Food at daycare: meals, nut-free rules and allergy habits

Handing over your child's lunch can feel like a big step, especially if your child has an allergy or eats very little. Here is what we serve at Kidz In The Park, what nut-free means for your family, and what we ask you to tell us.

What will my child eat each day?

We provide a morning snack, a hot lunch and an afternoon snack. Our menu follows Canada's updated Food Guide, so children eat a variety of food groups each day. It is also planned with recommendations from our local Public Health Unit, and all food is cooked with consideration of maintaining its full nutritional value.

At mealtimes, children eat family-style and serve themselves, which helps them learn about making healthy choices and how food brings people together. Our toddlers eat together at tables, and our preschoolers practise eating with utensils. Children and educators wash their hands before meals.

We encourage children to taste a variety of foods, but no child is ever forced to eat foods they do not wish to.

Babies are fed according to their own needs. Talk with the educator about your baby's feeding schedule, clearly label bottles, breast milk, formula and food, and tell us when you start a new food at home. Our first-day guide lists the infant feeding supplies to pack.

What does nut-free mean for my family?

We are a nut-free centre. We do not use nuts in our meal preparation, and children may not bring snacks that contain nuts into the centre.

That means checking ingredient labels and not sending nuts or foods that contain them. Checking is a good habit even for products you buy often, because recipes can change.

Birthday treats need a quick word with staff first. Shared treats must be store bought and nut free, and the Parent Handbook asks you to give them to staff rather than handing them to children, so ingredients can be checked.

A nut-free rule does not tell you how we handle any other allergy, so please do not assume it does. If you are not sure what our rule includes, please ask us.

What should I tell you about allergies and special diets?

Tell us as early as you can. We require any relevant medical information, including allergies. The registration package has a Medical details part that asks about allergies, anaphylaxis risk, an auto-injector and special diets. If you answer yes to an allergy, it asks for the trigger and reaction, and for a care plan or an explanation of the response needed.

Page 5 of the Parent Handbook asks families to do four things:

• Tell us about every allergy. List all allergies and dietary restrictions in the registration package, and tell the educators directly.
• Share a plan when one is needed. Provide a written allergy or medical plan and any prescribed emergency medication, and update the plan whenever instructions change.
• Keep food for your child only. Children do not share food, and food brought for your child is for your child alone.
• Ask questions. Review the menu and talk with the educators about food preferences, feeding needs, allergies or a special diet.

Emergency medication, such as an auto-injector, also needs written authorization and a care plan (Handbook, page 4). Staff and families then work together to reduce exposure risks and respond to a reaction. For the other forms, see our registration guide.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Please talk to your child's doctor about what plan is right for your child, then talk to us about how it fits our meals. Prefer to talk it through? Call us at 780-464-2637.

What can I try at home with a fussy eater?

Fussy eating is very common in little children. These are general tips, not centre rules, and every child is different.

• Offer again, without pressure. Many families find that children need to see a new food again and again before they taste it. A tiny serving next to a favourite is enough.
• Let them see others eating. Children often copy the people around them.
• Offer small choices. "Red bowl or blue bowl?" gives a child a sense of control.
• Keep the mood calm. Forcing, bribing or "clean your plate" often makes mealtimes harder.

If you worry that your child is not eating enough, please talk with your doctor.

Where do I start?

You do not have to sort out everything at once. Here is a simple plan:

1. Read how we handle food and allergies.
2. When you register, list every allergy and special diet, with a care plan if one is needed.
3. Ask the educators about the menu and your child's feeding needs.

Next step: start with step 1 by reading page 5, "Meals and personal care", in our free Parent Handbook.