OOSH Development Factsheet #24 Balanced Healthy Eating in OOSH

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1 Links to QA 6.1 Balanced and healthy eating is promoted by the service Children 5 12 years old have their own issues when it comes to nutrition and what will keep them bright eyed, energetic, healthy and within target weight. The OOSH service is the perfect complement to the child s home in seeing that children are exposed to the right foods during their play and relaxation time. Joan McGilvray PROMOTING HEALTHY EATING IN OOSH Healthy eating is essential to maintaining good health. In particular healthy eating and physical activity are key aspects in preventing and controlling the alarming prevalence of childhood obesity. Practical ways OOSH centres can promote healthy eating habits: Act as a positive role model Provide healthy foods or encourage children to bring healthy foods Provide a variety of foods Reinforce the difference between everyday foods and occasional foods Create a positive eating environment Conduct food activities Provide opportunities for children to prepare food Provide opportunities for children to learn about food safety and hygiene Promote healthy eating to parents and carers Providing healthy foods that meet children s nutritional needs requires planning. Planning will save you time and money and can ensure the breakfast and afternoon tea in your service is providing is nutritionally adequate. WHAT IS A HEALTHY AFTERNOON TEA? Using nutritional recommendations from the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and the Australian Dietary Guidelines, nutritionists have developed a checklist for planning Afternoon Tea at OOSH. This Checklist (refer to page 3) outlines what is needed to make up a healthy afternoon tea for primary school aged children. Use this checklist when you are planning your menu. In brief it tells us. Foods to include: J A dairy or a high calcium food to provide calcium for growing bones and teeth. J A cereal- based food that contains carbohydrate and fi bre. J A fruit or vegetable, which are good sources of vitamins, minerals and fi bre J A good OR moderate source of iron (see checklist). Iron is needed to carry oxygen around the blood. J A drink. The best drinks for children are milk or water. Fruit juice is not essential if fruit is served. If you choose to serve it, dilute it by half with water. Foods to avoid: Foods that contain too much salt, fat, sugar or salt are not recommended for afternoon tea as they do not provide essential nutrients for growing bodies. These foods include: L Sticky snacks like health food bars, lollies and fruit straps as they may cause tooth decay. L Cordial, soft drinks or caffeine containing drinks. L Foods high in fat and sugar like cream fi lled and chocolate coated biscuits, chocolate and chocolate or yoghurt coated health food bars. L Foods high in fat and salt like chips and savoury snacks. December 2004 page 1

2 Some Healthy Afternoon Tea Combinations for OOSH Plain crackers with peanut butter plus fruit salad with custard. Water to drink. Mini pizzas (toast, tomato paste, devon and cheese), fruit pieces and water to drink. Vegetable sticks and bread with hummos. Milk to drink. Pikelets with jam plus fruit pieces. Milk with Milo to drink. Breakfast biscuits (e.g. Weetbix) with honey or jam plus fruit pieces. Milk to drink. Cheese and tomato sandwiches (made with one slice of wholemeal and one slice of white bread) and frozen orange quarters. Water to drink. ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO ENJOY HEALTHY FOOD It is the role of the OOSH service to decide what food to provide and the children s role to decide whether to eat and how much to choose. However, the eating environment and staff can infl uence children s enjoyment of healthy food. Involving children in planning, preparing and serving food and creating a relaxed social time at meals can encourage children to eat well. Practical ideas for encouraging healthy eating Involve the children in the planning, preparing and serving of food. A fun practical idea suggested by Lugarno OOSH is to set up the room like a café with tables, chairs, table numbers and printed menus. Each child has a role in the café either as a waiter, cook or customer. Roles are rearranged at the next café experience which could be once a week, month, etc. We are told the children really enjoy the experience and the café creates a positive eating environment that involves all the children. Conduct food activities with children. This can expose children to new foods and encourage them to try new foods. The Georges River Community Before and After school centre try to choose foods for cooking activities that also make nutritious, quick meals for parents to cook at home. The children cook the food and type up the recipe on the computer to take home. We are told that when parents arrive to collect their kids they are welcomed with a delicious cooking smell, a taste of the fi nished product, a child who loves the food and a recipe they can use for tomorrow nights dinner. Staff can sit and eat with children. This is an opportunity to discuss foods in a positive light. Display menus for children and parents Be a good role model Let children see you enjoy eating fruit or vegetables. (and if you don t, just keep that to yourself!) Have a fruit or vegetable of the week Allow children to taste it, discuss how and where it grows and the recipes it could be used in. Information from: Nutrition Ready to go at Out of School Hours Services Central Coast Health, South East Health, and Network of Community Activities This book is a great resource for all OOSH services for the provision of food in their centres. Information includes topics on nutrition for children, food safe preparation, cooking ideas, food and nutrition activities and information and resources. It also includes sample nutrition and food handling polices. This publication is available from Network of Community Activities. December 2004 page 2

3 DAILY AFTERNOON TEA CHECKLIST Afternoon tea menu for each day to contain at least 1 item of the following checklist. Try to include at least two or three different varieties within each food group over the week. q A dairy or a high calcium food including: Plain or fl avoured milk Hard and soft cheeses, Yoghurt and custard Calcium added soya milk Tofu Milk- based desert (such as fruche, creamed rice, milk puddings, Ice cream) q A cereal based food including: Bread ( all varieties including fruit bread) Rice Pasta Noodles Cracker biscuits (plain, unsalted crackers, rice crackers, rice cakes) Fruit buns Scones Pikelets Muffi ns Crumpets q A fruit or vegetable including: Fruit Fresh Canned Dried Vegetables Cooked Fresh Canned Frozen q In addition, for an excellent menu include a good or moderate source of iron. Good source of iron includes: Beef Lamb Veal Beef sausage Moderate source of iron include: Pork Ham Fish Eggs Chicken (breast, leg or chicken loaf) Peanut butter or nut paste Wholemeal products (including bread, fl our, crackers) Dried fruit Legumes (including baked beans) Milo Spinach Breakfast cereals with added iron q A drink: The best drinks for children are milk and water Information from: Nutrition Ready to go at Out of School Hours Services Central Coast Health, South East Health, and Network of Community Activities This publication is available from Network of Community Activities. December 2004 page 3

4 Sample Food Handling and Hygiene Policy This is a sample food handling and hygiene policy (adapted from the NRG@OOSH publicaion) to assist with QA area 6. Modify this sample policy to meet the needs of your service. AIM The service aims to provide safe food to encourage good hygiene and food handling practices by children and staff. FOOD SAFETY FOR CHILDREN Children will be encouraged to wash their hands before preparing, serving or eating food. When involved in food preparation, children will be supervised and encouraged to follow good hygiene and food handling practices. FOOD SAFETY FOR STAFF AND SERVICE Staff will wash their hands before preparing, serving or eating food. Staff will use warm water and soap to wash hands and use disposable paper towels to dry hands. When serving food, tongs will be used or gloves will be worn. Food preparation, eating areas and utensils will be cleaned regularly. Food will be stored and kept at the correct temperature. All perishable food will be stored in the refrigerator. The refrigerator temperature will be monitored regularly to ensure it is less then 5 C. All foods will be stored in sealed containers. Cutting boards will be replaced regularly so they are not cracked or creviced. The Food Handling Checklist for Out of School Hours Services will be used regularly to review, evaluate and document the service s food handling practice. FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION Staff will discuss food handling and hygiene with children when serving, preparing and eating food. The service will provide food handling and hygiene information for parents. TRAINING Ongoing food handling and hygiene professional development will be provided for all staff. REFERENCE Acknowledge current practices are linked to recognised authorised authorities (for example; Workcover, NSW Health, Food Safety Standards Australia New Zealand, etc.) SIGNED: DATE: December 2004 page 4

5 Sample Nutrition Policy This is a sample nutrition policy (adapted from the NRG@OOSH publication) to assist with QA area 6. Modify this sample policy to meet the needs of your service. AIM The service aims to provide nutritious and varied food to encourage healthy eating habits of children. FOOD AND DRINK Food and drink will be provided for breakfast and afternoon tea. These will be planned using the Checklists for planning Breakfast and Afternoon Tea at OOSH. Drinking water will be available at all times for the children and staff. All food and drink provided will be nutritious and varied. Foods provided will include foods from various cultures, especially those represented in the service and local community. The food provided will be planned ahead and menus will be displayed for parents and children. Parents will be informed of changes to the menu. Children and parents will be encouraged to contribute to the menu. If children have special food needs, the service and parents will discuss and develop a plan to meet the children s needs. During vacation care, parents will be given the Lunchbox Checklist for Vacation Care and asked to provide the child s lunch and drink. EATING ENVIRONMENT Snack times will be a social event where children and staff can relax and experience a variety of foods. Staff will demonstrate healthy eating habits to children. The denial of food will not be used as punishment. Nutrition education. Food awareness activities will be chosen from a variety of cultures. The service will provide nutrition information for parents. This can be done using posters, notices and information sheets. Children will be encouraged to be involved in menu planning, preparing and serving food. TRAINING Staff will be encouraged to attend professional development on food and nutrition issues for children. REFERENCE Acknowledge current practices are linked to recognised authorised authorities (for example; Australian Guidelines to Healthy Eating, NSW Health, Australian Dietary Guidelines, etc.) SIGNED: DATE: December 2004 page 5