Guidelines for organizing meals in a preschool institution

Catering for preschool children

Olga Opemskaya

Catering for preschool children

One of the main tasks solved in preschool educational institutions is to ensure the constitutional right of every child to the protection of his life and health.

Among the activities aimed at improving the health of children attending preschool institutions , one of the first places is occupied by rational nutrition . of children largely depend on how clearly and correctly the nutrition is structured in a preschool institution . Proper nutrition is the basis of a long and fruitful life, the key to health and vigor. Therefore, in terms of kindergarten work, the issue of proper nutrition occupies one of the most important places.

The basic principles of catering in a preschool educational institution are as follows :

— Compliance with the energy value of the diet.

— Balance in the diet of all replaceable and essential nutrients.

— Maximum variety of products and dishes to ensure a balanced diet.

— Correct technological and culinary processing of products aimed at preserving their original nutritional value, as well as the high taste of dishes.

— Optimal diet , an environment that develops food culture skills children

Children who are in preschool for 12 hours should receive four meals , providing 75-80% of the daily ration. In this case, breakfast should be 25% of the daily calorie content, lunch - 35-40%, afternoon snack - 10-12%, and dinner calorie content is 20-25%.

In kindergarten, meals are organized in group rooms, but the entire food preparation cycle takes place in the catering unit. The catering unit is located on the ground floor and has a separate exit. In a preschool institution, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the diet , not to allow deviations from the established meal times by more than 10 - 15 minutes, which largely depends on the smooth functioning of the catering department. Control over the sanitary and hygienic condition of the catering unit is carried out by medical workers of the preschool educational institution. The kindergarten's catering unit is equipped with all necessary technical equipment. Food service workers are certified and undergo sanitary and hygienic training in a timely manner.

Transportation of food products is carried out by special vehicles of suppliers.

When compiling the menu, a developed card file of dishes is used, which ensures a balanced diet in proteins , fats, and carbohydrates. children's menu every day includes the daily allowance of milk, butter and vegetable oil, sugar, bread, and meat. Protein-rich foods (fish, meat) are included in the menu in the first half of the day. In the afternoon, children are offered dairy and vegetable dishes. Every day the menu includes vegetables, both fresh and boiled and stewed. Children regularly receive fermented milk for an afternoon snack products It is advisable that children receive two vegetable dishes and only one cereal dish during the day.

Ready-made food is issued only after a sample has been taken by a health worker and a corresponding entry in the journal of the results of the assessment of ready-made meals. Catering is constantly under the control of the administration.

In the proper organization of children's nutrition , the environment in the group is of great importance. Children should be provided with appropriate utensils and sit comfortably at the table. Dishes should be served beautifully presented, not too hot, but not too cold. Children should be taught to be clean and tidy at the table. Teachers should be calm and not rush children . When feeding children, the sequence of processes should be followed. Children with poor appetite should not be force-fed. Under no circumstances should children while eating with toys, reading fairy tales, etc.

To properly organize the nutrition of children in a preschool institution, it is necessary to ensure continuity between food in the institution and at home , to ensure that the child’s home diet becomes a supplement to the nursery. For this purpose, children's groups should post recommendations for parents on feeding children in the evening , on weekends and holidays.

In the summer, children's are associated with increased energy expenditure due to increased physical activity and long walks. In this regard, caloric intake in the summer should be increased by approximately 10 - 15%. This is achieved by increasing the amount of milk and dairy products, mainly through fermented milk drinks, as well as vegetables and fruits. In the summer, children should widely include fresh herbs in their diet - dill, parsley, lettuce, green onions, garlic, sorrel. Fresh vegetables and herbs not only make dishes richer in vitamins, but also give them an attractive appearance and pleasant taste, which is especially important in hot weather, when children appetite may decrease.

In summer, children's need for fluid increases significantly. Therefore, the group should always have a supply of fresh boiled water. Drinks should be offered to children after returning from a walk, before water procedures; on especially hot days, you can give a drink before meals. During walks, children should also be provided with something to drink.

Organizing children's nutrition is a complex , but at the same time important moment in the development of a child. When organizing meals , you should take into account a complex of various factors, such as:

·Age

·Geographical position

·Individual tolerance

· The relationship between nutrition in preschool educational institutions and nutrition at home .

Proper nutrition must fully meet the individual requirements of the child's body .

MAGAZINE Preschooler.RF

Organizing meals in a preschool educational institution is a task of enormous social significance and one of the main concerns of the institution’s staff. At the same time, it matters not only what the child eats, but also how he does it. No less attention must be paid to the aesthetics of food and the culture of behavior of children at the table. And the sooner a child develops table etiquette skills, the more firmly they will become established and become a good habit already in childhood.

In the process of eating, the following cultural and hygienic skills are formed:

• wash your hands before eating;
• eat carefully;
• take as much bread as you can eat;
• eat in silence;
• chew with your mouth closed;
• use a napkin;
• sit correctly at the table;
• be able to handle a spoon, fork, table knife;
• Chew food thoroughly.

The transition of a skill into a habit is achieved by systematic repetition under the same or similar conditions. Until the habit is established, the child needs control and instructions from an adult, as well as encouragement, praise, and approval.

The professional duty of a preschool teacher is to teach the child table manners. This learning occurs both in specially organized classes and during meals. In the process of introducing a child to table etiquette, much attention is paid to the interaction of educators with parents. Coordinated action on this issue is of paramount importance. From an early age, it is necessary to develop in the child the correct attitude towards food, different dishes, and the ability to use cutlery and napkins.

However, mealtime should not be turned into a battleground for children's good manners. Good manners are acquired through repeated practice and also through the environment in which children constantly move. In this case, this environment is adults in a preschool. With a culture of food and communication, and goodwill, they create conditions through which good table manners are developed quickly enough and are learned by children for life.

The complexity of the tasks of developing cultural and hygienic skills occurs consistently and gradually, taking into account the age characteristics of the child.

1 ml. group (2 -3 years)

• develop the ability to use a spoon, teach yourself to eat a variety of foods, eat with bread, use a napkin after eating (first with the help of an adult, and then with verbal instructions), when leaving the table, push your chair in;
• consolidate the ability to wash your hands independently before eating, wipe your face and hands dry with a towel, eat neatly, and rinse your mouth when instructed by an adult;
• to develop the ability to follow the basic rules of cultural behavior: do not leave the table without finishing the meal, say . ”

2 ml. group (3 -4 years)

• teach how to wash your hands and face independently and carefully, use soap and a comb, wipe yourself dry after washing, hang a towel in its place;
• develop eating habits: do not crumble bread, use cutlery correctly (fork - from the second half of the year), napkin, rinse your mouth after eating.

middle group (4 -5 years old)

• improve acquired skills: chew food well, eat quietly, use cutlery (spoon, fork, knife), napkin correctly, rinse your mouth after eating.

senior group (5 -6 years old)

• strengthen the ability to properly use cutlery (fork, knife); eat carefully, quietly, maintaining correct posture at the table;
• continue to instill the skills of a culture of behavior: when leaving the table, quietly push the chair back, thank the adults.

preparatory group for school (6 -7 years old)

• consolidate table manners skills: sit up straight, do not put your elbows on the table, drink and chew food quietly, use a knife, fork, and napkin correctly; thank adults.

Methods and forms of organizing work with children:

1. Visual (showing techniques for using cutlery, demonstrating serving rules, positive personal example, looking at pictures and illustrations, excursion to the catering department, observing peers)
2. Verbal (explanation, clarification, persuasion, use of literary words, analysis of problem situations, encouraging assessment of the child’s activities)
3. Practical (on duty, consolidating table manners, didactic games, story games)

Conditions for developing a positive attitude towards food (based on an individual approach and valeological education):

• convenient arrangement of tables, aesthetically pleasing serving and presentation of dishes;
• favorable psychological climate, friendly and attentive attitude of adults;
• explaining the need for rational nutrition, promoting a healthy lifestyle;
• exclusion of aggressive methods of influence (threats, coercion, punishment), it is undesirable to force a child to eat without appetite;
• gradually accustoming the child to the required norm in food (those children who are accustomed to eating only one dish at home (first or second) must be given an incomplete norm);
• providing assistance in feeding, while providing the opportunity to exercise independence (for children who do not have the ability to eat independently);
• allow children to wash down their food with compote, jelly, juice or just warm water - then they will eat willingly (for children who have difficulty swallowing food);
• During meals, it is advisable for the teacher to be at the table with the children.

The example of an adult is of great importance in working with children. Children feel the need for personal contact with adults and imitate their actions. Based on this, high demands are placed on the culture of each preschool educational institution employee.

Benefits of sharing meals between teacher and children:

• having breakfast and lunch with the children, the teacher demonstrates to them the beauty of etiquette, reasonableness and the need to observe it during the feast

— closer relationships arise between people eating together: the child perceives the teacher as part of a family community, trusts him and listens to his words.

Procedure for organizing meals:

1. Preparing for meals. Compliance with hygienic requirements (furniture is arranged conveniently in accordance with the height of the children; tables are washed with hot water and soap. The teacher's assistant is obliged to thoroughly wash his hands, put on special clothing, ventilate the room, use only clean utensils)
2. Hygiene procedures: valeological education of children, reinforcement of hand washing rules; competitive games (older age); self-control of children; performance assessment.
3. Table setting: organization of duty; familiarization with the menu, announcing it to children; attracting children's attention to the aesthetic design of tables, maintaining correct posture.
4. Meals (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner). Individual work to develop a food culture; training in etiquette rules; performance assessment.

The kindergarten teacher is guided by the tasks formulated in the programs, but in order to trace the sequence and graduality of tasks for the formation of cultural and hygienic skills, in general, and the organization of duty in the dining room, in particular, it is necessary to take into account the age characteristics of children. So,

younger age:

• by the end of the year you can hang up the “Duty Board” and teach the children how to use it
• laying out spoons, napkin holders and bread bins on the table.

average age:

• table setting under adult supervision
• cleaning up used napkins
• stacking dirty dishes in the center of the table.

older age:

• table setting (independently under adult supervision)
• placing paper napkins in napkin holders (rolling into tubes, cutting, folding)
• cleaning up dirty dishes and used napkins.

Setting the table means preparing it for eating. The main purpose of table setting is to create order on the table and provide everyone with the necessary items. The serving order has been developed over the years, dictated by hygiene requirements and the need to provide the greatest convenience.

What is needed to set the table for a meal?

Proper table setting is a necessary condition for developing a positive attitude towards food and developing eating habits.

• lay a tablecloth on a clean table, its edges are lowered on all sides equally, but not lower than the seats of the chairs
• paper napkins are not laid out, but placed in a napkin holder (after finishing eating, first wipe your lips, then your hands, and place the used napkins on a dish)
• The bread bin is placed in the center of the table; if necessary, the bread is cut in half (does not break!)
• Cutlery is placed to the right of the plate: closer to the plate, a fork with the teeth up, next to it is a tablespoon with the indentation down (when eating soup, move the spoon away from you); if a table knife is served, then the fork is placed to the left of the plate, and the knife is placed on the right closer to the plate, with the blade facing the plate (meat, sausage, cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, pears are cut into small pieces with a knife. What is easy to cut with a fork is eaten without a knife: boiled potatoes, cutlets, casserole, omelette. In this case, the fork is held in the right hand, and the plate is held with the left: the thumb lies on the edge of the plate, the rest under the edge)
• if you serve compote with berries, then put a teaspoon on the saucer
• salad, sliced ​​vegetables, marinade served in a separate plate
• All dishes are served according to the age norm.

Principles of nutrition

The organization of proper nutrition in kindergarten is based on the following principles:

• full compliance with the energy value of the menu in relation to the energy consumption of children;
• maximum variety of dishes to ensure balanced nutrition for every day;
• compliance with the diet to develop food culture skills in children;
• strict compliance with the requirements for food preparation and technological processing, in accordance with established standards;
• maximum preservation of the nutritional value and taste of dishes after cooking.

Children spend most of their time in preschool educational institutions, so food should be varied, healthy, and tasty. Preschool children have an increased need to consume dishes made from dairy products, vegetables, fish, beef, and liver.

Particular attention is paid to sanitary standards, terms and conditions of storage of products. A monotonous menu in a preschool educational institution for 1 week is not acceptable. Dishes should not bore kids.

Menu for every day

The menu is approved by the head of the child care facility for 7 days. The composition of the products must comply with healthy nutrition standards. Meal regimen: 4 times a day, consisting of: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. Hot dishes, warm sandwiches and drinks are required for breakfast.

It is unacceptable to prepare dishes from the meat of wild poultry (animals) that have not undergone heat treatment. Harmful foods that should be excluded from the children's menu:

• unpasteurized milk;
• confectionery, cream;
• gas. beverages;
• natural coffe.

The responsibility of kindergarten management is to inform parents about the products included in children’s meals. It is important that from an early age a child learns to follow a diet in accordance with his age and time spent in a preschool educational institution. Example mode:

• breakfast – 8-9 am;
• lunch - 12-13 hours;
• afternoon tea - 15.30-16 hours;
• dinner 18.30-19.00.

At the discretion of the management, it is possible to assign 2 breakfasts from 10:30 to 11 o'clock.

Particular attention is paid to children - artificial children from 1 year:

• receiving nutrition from liquid and dry milk formulas;
• those suffering from food allergies, for whom the menu should be selected taking into account medical indications.

Parents should negotiate an acceptable diet with the management of kindergartens and create a menu together, taking into account the individual characteristics and intolerance of children with allergies. Rational nutrition is the key to excellent mental and physical development of children. Many programs have been developed for children with chronic internal diseases of the musculoskeletal system and digestive organs.

The organization of the diet should correspond to the energy needs of preschool children. The higher the training load, the more vitamins and micronutrients should predominate in the diet. A deficiency in the body is fraught with rapid fatigue, decreased performance, and children's stunted height and weight.

Nutrition is a building material for the formation of full growth and development of the child’s body. Protein (vegetable, animal) must be introduced into the body every day, otherwise violations of the immune system and brain are inevitable. But overfeeding children is also unacceptable. Excessive intake of fats and carbohydrates provokes metabolic failure and the development of serious chronic diseases.

We must not forget about maintaining a drinking regime for children. The intake of purified water per day should be at least 1.5 liters.

Diet features

The diet should vary by season. In the off-season (spring, autumn) vegetables and fruits should prevail.

Meals in kindergartens are divided into periods:

• summer autumn;
• winter spring.

Children at an early age absolutely need to saturate their bodies with natural, healthy foods containing minerals, fiber, and vitamins. This is a building material - extremely necessary for the growth and development of every child. The inclusion of semi-finished products in the diet is unacceptable.

Proper nutrition is the key to a preschooler’s health

Bibliographic description:

Rumyantseva, T. A. Proper nutrition is the key to the health of a preschooler / T. A. Rumyantseva, A. Yu. Dengina, N. V. Ryadinskaya. — Text: immediate // Pedagogy: traditions and innovations: materials of the IX International. scientific conf. (Kazan, January 2021). — Kazan: Buk, 2018. — pp. 29-31. — URL: https://moluch.ru/conf/ped/archive/274/13573/ (access date: 12/19/2021).


This article is devoted to the topic of rational consumption of food and its role in the body system of preschool children. In the modern world, it is especially important to eat right. The article presents an analysis of emerging and possible problems in the nutrition of preschool children that parents and preschool educational institutions face. The health of children and the full development of their body largely depend on proper nutrition. The article addresses the following questions: “What is the proper nutrition system in kindergarten”; “What is meant by proper nutrition and what it should be like for preschoolers”; “What to look for when organizing meals for preschool children”; “What products are preferred when organizing meals?” Forms of work with parents are formulated and recommendations on children’s nutrition are given.

Key words: preschool children, health, proper nutrition, menu, body, immune system.

Health is the main value of human life. Every child wants to be strong, cheerful, energetic: to run without getting tired, ride a bike, swim, play with the kids in the yard, and not suffer from headaches and endless runny noses. Poor health and illness are the causes of stunted growth and general development of the child’s body. Therefore, everyone should think about their health, know their body, learn to take care of it, and not harm their body.

The task of the kindergarten and family is to preserve and strengthen the child’s health, an important component of which is proper nutrition. It must be taken care of from early childhood to ensure normal growth and development of the body, promote disease prevention, and resistance to infections. Lack of vitamins and microelements in food, as well as harmful components of some modern products produced by unscrupulous manufacturers, negatively affect the physical development of children, which contributes to a decrease in immunity, the body’s resistance to disease, and the development of chronic diseases. The problem of developing children’s initial ideas about a healthy lifestyle and nutritional culture is a relevant aspect in the work of preschool teachers. Often adults theoretically understand the importance of expanding a child’s ideas about rational nutrition (the amount of food, the sequence of its intake, variety in diet, drinking regime), but in practice they act differently, faced with many objective and subjective problems. This contradictory behavior of adults does not contribute to the health of children. Increasing the competencies of parents in this matter is a necessary link in the general interaction of adults raising a preschooler. The development of proper nutrition skills should take place in the “teacher-child-parent” system. To form in children at the stage of completing preschool education a value-based attitude towards a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition is the target of preschool institutions. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were formulated: to study the problems of organizing proper nutrition; formulate healthy eating rules with children; to form a culture of food intake and nutrition in children; increase the competencies of parents in organizing nutrition for preschoolers by participating in joint activities; create a magazine in kindergarten for children and their parents “Be Healthy!”

Children's nutrition has always been of interest to scientists, teachers and psychologists, who paid great attention to this problem. The nutritional characteristics of preschool children were studied by V.A. Kvitkovskaya, O.A. Matalygina, N.Yu. Minina, N.A. Stashevskaya and others. A.S. Alekseeva, V.G Alyamovskaya, I.Ya Kon, M.V Leshchenko in their works considered the issues of organizing rational and balanced nutrition for children in preschool educational institutions. A. S. Alekseeva argued that the health status of an adult largely depends on the proper organization of nutrition in childhood. According to O. A. Motalygina, a child 6–7 years old should and can independently evaluate his nutrition, if adults help him. The most important task of adults is to develop in children certain knowledge in the field of nutrition, which will further help maintain the child’s health. In order to increase and preserve the health of a child, the most important task of adults is to develop certain knowledge in the field of nutrition. Teachers and parents lay the foundation for proper nutrition for children, which is closely related to the culture of children’s behavior at the table. Educators and parents must teach children cultural and hygienic skills and proper behavior at the table. It is important to pay attention to the child’s posture when eating, the culture of eating, and cultural and hygienic rules associated with eating. It is important that during meals, teachers and staff are calm, not fussy, and always maintain a good mood in children. For example, use the following phrases: “How delicious the cutlets smell!”, “How beautifully the dish was served today!”, “What a delicious soup!” The table setting, pleasant smell and appearance of the served dish arouse children's appetite. During meals, pleasant, quiet music may be played.

It's no secret that children love chewing gum, lollipops, and sweet carbonated drinks, which is harmful to their health. Conversations with parents do not always produce the desired results. Teachers conducted a survey of parents, which revealed a number of problems: insufficient compliance by family members with the norms of proper nutrition and food intake culture; children do not always follow table manners, do not know the names of dishes well, and do not have enough cutlery. This led to the conclusion that insufficient attention is paid to the formation of a culture of proper nutrition in family education. And the idea arose for the project “We always need healthy food in life.” The parents of the students supported this idea.

The goal of the project was formulated as follows: “Formation in preschool children and their parents of ideas about the need to take care of their health, about the importance of proper nutrition as an integral part of maintaining and promoting health.” The objectives of the project were: to form in children the concept of proper nutrition; expand children's knowledge about healthy foods; teach children food culture; contribute to improving the culture of eating behavior in the family; improve parents’ understanding of the importance and significance of proper nutrition for the child’s health and their own health; involve children and their parents in joint activities to study a healthy lifestyle, food hygiene, principles of food safety and quality.

The organizational stage included: choosing methods and techniques for working with children to implement the project; study of methodological literature; organization of a developing subject-spatial environment: creation of an information stand in the group “How to diversify the nutrition of preschool children”; production and design of didactic, board and printed games and manuals, attributes for role-playing games; organizing cooperation with parents, developing individual conversations “Proper nutrition of a child” and questionnaires for parents.

At the main stage, activities were carried out in game centers: didactic games were held: “Preparing a salad”, “Cooking a compote”, “Guess by the smell”, “Guess by the taste”, “We need different porridges”, which contributed to the children’s acquaintance with the features of cooking, role-playing games “Come to visit us”, “Our family dinner”, “Shop of tasty and healthy products”; training in outdoor and speech games; educational games-activities, excursions, leisure, entertainment “Visiting Aibolit”; experimental activities; reading fiction, learning games, poetry; productive activity. For parents, we created a corner on the theme “Healthy nutrition for children.” The teachers organized an exhibition of creative works by children together with their parents, “Decorating my favorite dish”, “Vitamins on the table”.

The final event of the final stage was the entertainment “Proper nutrition is the key to children’s health” and the design of the magazine “Be Healthy!”

As a result of the project activities, all participants in the educational process showed creative activity, the children’s level of knowledge on this topic increased, the basics of behavior at the table, and a culture of proper nutrition were formed. Work on the project contributed to the development of a sustainable interest among children in preserving their health, the rules of proper nutrition were established, children learned to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy foods, learned a lot about the vitamins found in vegetables and fruits, and the benefits of porridge. Parents were involved in projects, participated in an exhibition of drawings, made albums, posters, and took part in entertainment evenings. Parents' interest in proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle for children has increased. The systematic, systematic and joint influence of factors such as family, kindergarten, immediate environment, combined into one educational system, makes it possible to instill in a child a conscious attitude towards his health. In our kindergarten, it has become a tradition to hold a photo competition “Cooking with Mom!” on Mother’s Day. Parents and children conduct a presentation of dishes, during which they talk about the benefits of certain products and dishes. Proper nutrition should be regular, varied, adequate, safe and enjoyable. The group formulated rules for proper nutrition of children: before eating, wash your hands with soap; take food in small portions; while eating, do not knock your feet; eat carefully, don’t litter, don’t play with food; sit up straight; use cutlery correctly; use a napkin; thank you for the food.

As a result of the work carried out by teachers and parents of pupils, the children’s attitude towards some dishes that they previously did not like has changed. Children learned to choose healthy products and take responsibility for their health. The information provided to parents helped them review the family menu and evaluate the benefits of dairy, vegetable and fruit dishes for children. Many parents have realized that properly organized nutrition provides children with the necessary vitamins and increases the body’s resistance to harmful factors and infections.

Systematic, systematic, purposeful activities of the entire team helped to achieve positive results, parental competence and interest in the issues of healthy nutrition for children increased. Parents began to pay more attention to the variety and fortification of dishes.

Literature:

1. Kolesnikova S.A. Requirements for the organization of nutrition for preschoolers // Preschool pedagogy.-2002. — No. 5.- p.4
2. Kozhevnikova N. G. Nutrition of children in kindergarten. - 1981. - pp. 7–12
3. Galaeva G. Klimova Yu. Conversation about proper nutrition // Engagement.-2002.- No. 5.- p. 17
4. Catering in preschool educational institutions // Preschool education. - 2000. - No. 1. - p. 88–92
5. Gumenyuk E. I., Slisenko N. A. “Proper nutrition of preschool children.”
6. Konyaeva L. “Be healthy, baby” (Preschool education No. 11, 2004)
7. Makhoneva M. “Raising a healthy child” (Preschool education No. 6, 2002)
8. Matalygina O. A. All about the nutrition of preschool children / 2009.- 272 p.
9. Alekseeva A. S. Organization of nutrition for children in a preschool institution, a manual for kindergarten teachers / A. S. Alekseeva, L. V. Druzhinina, K. Ladodo. - M.: Education, 1990.-210 p.

Key terms
(automatically generated)
: proper nutrition, child, kindergarten, parent, preschool age, healthy lifestyle, health, meal time, healthy eating, proper nutrition for children.