Working With Special Groups

COURSE: Early Childhood Education II UNIT C of Children and Child Care

Issues

ESSENTIAL Understand issues affecting development of

7.00 B2 10%
STANDARD: children.

Understand nutrition issues that affect

OBJECTIVE: 7.01 B2 5%
development of children.

Essential Questions:
 What nutrition issues affect the development of children?
 How can children’s special nutritional needs and other food-related issues be managed?
 How can appropriate menus for children be planned and provided?

UNPACKED CONTENT

Balanced nutrition for children

 Nutrition resources
 Reliability of sources
 My Pyramid for Preschoolers/My Pyramid for Kids
° Need a variety of foods from five food groups
 Grain group
 Vegetable group
 Fruit group
 Milk group
 Meat and beans group
° Oils not a food group, but need some for good health
° Each child’s age, gender, and physical activity level are used to develop individual
eating plans and determine calories needed
 NC Child Care Handbook
° Suggestions for Encouraging Favorable Food Attitudes & Good Eating Habits
° Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs
° Menu Planning Form
Special nutritional needs---types, causes and effects, prevention and treatment
 Under nutrition and malnutrition
 Overeating and obesity
 Diabetes
 Food allergies
 Food Restrictions Form
Other food-related issues
 Other dietary restrictions
 Food preferences
 Appreciation for multicultural foods
Special Nutritional Prevention and
Needs Meaning Typical Causes Typical Results Treatment
1. undernutrition Not eating  Poverty  Growth is slowed or  Support programs to reduce
enough food to
maintain a  Food likes and dislikes stopped poverty
healthy body and  Nutrient deficiencies lead  Use appealing variety of
normal activities  Unbalanced diet to: foods and food textures,
-Irritability flavors, colors, forms, and
 Poor food choices
-Bowed legs temperatures
2. malnutrition Long-term lack  Body’s inability to use -Sunken eyes  Honor children’s
of proper nutrients -Teeth decay
preferences if possible
nutrients -Fatigue
 Teach healthy food choices

3. overeating Eating more than  Large supply of food  Emotional problems  Scale serving sizes to
body needs to
function  Trend toward snacking  Obesity children’s appetites

 Other health problems

 Provide small servings

4. obesity Body is more  Overeating  Lack of self-esteem  Change behaviors of parents

than 20%
overweight  Poor food choices  Poor treatment by peers and children

 Inherited tendency to be  Hypertension

overweight; a family
disorder
 Family stress
 Physical inactivity
 Help with food choices
 Diabetes
 Teach foods low in fat and
calories
 Heart disease
 Teach portion control
 Hardening of the arteries
 Provide exercise
 Overweight adults
 Build self-esteem
 Serve healthy. low-fat
foods

5. diabetes Body does not  Obesity  Feel sick when sugar is  Varied diet with fruits,
produce insulin
high or low vegetables, and grains
and is unable to
manage blood  Minimize saturated fat and
sugar cholesterol
 Moderate sugars, salt
 Balanced foods and portion
sizes
 Eat at regular intervals
 Ask parents for personalized
meal plan

6. food allergy Body reacts  Wheat, soy, fish,  Sniffles, pain, diarrhea,  Provide restricted diet
negatively to
some foods
peanuts, tree nuts, nausea, swelling, rashes,  Offer safe substitutes
shellfish, eggs, and milk congestion
cause 90% of food  Eliminate food and smells
allergies  Anaphylactic shock from classroom
(can be fatal)  Obtain information from
parents
 Read product labels