Create nutritional menus that kids can enjoy using these quick tips.
Sort Foods into Five Main Groups:Start by creating a list of foods that you would like to serve to your child. For each food listed try to sort it into a Milk, Bread, Fruit, Vegetable, or Meat group. These are the main food groups identified by the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program. Place yogurt, for instance, in the milk group, pancakes and enriched tortilla in the bread group and eggs and beef in the meat group. Choose foods carefully to ensure a variety of tastes, textures, and colors.
Create a menu for each meal serving:So you have in mind three main meals per day consisting of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Try to understand that some preschoolers may just eat two meals a day, sometimes eating a light dinner or skipping dinner altogether. There is no need to worry if your child eats everything on his plate. Over the course of the week the variety of foods he eats will supply him with the nutrients he needs. Referencing your food list again, create a breakfast menu. Choose a bread, milk, and fruit/vegetable item from your food list such as pancake, milk, and peaches. Presto! You have just created your first breakfast menu. For lunch choose a bread, milk, meat and two fruit /vegetable foods. For example milk, meatballs, tomato sauce (vegetable equivalent), spaghetti (bread equivalent)and banana. Do the same for dinner. If want your child to try new foods, place an old favorite in the mix to encourage his taste buds. Here is a sample weekly menu with a breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack.
| Sample Menu | | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
Breakfast | Milk, Orange Juice, Cereal | Milk, Apples, Toast | Milk, Pancake, Bananas | Milk, Orange Juice, Cereal | Milk, Bananas, Toast | Milk, Cereal, Orange Juice |
Lunch | Milk, Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, Bananas, Apples | Milk, Turkey, Bread, Apples, Bananas | Milk, Chicken, Macaroni, Beans, Pineapples | Milk, Chicken, Bread, Corn, Potato | Milk, Fish Sticks, Beans, Potato, Bread | Milk, Ham, Bread, Corn, Banana |
Afternoon Snack | Yogurt, Bananas | Orange Juice, Cheese Crackers | Yogurt, Peaches | Orange Juice, Crackers | Orange Juice, Crackers | Fruit Juice, Crackers |
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Stay within Budget:When purchasing your food items try to stick to your budget. Preparing your menus a day ahead saves you time and can also save you money. Try to rotate menus every four to five weeks, or repeat one fruit or vegetable on different days so that food is not wasted.
Present Foods with Style:Create a meal with visual appeal. Combine foods of different colors and textures. Cut fruits and vegetables into unusual shapes with a small cookie cutter. Arrange plain yogurt and a canned peach-half on a plate so that it resembles a fried egg. Make interesting funny faces with the vegetable toppings on a pizza. Encourage your child to help prepare the meal. Give him easy tasks like cookie cutting, pizza topping or table setting.
Spend Mealtimes Together:Give your child an opportunity to share the eating experience with you and to appreciate the time and effort that went into the meal preparation. As he sees you trying new foods he is inspired himself to try unfamiliar foods. Praise him for a job well done in the kitchen and extend a special invitation to help prepare tomorrow‘s meal.
About the Author
Nicole Brekelbaum is the director at Young Achievers Inc. - A home-based learning center for aspiring youth located in Pflugerville, Texas. Her company operates a childcare facility that participates in the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, preparing meals and menus on a daily basis for children of preschool age.