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Module 7: Healthy Practices: Nutrition and Fitness

Food Service Policies

Page 6
Frequency of Meals and Snacks

The number of meals or snacks you must serve is based on the number of hours you are open.
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You must also offer:

  • Food at intervals of not less than two hours and not more than three and one-half hours apart
  • Breakfast or snack to children in morning care whether or not the child ate before arriving at the center
  • Breakfast to the child in nighttime care if the child remains at the center after the child's usual breakfast time
  • A snack or meal for children arriving after school
  • Dinner to children in nighttime care if the children are at the center after their usual dinnertime or have not had dinner
  • An evening snack to children in nighttime 

The following is a guide to help you meet the nutritional needs of the children in your care:

  • Children in care for 5 hours are served at least breakfast or lunch and a snack. If the children are hungry, feed them
  • Children in care for more than 5 hours a day and up to 9 hours are served at least a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack and lunch. Or they could have breakfast, lunch and at least one snack
  • Children who remain in care for 9 or more hours need more food. They could have breakfast (or a mid-morning snack), lunch, a mid-afternoon and a late afternoon snack
  • Children still in your care after 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. need to be served a late afternoon snack. Most children are hungry at that time because it has been several hours since the mid-afternoon snack was served

You can keep the late snack simple. Easy to serve foods allow children to take the snack with them if the parent arrives before they are finished. Foods served for this snack are often just crackers and juice or a cube of cheese and a piece of fruit.

Note: Some children may need more food than others. It is important that children are provided enough food to be satisfied.
The course does not "save" your progress. Use the checklist provided to track your progress, and click on the link in the menu to return to where you left off in the training.