5.3.11

Meals (EHS/HS)

Mealtime Procedures

Head Start

The Mealtime Policy provides information on mealtime procedures for Head Start classrooms and includes guidelines on how mealtime should flow.

This policy includes information on:

1. Mealtime Transition (in and out of mealtime)
2. Seating
3. Table Manners
4. Family Style Eating
5. Portions and Serving
6. Child’s Choice and Adult Encouragement
7. Aim for 30-minute Mealtimes

Teachers should refer to the CACFP Child Meal Pattern document (CACFP) for information on how much of each food type should be served at each meal for different age ranges. The Serving Sizes Quick Reference is a tool for classroom staff to utilize during mealtime for modeling serving sizes. It can be printed out and kept in the eating area for staff to use.

For additional information, refer to the Meals/Snacks page of the ECERS manual.

Early Head Start

Mealtime procedures for Early Head Start are slightly different than the procedures for Head Start.

Below are the procedures to follow during meal service for EHS classrooms:

1. Before each meal a quiet time or transition activity is planned.
2. Older toddlers can be selected to help set the table.
3. The food, plates, and utensils available at the table, before the children sit down to eat. All food is covered in plastic wrap. Safe dinner knives should be available to children who have the developmental skill to use them for cutting and spreading food.
4. The Primary Caregiver is responsible for deciding upon a suitable placement of children at the table.
5. The children wash their hands prior to sitting down at the table. (Refer to the SOP Handwashing Procedures)
6. The Primary Care Provider is responsible to ensure that substitute food is available at the table from the cook for children with food allergies, food intolerances, special dietary needs, and cultural/religious prohibitions.
7. The adult begins the meal process by talking about the foods, modeling correct serving sizes while serving themselves, and then the Caregiver encourages and assists the toddlers in passing the food and serving themselves to assist in building skills.
8. Adults model good eating behaviors including using “Please” and “Thank you”, discussing ways to slow down the eating process by chewing each bite thoroughly prior to taking the next bite, and engaging in conversation during mealtime.
9. Children are encouraged to try all foods, but do not need to have all foods on their plates.
10. Children should be encouraged to clear their own place at the tables when they are done, whenever possible. They are responsible for scraping their own dishes, and cleaning up their own spills.
11. Before children are released from the eating table, the Primary Caregiver must wait until the majority of children are done eating.

The information above is available in the Procedures for EHS Meal Service document, which is printed and posted at each EHS centers.

Infant & Toddler Meal Guidelines

Primary Caregivers should refer to the CACFP Infant Meal Pattern document (CACFP) for information on how much of each food type should be served at each meal for different age ranges.

After each meal, the Caregiver should complete the Individual Infant Meal Record to indicate what food was offered, how much was consumed, etc.

For additional information, refer to the Meals/Snacks page of the ITERS manual.

Meal Count Record

Recording Meal Counts

The Teaching Staff is responsible for recording meal counts during each meal of the day using the Attendance/Meal Count Record.

Important: Meal counts must be recorded during each meal at the point of service, not before or after. Point of service is the time in which children have been served or offered all the required meal components for the specific meal. If a child leaves the table before all the components are offered, the meal cannot be counted.

Only meals consumed on-site at the center can be counted on the meal count record (e.g., meals eaten on a field trip are off-site and therefore would not be counted on the meal count record).

The Attendance/Meal Count Record is used to:

• Record the number meals/snacks eaten by each child (breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack)
• Record the number of meals/snacks eaten by teachers and guests

Teaching staff should refer to Directions for Filling out Attendance/Meal Count Record for detailed instructions on filling out this form.

Entering Meal Counts into Child Plus

Family Workers are responsible for printing the Attendance/Meal Count Record at the beginning of the week. Before giving it to the Teachers, the Family Worker will fill in all header information: center/class information, date range, scheduled start of mealtimes, etc. The Family Workers will also fill in the names of all enrolled children. Tip: fill in the names of the children in the same order displayed in ChildPlus, alphabetically by last name.

At the end of the week, Family Workers collect the completed Attendance/Meal Count records and enter them into Child Plus. In some cases, the Receptionist at the center may enter the meal count record.

After entry, Family Workers make a copy of the Attendance/Meal Count Record and store the copy onsite for the current program year and 1 month into the following program year. The original Attendance/Meal Count Record is sent to the Food Service Coordinator and stored for 3 years.

Family Workers should refer to Enter Attendance/Meal Count in Child Plus for detailed instructions on entering the completed Attendance/Meal Count record information into Child Plus.

Additional Information

Site Supervisor Responsibilities

The Site Supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the related policies and procedures are being followed including:

Meal Service Policy

• Overview of regulatory pieces of mealtime – time, spacing
• Applies to both EHS and HS
• From performance standards and CACFP regulations

Mealtime Policy

• What is actually being done at mealtime; guidelines on how mealtime should flow
• Applies to both EHS and HS
• Posted in the eating area of every classroom

Site Supervisors are responsible for making sure the following documents related to mealtime are posted on the Parent Information board within each center:

• Menus (6-11 months, 1-2 year olds, and 3-5 year olds)
• Mealtime Policy
• Meal Service Policy
• Procedures for EHS Meal Services (EHS Centers Only)
• Guidance to Prevent Choking at Mealtime
• CACFP Meal Pattern (Infant & Preschool)
• Civil Rights Poster (available from the Food Service Coordinator)
• Volunteer Guidelines
• What you Say Really Matters

References

• Guidance to Prevent Choking at Mealtime
• Shasta Head Start Attendance/Meal Count Record
• Directions for Filling out Attendance/Meal Count Record
• Enter Attendance/Meal Count in Child Plus
• Meal Service Policy
• Mealtime Policy
• Procedures for EHS Meal Services
• HS Mealtime Resources (refer to hardcopy on site)
  • The Creative Curriculum for Preschool – Volume 1
    • Mealtimes (pg. 78)
  • Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R): Item 10 -Meals/Snacks
  • All About the ECERS-R: Item 10 – Meals/Snacks (pg. 89)
• EHS Mealtime Resources (refer to hardcopy on site)
  • The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers and Twos – Volume 2
    • Eating and Mealtimes (pages 29-41)
    • Specifically (pages 32-33)
  • Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS): Item 7 – Meals/Snacks
  • All about the ITERS: Item 7 Meals/Snacks (pg. 77)
• What You Say Really Matters
• Volunteer Guidelines
• Serving Size Quick Reference Guide
• Related SOPs:
  • Handwashing Procedures