lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts
and legumes
½
Food Group Food Example of Serving Size
Breads and cereals 2 slices of bread
Starchy vegetables 1 medium potato
Dark green leafy vegetable ½ cup cabbage, spinach, broccoli
Fruit 1 cup diced pieces or canned fruit

8HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
Milk and dairy products ½ cup evaporated milk
Lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts
and legumes
80- 120 gm cooked fish fillet
(Foodfor health 2005)
13.
 Adequate health and hygiene practices
 Safe practices for handling, preparing and storing food
 The service must also ensure that monitoring and surveillance systems are in place about
these practices
14.
Services must take into account the developmental growth needs of the children. A
weekly menu has to be displayed at the approved service’s premises. Further, Policies and
procedures about nutrition, food and beverages, and dietary requirements are to strictly regulated
by the service (uws.edu.au 2012).
15.
The two ways in which Educators can assist children to develop healthy attitudes towards
food are as follows-

9HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
 Children are to be provided with a positive and calm social environment during
mealtimes. They are not being forced to eat any food at any given point of time.
 Opportunities are to be created to make the children learn about the nutritional foods and
the optional foods. They are to be encouraged to eat new foods items through making
them understand the differences in textures, tastes and colors (Marotz 2014).
16.
 Since Max is able to climb, the educator must ensure that he is fastened to the high chair
in a safe manner. This would make sure that he is not able to reach out to anything else
other than food, as he has the tendency to put everything he can reach up to in his mouth.
 Hand hygiene is to be maintained through washing hands before mealtime. This would
ensure that Max does not get infected with any germs.
17.
Question
What foods should
parents/carers pack in the
lunchbox?
Fruit- it is advisable to include fresh fruits as dried fruits are
sticky and high in sugar content. These can be apple, banana,
and berries.
Vegetable- Vegetable sticks with dips can be given, such as
carrot, cucumber, cherry tomato.
Milk products- Flavoured yoghurts are a healthy food option.
Biscuits and cheese- Homemade versions of crackers, biscuits
and non-flavoured cheese can be given
Breads- bread rolls, pita bread, fruit loaf or buns, foccacias,

10HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
scones, flat bread, bagels, muffins are healthy options
What foods should
parents/carers not pack in
the lunchbox?
Chips, cakes, pastries, chocolate, fires, canned food, pizza,
white bread, candy bars, processed meat, processed cheese
What drinks should
parents/carers provide for
their children?
Fresh fruit juice, homemade electrolyte drinks, herbal teas, low-
fat milk
How much food is
adequate for parents/carers
to send each day
Wholegrain cereal foods-2 serves
Fruit- 1 serve
Salad vegetables- 2 serves
Dairy foods- 1 serve
Lean meat, chicken, fish, egg- ¾ serve (healthykids.nsw.gov.au
2014)
What information is
particularly important for
parents to read on food
labels?
Food labels outline the ingredients contained in the food, and
the value of vitamins, fibre, sugar, salt, energy and protein
content in it. Parents are also to read food additives present and
the food allergy information provided. Further, the health
claims are to be checked apart from the ‘Use by’ or ‘Best

11HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
before’ dates.
Why is it important to read
labels?
Reading label ensures that a child is not provided with a food
that is harmful for his health. In addition, nutritional
information and information about food storage instructions can
be seen from the label.
What are the recommended
levels for
Salt,
Fat,
Sugar Intake?
1500 milligrams each day
500 calories each day
100 calories each day
Why is it important for
parent to notify the service
of any special dietary
requirements relating to
medical conditions?
Parents must notify about the special dietary requirement to
help the educator ensure safe practices in relation to providing
food to the child, and to help him develop management plans
for the child’s condition. Menu planning is also easier if the
parents notify the concerns (Marotz 2014).
18.
Meal Times and Food Service Safe Food Practices

12HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
Hand hygiene is maintained as gloves have
been worn
Cooking is done with the help of utensils and
not by hand
The food is covered appropriately in order to
avoid contamination
Hygiene is maintained as protective
equipment in the form of apron has been worn
(Koletzko et al. 2015)
19.
The responsibility for menu planning at a center lies mostly with the chef/cook. In certain
cases the director or the coordinator is accountable for the menu planning. Parents seldom play a
role in menu planning (heas.health.vic.gov.au 2018).
20.
As per the clause 54 of the Children (Education and Care Services) Supplementary
Provisions Regulation 2004, the center is to employ a qualified cook for preparing and providing

13HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
the children with food on a daily basis. A person is qualified if he has a certificate of Australian
Qualification Framework (AQF) competencies considering menu planning, nutrition, and safe
food handling. The courses meeting these requirements include a Certificate III in Hospitality
(Commercial Cookery) and a Statement of Attainment in NSW TAFE 3599 – Cookery in
Children’s Service (det.nsw.edu.au 2015).
21.
Meals for children with food allergies or special diets managed at a Centre through
strategies implemented by the professionals in a proactive manner. Necessary information about
food allergy or special diet requirements are taken from the respective parents prior to
commencing with the services. The children are taught not to eat from other children’s food. The
children are supported with allergies and they are only given food prepared for them distinctly.
They are also educated about the food allergy they are having, and encouraged to wash hands
before eating to prevent allergic reactions (ncac.acecqa.gov.au 2009).
22.
The Meal Times policy has the objective of providing a suitable meal time environment
promoting culturally suitable communication, social and self-help skills. The rationale of the
policy is multifaceted. Meal times are known to offer children with the opportunity to develop
their social skills and understand the art of conversation in a clam environment. In addition,
mealtimes create an environment in which children can practice their self-help skills in addition
to making meaningful choices. Educators have the opportunity to promote meal time behaviors
that are socially acceptable through setting rules and role modeling. Further, they can model

14HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
positive attitudes towards food and guide children to try out new food choices (Meal Times
Routine Policy 2011).
23.
a.
Educators must determine the seating arrangement for taking advantage of peer role
modeling.
b.
Children are to be arranged in small groups of 4-6 for creating an opportunity for the
children to socialize and engage in effective communication with each other.
c.
Educators must encourage children to sit in the same place so the children can be
habituated to the meal time routine. Further they can develop meal time behaviours that are
socially acceptable (Meal Times Routine Policy 2011).
24.
The four distinct forms of self-help skills are self-feeding, independent grooming,
hygiene and toileting, and participating in daily chores. The children’s service can promote self-
help skills in different ways. The best strategy to promote independent feeding skills is to
encourage the children feeding themselves after understanding the normal developmental skills
at different stages. Independent grooming can be taught by providing minimal assistance while
they dress themselves. Hygiene and toileting skills can be taught by encouraging them to follow

15HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
hygiene routines and use toilet independently. Participation in daily chores can be taught by
teaching them activities such as cleaning plates, placing napkins and so on (Garvis and Manning
2017).
25.
Educators and children must wash their hands before handling food, after handling food,
after handling dirty napkins, after wiping nose, after coughing or sneezing, and after touching
body fluids such as saliva (Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early
childhood education and care services 2013).
26.
The minimum qualification of the person is a successful completion of Australian
Qualification Framework (AQF) competencies through a registered training organization, in
menu planning, nutrition and safe food handling from an AQF hospitality or health course
(nsw.edu.au 2015)).
27.
Regular cleaning is to be undertaken in the kitchen on a daily basis and when dirt is
visible. This ensures prevention of introduction of harmful and infectious agents into the food
being prepared.
28.
All fresh and frozen foods are to be immediately stored safely in a freezer. Appropriate
preservatives are to be used wherever necessary to avoid spoilage. Expired or spoiled food is to

16HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
be removed from the freezer to avoid spoilage of other food present. Growth of mold is to be
prevented in the freezer as they spoil food faster. Lastly, different forms of food, such as solids
and liquids, are to be stored in different parts of the freezer (Staying Healthy: Preventing
infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services 2013).
29.
Statement
Tongs and serving spoons should always be used to serve food. True
Food prepared but not served from the kitchen can be covered, refrigerated
and served later.
True
It is safe to reheat food more than once. False
It is OK for children to share bowls or utensils, or eat from each other’s plate
or cup.
False
Leftover food served to the table or individual plates should always be thrown
away.
True
High risk foods include milk, meat, fish, rice and dishes containing them. True
Food that is leftover on a platter that has been served to the children can be
covered refrigerated and served later.
False
30.

17HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
Water is essential for life and deficiency of water intake is life-threatening. Water helps
in absorption of nutrients from the food consumed and also helps in removing waste products
form the body. In addition, water in the form of perspiration controls body temperature.
Consumption of drinking water replaces the fluid lost from the body and in hotter parts of
Australia this is of more importance as the body becomes dehydrated. Children are at more risk
of suffering from dehydration. This might lead to mental tiredness and physical exhaustion
(Hanna-Attisha et al. 2016).
31.
The recommended water intake per day for Toddlers is 1.4 L per day.
32.
The recommended water intake per day for pre-schoolers is 1.6 L per day.
33.
Food Group Day Menu Recommended
servings per day
Wholegrain
cereals
(includes bread,
rice, pasta and
Example: Wholemeal Bread Sandwiches
Served at:
 Morning Tea  Lunch Afternoon
Tea
5-7 servings

18HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
noodles)
Vegetables and
legumes
Example: Bioled vegetables with mayonnaise
dip
Served at:
 Morning Tea  Lunch  Afternoon
Tea
2-3 serving
Fruit
Example: Fruit juice
Served at:
 Morning Tea  Lunch  Afternoon
Tea
1 serving
Milk and dairy
products
Example: Frozen youghurt
Served at:
 Morning Tea  Lunch  Afternoon
Tea
1-2 serving
Red meats, fish,
poultry, eggs,
Example: Grilled fish fillet
Served at:
4-5 servings

19HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
nuts and legumes  Morning Tea  Lunch  Afternoon
Tea
34.
Statement
Childhood Obesity is having an excessive amount of body fat. True
Inadequate physical activity is not a contributor to obesity. False
Family background (inherited genes) does not influence the likelihood of
becoming overweight.
False
Obesity can affect a child’s emotional and social competence. True
Obesity can have serious health consequences e.g. Diabetes; Cardiovascular
disease.
True
Excess fat in children “Puppy Fat” is normal and will disappear as the child
grows.
True
Limiting ‘sometimes foods’ and encouraging ‘everyday healthy foods’ is a way
to prevent obesity.
True
Poor diet can lead to tooth decay, deficiencies, poor concentration and out of
character behavior.
True

20HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
35.
Religion Chosen Cultural/Religious Food/Drink Practices
 Christianity Food has been accepted as a valuable element of religious rituals and observance
for many faiths including Christianity. The role of food in cultural practices and
beliefs in religious context is multifaceted. The several faiths in Christianity
include Roman Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant. These guidelines leading
food habits tend to vary among the different faiths. A section of the Christian
population observes many feasts and fast during the year. Most Protestants
observe Easter and Christmas as the only feast days. The ritual of communion is
common among many Christians. Self-denial of food is related to spiritual
discipline. Christians have the tradition of blessing any food before eating it
accompanied by a mealtime prayer, and they consider them as a sign of
thanking the almighty for the meal they have (Atkins and Bowler 2016).
References
acecqa.gov.au. (2017). Guide to the National Quality Standard. [online] Available at:
http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/NQF-Resource-03-
Guide-to-NQS.pdf [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].

21HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
Atkins, P. and Bowler, I., 2016. Food in society: economy, culture, geography. Routledge.
Classic.austlii.edu.au. (2017). Education and care services national regulations - REG 79Service
providing food and beverages. [online] Available at:
http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_reg/eacsnr422/s79.html [Accessed 20 Feb.
2018].
Det.nsw.edu.au. (2015). Cooks in education and care services - qualifications guidelines.
[online] Available at: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/what-we-offer/regulation-
and-accreditation/early-childhood-education-care/workforce/qualifications/cooks-qualifications-
27082015.pdf [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].
Eatforhealth.gov.au. (2015). The Five Food Groups | Eat For Health. [online] Available at:
https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].
Food for health : Dietary guidelines for Australians. (2005). Australian government: National
Health and Medical Research Council.
Garvis, S. and Manning, M., 2017. An Interdisciplinary Approach to Early Childhood Education
and Care: Perspectives from Australia. Taylor & Francis.
Hanna-Attisha, M., LaChance, J., Sadler, R.C. and Champney Schnepp, A., 2016. Elevated
blood lead levels in children associated with the Flint drinking water crisis: a spatial analysis of
risk and public health response. American journal of public health, 106(2), pp.283-290.
Health.gov.au. (2011). Department of Health | Introducing solids. [online] Available at:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/gug-director-toc~gug-
solids [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].

22HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
Health.gov.au. (2011). Department of Health | Introducing solids. [online] Available at:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/gug-children-toc~gug-
children-solids [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].
Healthykids.nsw.gov.au. (2014). Lunchbox Checklist for Food Brought from Home for 2 to 5
year olds. [online] Available at:
https://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/downloads/file/teacherschildcare/LunchboxChecklist2-
5yroldsJan15WEB.pdf [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].
Koletzko, B., Bhatia, J., Bhutta, Z.A., Cooper, P., Makrides, M., Uauy, R. and Wang, W. eds.,
2015. Pediatric nutrition in practice. Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers.
Mahan, L.K. and Raymond, J.L., 2016. Krause's Food & the Nutrition Care Process-E-Book.
Elsevier Health Sciences.
Marotz, L.R., 2014. Health, safety, and nutrition for the young child. Nelson Education.
Meal Times Routine Policy. (2011). Blue Bay Early Learning Centre.
Ncac.acecqa.gov.au. (2009). http://ncac.acecqa.gov.au. [online] Available at:
http://ncac.acecqa.gov.au/educator-resources/pcf-articles/Managing_anaphylaxis_Dec09.pdf
[Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].
Prince, R.L., Kuk, J.L., Ambler, K.A., Dhaliwal, J. and Ball, G.D., 2014. Predictors of
metabolically healthy obesity in children. Diabetes care, 37(5), pp.1462-1468.
Staying Healthy Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services.
(2013). Australian Government: National Health and Medical Research Council.

23HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS
Uws.edu.au. (2012). Nutrition/food/beverages/dietary requirements Policy. [online] Available at:
http://www.uws.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/408129/CSS3517_UWSELL_Policies_Nutri
tion_food_beverages_dietary_requirements_Policy.pdf [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].