2022 Nutrition

Cycle menus require planning and forecasting as well as recipe and menu development. Fight menu fatigue by seeing how popular foods can be versatile and support your program. See what other programs are doing and take home their recipes and ideas.

Nutrition education can assist in addressing food insecurity in food desert communities. Our dietitian lead project aims to increase access to healthy food options at early childhood education centers while increasing nutrition education. Discuss ideas to incorporate hands-on learning through gardening, recipes for menus, and snack ideas for the classroom

Being mindful of the food you eat promotes better digestion and influences wiser choices about what you eat in the future. Come discover how to create connections to the food you’re serving in your program with an “in the moment” experience while teaching children to pay attention to the experience of eating and drinking, both physically and psychologically.

Preventing exposure to food allergens for children with food allergies is crucial to their safety. Good food safety practices help keep these children safe. Learn best practices for managing food allergies in child care centers and provide input for the Child Care Center Food Safety Kit.

Are you or your family home child care providers having trouble serving mixed foods and not serving the right quantities? We’ll teach you how to use our muffin tin hack and you’ll work in groups to develop a new recipe to share with fellow attendees. Together, we’ll review your ingredients to ensure you’re ready to make a muffin tin recipe box back home.

Good nutrition is an important ingredient of a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy foods helps children get the nutrients their bodies need to nourish their minds, bodies and spirits to stay healthy, active and strong. Learn more about the best practices of nutrition.

Do children in your facility know how they get food or where it grows? Creating gardens with children help them understand where fresh food comes from. Join us and learn about the importance of gardening with children and its developmental benefits.

Let’s clear up the carbohydrate confusion! We’ll give a research update on the nutritional advantages of whole grains and explore examples of popular carbohydrate “myths” and examine the scientific evidence supporting common carbohydrate conundrums. Providers will develop thoughtful, evidence-based tactics for answering common questions.

What is a breastfeeding-friendly child care, and why is breastfeeding so important? Join us to learn more! We will share about why child care programs should support breastfeeding families and how that support helps moms to meet their nursing goals. You will learn all the information you need on how to properly store and prepare breast milk.

What is a CQI plan and why do you need one? We’ll explore why nutrition should be a CQI plan within your program and why having a CQI plan goal of decreasing your students BMI is important for your program. Walk away knowing how to create the right nutrition assessment and how Farm to Early Care implementation can play a vital role in decreasing your students’ BMI.