Food Program & Health

We strive to provide nutritious foods & good health experiences to our little explorers!

Meals 

We have breakfast ready every morning for anyone who needs it and provide lunch. We’ll send you a food form to sign for us to continue receiving funding for our school food program. The form will have your child registered for all the days so that if ever you change schedules during the year, your child will still be covered. We mark who is present and what is served each day and submit a report each month to the program. 

 Week 1

BREAKFAST 9:15 AM	Chopped up eggs   Mixed fruit	Whole wheat bread with butter & honey   Apple sauce	Oatmeal                     Berries	Plain yogurt with honey  Berries
LUNCH 11:15 AM Menu subject to change (e.g. market availability of foods),  thus please let us know of any allergies or special dietary restrictions.	MONDAY 1 PB & HONEY SANDWICH- TEDDY BEAR PICNIC Thinly spread pre-made peanut butter and honey sandwiches cut in fours with whole wheat bread (& two mini graham cracker bears), apple sauce, grated carrots, mayonnaise dip                                               IMAGINARY PLAY IDEA           Take your teddy bear for a walk over the sandwich mountains and through the carrot fields.	TUESDAY 2 BEANS & SHREDDED BROCCOLI CRAB-PICKING Canned beans, drained & rinsed, grated broccoli, mayonnaise dip, mixed fruit, whole wheat bread IMAGINARY PLAY IDEA Time to go crab-picking! & pick your beans with your “pinchers” (kid-sized plastic tweezers).	WEDNESDAY 3 BEANS & SHREDDED BROCCOLI CRAB-PICKING Canned beans, drained & rinsed, grated broccoli, mayonnaise dip, mixed fruit, whole wheat bread IMAGINARY PLAY IDEA Fly your plane spoons through your meal!	THURSDAY 4 MAKE-A-CRITTER Hummus, grated cheese, diced tomatoes, pineapple tidbits, and chopped black olives on a whole wheat English Muffin

All meals and snacks served with 1% organic milk.% organic milk.   

We serve only canned-in-juice or water fruits, or diced fresh. Berries are thawed from frozen or diced fresh.     

Apple sauce has no sugar added.

We serve all meals family-style.

We offer every meal/snack to every child.  

We allow students to serve themselves as much as they like (within reason) to make sure all our little tummies are satisfied AND as little as they like (we do not force eating, but encourage healthy habits & trying new foods. 

We periodically try a new food (being mindful of choking hazards and finely chopping food as needed) & foods from other parts of the world

Week 2

BREAKFAST 9:15 AM	Chopped up eggs   Mixed fruit	Whole wheat bread with butter & honey   Apple sauce	Oatmeal                       Berries	Plain yogurt with honey  Berries
LUNCH 11:15 AM Menu subject to change (e.g. market availability of foods),  thus please let us know of any allergies or special dietary restrictions.	MONDAY 5 PB & HONEY TORTILLA  Thinly spread pre-made peanut butter and honey sandwiches on whole wheat tortilla, apple sauce, grated broccoli                                                         IMAGINARY PLAY IDEAS Fly your plane spoons through your meal!	TUESDAY 6 BEAN SMORES Canned beans, drained & rinsed, grated carrots or guacamole, mixed fruit, whole wheat bread  IMAGINARY PLAY IDEA “Roast” your beans over a pretend campfire to make bean smores!	WEDNESDAY 7 BEAN SMORES Canned beans, drained & rinsed, grated carrots or guacamole, mixed fruit, whole wheat bread  IMAGINARY PLAY IDEA Walk your zoo animal spoons through your meal!	THURSDAY 8 COTTAGE CHEESE Whole wheat bread, cottage cheese, grated carrots, and mixed fruit  IMAGINARY PLAY IDEA Mermaid spoons ready for a swim!

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TopStar Policies

We promote healthy practices and nutrition by following the TOP Star Program. 

We promote our LingoLearners’ brain and body development through NUTRITION by: 

• Providing nutritious meals with mineral and vitamin-rich foods, at least 3 servings of whole fresh or dried fruits and fresh or steamed vegetables each day, non-fried, minimally-processed sources of protein, at least 2 servings of high-fiber, all whole grains, minimally processed foods, and foods low in added sugars and sodium. 

• The fruits and vegetables will change from the sample menu each week depending on what is in season and to try new foods. We also present new foods from a variety of cultures from time to time. This makes it important to notify the school of any allergies or sensitivies your child might have.

• Serving 1% organic milk, water, and no sweetened drinks or flavored milk. And making drinking water readily available year-round, each day to encourage children to stay hydrated. Drinking water is easily visible and available for self-serve both inside and outside, with easy-pour dispensers and paper cups. 

• Limiting sweets to an occasional offering.

• During meal times: 
• Teaching, modeling, and encouraging developmentally appropriate table manners through enjoyable, interactive lessons in the form of playful conversations during meals and actively involving the children. 
• Encouraging children to try developmentally appropriate servings of fruits and vegetables and offering positive reinforcement when a child does so. 
• Modeling trying new foods and gently and positively encouraging children to try less favorite healthy foods. 
• Modeling by teachers joining students at the table during part of meals. 
• Teaching children appropriate portion size by using serving plates and cups that are developmentally appropriate to their nutritional needs. 
• Talking with children about trying and enjoying healthy foods. 
• Serving meals family style with small-sized, age-appropriate portions. 
• Not forcing children to eat.
• Helping children to determine if they are full before removing their plate, and to determine if they are still hungry before serving additional food. 
• Permitting children to have additional servings of the nutritious foods as needed to meet the caloric needs of the individual child. And teaching children who require limited portions about portion size and monitoring their portions. 
• Nutrition education is an important part of the curriculum. MyPlate and a standardized curriculum is built into at least weekly (if not daily) discussions during meal times and teachers utilize these principles throughout the day. 
• Giving children the opportunity to identify, taste, and enjoy a variety of foods that are culturally significant or locally grown. 
• Obesity Prevention: This program is mindful of the relationship of feeding and other activities in the prevention of obesity. Teachers provide opportunities for children to learn about serving and choosing healthful foods and portions, enjoy mealtime as a socialization opportunity, avoid engaging in other activities while eating.

• Practicing good handwashing: Before eating or serving, children and teachers will thoroughly wash their hands. Teachers actively teach and supervise good handwashing techniques. 

• Not using food and/or beverages as a reward or punishment, nor are children rewarded or punished for what they decide to eat. Food is not withheld as a punishment, and children are not forced to eat a specific food or amount before getting an item or moving on to another activity. 

• Gardening: Each year, children are invited to help plant and care for an on-site vegetable garden. They also help harvest the herbs and vegetables. Children are involved in hands-on gardening activities, such as planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, food preparation, and taste testing as appropriate. 

• Having children help: Children help  clean up by throwing away their tray, and sometimes assist in meal preparation by preparing part of their own meal such as putting together a sandwich, as developmentally appropriate.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• Limiting screen time to no more than 10 minutes of a French, Educational Program per day, not occurring during meals or snacks. 

• Reading to the children every day. 

• Providing time outdoors at least 2 times for roughly 50 minutes total every day for our 12:15 pickup students and 65 minutes for our 1:30 pickup students (except for high-pollution or adverse weather conditions that require shorter periods outdoors). If outdoor time is shortened, children have compensatory increased indoor periods of active play with dance, yoga, or other movement activity. We encourage you to send your children in appropriate seasonal clothing and footwear for outdoor play.

• Exploring nature in our play area by observing the trees, changing flowers and plants, insects, and the occasional squirrel visitor.

• Providing structured and unstructured moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Children are encouraged to be physically active and to join in active play for a number of important reasons. Children who engage in active play are shown to develop communication and social skills earlier, build gross motor skills, and establish a foundation for lifelong health and well-being. Physical activity helps children to build strong bones and muscles, and prevents chronic diseases such as childhood obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Children who are physically active are likely to perform better in school, have improved cognition, and stay physically active throughout the rest of their lives. 

• We provide many opportunities for exercise in our outdoor recess area with games, Dance Club, playing with balls, riding on wheeled toys, our woodland climber, jump roping, and running through the grassy areas. We provide opportunities for exercise indoors with dancing, movement during singing time, games, and other activities. We have a music and movement center in the school room for exercise during indoor free play time with movement materials. The American Academy of Pediatrics state regular physical activity increases lean body mass, muscle, and bone strength and promotes physical health. It fosters psychological well-being, can increase self-esteem and capacity for learning, and can help children handle stress.  

• Providing Sun Protection: Because ultraviolet radiation is most intense between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, most of our outdoor time is at the start of the day between 9:15 am to 10 am. If outdoor play occurs during the peak hours, children and teachers encourage activities in the shade. Our play area is well-shaded by trees and umbrellas. But if children are playing in a sunny area, we provide sunscreen that does not contain potentially harmful chemicals, such as oxybenzone, avobenzone, or octocrylene. We use sunscreen that contains a combination of zinc oxide and titanium oxide, which is recommended by both leading dermatologists and the FDA. We will only use sunscreen or sunblock if it has been authorized by a parent or guardian in the initial registration documents. Similar precautions are used to prevent injury from reflection of the sun by water, snow, sand, and cement at any time of day. 

• Children are not seated for periods of more than 30 minutes at a time. 

• Providing teacher-led physical activity to children two or more times per day with Dance Club and Singing-Time movement.

• Ensuring that children receive developmentally-appropriate opportunities daily for both moderate and high intensity physical activity. Moderate intensity physical activity involves activities like walking that moderately raise heart rate. Vigorous intensity physical activity involves activities like jogging or running that raise their heart rate higher. During outdoor recess, children are able to run through the open grass area, jump, hop from one cork round to another, play games, such as “Red Light/Green Light, use the climber, kick and throw balls, and jump rope. Inside, children can hop through our hopscotch rug, hop from one floor spot to another, follow the animal prints, make an obstacle course, play “the floor is lava,” kid yoga, games, such as “Simon Says,” and dance. 

• Obesity Prevention: Teachers promote developmentally appropriate physical activity to help children (and themselves), prevent overweight/obesity, and practice lifetime healthful habits. 

• Not using or withholding physical activity for punishment. Children whose behavior is not compatible with safe and appropriate interactions with other children have an opportunity to calm themselves before resuming cooperative play activities by staying near but not within the group of children who are playing. 

Structured Activities: Teachers lead 2 or more structured activities or games that promote moderate to vigorous physical activity over the course of the day, indoors or outdoors. Structured activities are inclusive and ensure that all children are able to participate in the physical activity at the same time, rather than one child doing an activity while others watch and wait their turn. Structured activities are scheduled to come before more sedentary (nonmoving) curricular activities because children may be more attentive and learn better after periods of physical activity. 

DISPLAYS FOR NUTRITION & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• Displays showing visible support 
• for healthy eating in the classroom through use of posters, pictures, and books, including MyPlate posters and pictures of healthy foods. 

• We provide visible support for physical activity through use of posters, pictures, and books.

TEACHER TRAINING

• Teacher Training: Teachers will have training opportunities on nutrition (other than food safety and program guidelines) and physical activity at least two times per year during our after-school training time by going over this document together. Teachers will provide physical activity education for children through a standardized curriculum by speaking to children about the benefits of physical activity when engaging in active activities (at least once a week). 

PARENT EDUCATION

• Parent Education: Nutrition education opportunities and physical activity education opportunities are provided to parents at least 2x per year through reference of this document. 

BREASTFEEDING-FRIENDLY FACILITY

• Being a Teacher Breastfeeding-Friendly Facility-Making our school comfortable to our teachers who are breastfeeding by providing them with:
• a comfortable, clean, private room with an electrical outlet for pumping milk 
• flexible breaks to accommodate milk expression
• refrigerator access, (clean and well-maintained) to store breastmilk in containers labeled with the teacher’s name. Expressed human milk must be in a sanitary BPA-free bottle or, if the milk will be fed within 72 hours of collection, in a breast milk bag/bottle system to which a nipple is or can be attached for feeding. 
• information posted on the teacher board for accessing breastfeeding prenatal education, prenatal classes, meetings, resources, breastfeeding support, and the names of area resources
• positive promotion of breastfeeding on display on the teacher board with educational literature and breastfeeding handouts to help with breastfeeding support

The Utah Department of Health states “breastfeeding provides plentiful health benefits for both babies and their mothers and is the gold standard for infant nutrition. Often called the ‘fourth trimester’ or the ‘perfect food’ for human babies, breastmilk components are perfectly matched to provide needed nutrition, immune protection, and be easily absorbed by the immature digestive systems of infants. Breastmilk is also convenient, conserves financial resources, provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases (including obesity and diabetes) later in life.”

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