• Nourishment - Nutritional value of fruits and veggies
• Health Habits - Eating better and more physical activity 
• Sense of Accomplishment - Learn cooperation, teamwork and social skills; gain self-confidence along with new skills and knowledge; garden based teaching addresses different learning styles and levels of intelligence.
• Responsibility for the Environment - Provides an environment in which they learn to work, play, and interact with child care providers, parents and the community while growing plants. They learn how to connect with and appreciate their natural world.

	Farm to Child Care Additional resources on how to get started with Farm to Child Care Read about CACFP child care facilities with a successful Farm to Child Care Program and center/home gardens View pictures of indoor and outdoor vegetable and fruit gardens
	Texas AgriLife Extension Service – Master Gardener Guides, books, fact sheets and other publications related to gardening Search Texas Master Gardener Programs by County and find a Master Gardener Specialist
	Know Your Farmer Food Compass (USDA) Information on local and regional food systems for years 2009-2012 Search projects in your area

Make Food Fun

Pittsburg ISD earth worms for Earth Day

Associate new foods with positive experiences.

Children often hesitate to try new or unfamiliar foods, especially between the ages of 2 and 5. There are many creative ways to introduce new foods to kids such that it’s a fun, positive experience and eases their doubt. Some examples include:

• Give foods fun names
• Cut food into child-friendly shapes
• Offer the new or unfamiliar food with a favorite food
• Build a menu that has a colorful variety of food offerings
• Boost food flavors with seasonings, dips, salsas or purees
• Introduce food with an activity, such as a game or food tasting party

Visit the Choose My Plate website for snack and meal suggestions that help introduce children to fun, smart and healthy foods.

Win Over Picky Eaters
Create a kid friendly environment for children to try new foods.

Irregular and odd eating behavior is very common among young children.  Review the Institute of Child Nutrition’s Happy Mealtimes for Healthy Kids in order to reduce stress and struggles during meal and snack times.

• Don’t Force Children to Eat – Let the child make the decision to try new foods. Give young children time to try new foods; it can take more than a dozen tries to enjoy a new taste.
• Be Determined – Routines offer children many opportunities to try a new food in a familiar and comfortable environment.

• Do Not Bribe– This is a short term solution and may lead to more difficulties in the future.
• Allow Children to Role Model– Less picky eaters can encourage pickier eaters to try something new. 
• Explore Food – Allow children the ability to touch, feel and explore their food.

Use Different Service Styles

• All food/beverage components of a reimbursable meal, in minimum required amounts, are served in common serving dishes (bowls, platters, pitchers) and placed on the table for all children and caregivers. 
• Serving dishes are passed from one child to another and the children are allowed to serve themselves, based on developmental readiness, and assistance from the supervising caregiver. 
• Caregivers encourage children to take the minimum required portion of each food component; however, if a child is hesitant, the caregiver will encourage them to try a small portion/bite.
• If the child declines the food the caregiver will not force the child to take the food item. A child’s meal may be claimed for reimbursement even if s/he declines to select one or more offered food items. 

• Allow kids an opportunity to interact with new foods. Avoid forcing kids to taste it. They can touch and smell it and stop there. Be sure to praise them for taking those first steps.
• Keep it simple! Hype up the food being tested and remember to keep a neutral face as kids are taking a cue from you.
• Collect and analyze data  on how the food item made the children feel, how it looked, smelled, and tasted. Use this opportunity to expand children’s vocabulary by introducing new adjectives to describe food. Below are sample taste test forms:
1. I Tried Local: Taste Testing Kits
2. Taste Test Questionnaire
3. Kids Food Critic Activity Tasting Ballot
• Give children a nonfood reward for trying the new food item.
• Non-food Ways to Raise Funds and Reward a Job Well Done
• Complement nutrition education lessons with a taste test or use taste-testing to celebrate. Ask students to describe the size, shape, color, smell, and texture of the food.
• Discover My Plate
• Grow It, Try It, Like It!
• Harvest of the Month
• Schedule a taste testing party for a particular food group. Some ideas are listed in the Resources section.
• Whole Grain Taste Test Ideas
• Fruit and Vegetable Taste Test Ideas
• Dairy Product Taste Test Ideas
• Do not yuck someone’s yum. Teach children phrases such as “maybe next time”, “I may like it prepared another way” “Wow! That’s interesting.” “I love it.”
• Create experiences beyond the food. Can you have a farmer come visit the school to talk about how the food item is grown? Here is a fact sheet on Farm to Preschool.
• Is there a book the children can read and then plan the taste testing around? Can the children create a brochure to advertise the food?
• Get parents engaged, either taste test the food during workshops, meetings or share the recipe with families after the food item has been tested at school.
• Phrases That Help and Hinder: Use these specific phrases to help your child develop healthy eating habits.
• Kitchen Helpers This handout provides activities in the kitchen that are age appropriate.

The term whole grain-rich is not an industry recognized term. It is used in the federal child nutrition programs to mean at least 50% of the grain item is whole grain and the rest is enriched grain, a bran or a germ. The CACFP requires that at least one grain serving per day, across all eating occasions, is whole grain-rich. Refer to these resources for recommended cooking times and best practices when preparing whole grain-rich pasta, which need more cooking time. All are suitable for display in the kitchen for quick reference during meal preparation.

Whole Grain-Rich Pasta Cooking Resources

• Whole Grain-Rich Pasta, Gold Standards for Cook Times
• Whole Grain-Rich Pasta, Best Practices to Cook on the Stovetop and in a Tilt Skillet
• Whole Grain-Rich Pasta, Best Practices to Cook in a Steamer and in an Oven
  
• Tips to Prepare Whole Grain-Rich Items