Menu Planning and Supportive Nutrition Environments
The following resources were developed by the Ontario Dietitians in Public Health Child Care Working Group, to support child care providers in planning and preparing healthy food, as well as creating a supportive nutrition environment for children in their care.
Resources:
Child Care Menu Planning - Practical Guide
The Child Care Menu Planning - Practical Guide has been updated to help child care providers ensure all meals, snacks, and beverages served in child care settings meet healthy eating recommendations.
It includes information on:
- menu planning
- foods and beverages
- amounts to prepare
- a sample menu
Click here to download your copy.
A suite of additional resources has been developed to provide you with practical tips and tools to support menu planning recommendations:
- Modifying Recipes to Meet the Practical Guide
- Increasing the Use of Plant-Based Proteins
- Common Food Allergen Substitutions for Child Care Settings
- Sample Menus
- Reducing Food Costs and Environmental Impacts
Note: The Menu and Nutrition Environment Self-Assessment Tool is currently being revised and is not available. The Paint Your Plate Toolkit remains available while being revised.
Recipes, Meal Planning Tips and more:
- Canada’s Food Guide (Health Canada)
- www.unlockfood.ca (Dietitians of Canada)
- Foodland Ontario
- Cookspiration - An app to find recipes for any time of the day or week
- Pulses.org
- Sample menus (Ottawa Public Health)
- Recipes (Ottawa Public Health)
Buying Guides:
- Better Foods to Buy: A guide for choosing healthier packaged food
- Best Buys at the Grocery Store (unlockfood.ca)
Sign Up for the EOHU’s Nutrition and Physical Activity FYI Newsletter!
For more support or information, contact your Eastern Ontario Health Unit liaison or call 613-933-1375 or 1-800-267-7120.
