Healthy Eating Environments

Children learn from adult role models.

Child care staff can promote nutrition by modeling healthy habits for children and creating a culture of healthy eating throughout supportive environments. By trying new foods, eating from the healthy foods that are served, avoiding bringing unhealthy foods into the classroom, and displaying material that supports healthy eating, staff can "practice what they preach" and show children that good nutrition is something normal that anyone can follow. Below you will find resources that will help you develop healthy eating environments. 

Best Practices

The resources on this page can help child care programs reach all of the following best practices:

  • “Caregivers consume the same food and drinks as the children.”
  • “Caregivers join children at the table for meals.”
  • “Caregivers rarely or never eat less healthy foods in front of the children.”
  • “Caregivers talk with children about trying and enjoying healthy foods.”
  • “Provide visible support for healthy eating in all areas where children spend most of their time through use of posters, pictures, and displayed books.” 

Resources for developing healthy eating environments

  • Action Guide: For Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies

Summary: Guidelines for feeding practice policies and practices that support child nutrition. 
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education
Access: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sde/nutrition/cacfp/ccpolicy/child_care_action_guide.pdf 

  • Family Style Meal Service with Children

Summary: Toolkit on how to hold family style meal service in child care, meeting federal CACFP guidelines.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services
Access: https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/CACFP-Family-Style-Meal-ServiceOperator-Booklet.pdf 

  • Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments

Summary: Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the Go NAPSACC assessments opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the health best practices are and how to reach them at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas

  • Healthy Kids, Healthy Future

Summary: Under the section of "Nurture Healthy Eaters," scroll down the menu to find responsive feeding resources for both infants and toddlers. Resources are geared towards child care providers and parents.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/nurture-healthy-eaters/resources/

  • Making Healthy Choices: Week 17 – Pleasing Picky Eaters

Summary: Newsletter featuring tips for trying ways to help children who are picky eaters try new foods.
Source: Michigan State University Extension
Access: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/TR.17.pdf 

  • Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings

Summary: This nutrition toolkit describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Access: https://health.mo.gov/living/dnhs_pdfs/ChildCareModelPolicies.pdf 

  • Nibbles for Health Newsletter – Together…Let’s Try New Foods!

Summary: Newsletter featuring tips for trying new foods with children, and includes a tasting reward chart.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture – Food and Nutrition Services
Access: https://foodhero.org/sites/foodhero-prod/files/resources/together_foods.pdf

  • Sample Child Care Nutrition Policy

Summary: A sample policy that allows a center to fill in the blanks and customize to meet their needs.
Source: South Carolina Child Care Services
Access: http://www.scchildcare.org/media/6941/GH_SAMPLE_Level_B_Nutrition_Policy.pdf

  • Team Nutrition Resources for Child Care

Summary: Team Nutrition, under the USDA, provides training and technical assistance to child care providers and program operators, CACFP best practices, nutrition and developmental education for providers and families, and resources to support a healthier environment. Educational or promotional material can be downloaded for free, or ordered from Team Nutrition.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/child-care-organization

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