Nutrition - Health and Physical Development: Ages 3-5

Widely Held Expectations

• Child shows knowledge of healthy eating and lifestyle habits
  
  • Demonstrates knowledge that some foods are healthier than others
  • Uses manners during meals/snacks, including asking for second helpings
• Child begins to develop interest in foods and eating styles of other cultures
• Child understands that healthy foods help them to grow and give them energy to play and think

Learning in Action: Examples

The Child

• Passes food and takes child-sized portions
• Chooses to try new foods and eat a variety of foods
• Uses dramatic play materials to show awareness of different kinds of food, cooking utensils, etc.

The Adult

• Encourages children to serve and feed themselves and assist with cleanup
• Provides opportunities for children to prepare healthy snacks
• Recognizes that families have different food preferences and eating habits
• Stays current with an individual child’s food allergies and provides substitute foods as needed
• Provides dramatic play props, pictures, stories and books to represent many cultures

The Environment Includes

• Books, tapes, visual media and pictures, about familiar foods and nutrition habits from around the world
• Dramatic play center props (foods, dishes, utensils, pots, pans, cookbooks, etc.)