Healthy Eating

 

What to Serve
Tools to help you make healthy choices when you prepare and serve food and drinks to children.

Remember, you are responsible for what healthy foods are offered at meal and snack times; when children eat, and where. Children choose which food to eat from food choices you provide, and they decide how much to eat or even if they eat at all.
Menus 

Weekly menus and recipes approved by Registered Dietitians at Ottawa Public Health.

The weekly menus are based on a full-day in child care and provide ¾ of Canada's Food Guide portion recommendations for toddlers and preschoolers. These menus include kid-friendly recipes made with fresh and basic ingredients.

Post the weekly menu for parents to see what food will be served each day. Also, include the specific vegetables and fruit to be served each day, and identify any food safety and allergy concerns.

Fall/Winter Menus

Spring/Summer Menus
Recipes 

Weekly menus and recipes approved by Registered Dietitians at Ottawa Public Health.

Most recipes serve 20 to 50 preschool children. Adjust the recipe servings for the number of children who attend your child care setting.

Snacks

 Bars
 Cookies and Crackers
 Loaves
 Muffins and Scones
 Vegetable and Fruit
 Other

Mains

Recipes for meat and vegetarian dishes, sandwiches and soups.

Please note: a vegetarian substitution (*) is included in some main meal meat recipes, or in the Vegetarian Substitutions section. You can substitute pork with chicken or beef in most recipes.

 Fish
 Poultry
 Meat
 Vegetarian
 Soups

Vegetarian substitutions

These small batch recipes for vegetarian substitutions serve 5 to 8 children. They look like meat-based main meals.

 Legumes
 Tofu and Eggs

Sides

Recipes for side dishes like pasta, rice, vegetables and more.

 Pasta and couscous
 Rice and grains
 Salads, Vegetables and Fruit
 Breads

Kitchen Basics

Basic recipes for everyday kitchen preparations

Dips and sauces

Recipes for dips, sauces and salad dressings

 Dips and Sauces
 Salad Dressings

Celebrations

 Healthy and fun recipes for special events and celebrations.

 
Home Child Care Menus and Recipes

These menus were developed for home child care settings and are approved by Registered Dietitians at Ottawa Public Health. Recipes were developed for home child care settings and serve at least 5 children and 2 adults.

Menus

Snacks

Mains
How to serve food safely
Learn about the health and safety of children under the age of six years, and Ottawa Public Health's Certified Food Handler training.
Canada's Food Guide
Learn more about the Canada's Food Guide; what is a food guide serving and how to read a Nutrition Facts table.
BOKS Bits
BOKS Bits help young children learn about healthy eating throughout the child care daily routine. You can build these "bits" of information or quick activities into the children's day.
  • Boks Bits Activities [PDF]
    Anytime activity ideas to help children learn and talk about healthy eating and healthy behaviours during transition time, circle time, snack or meal and play times.
  • Boks Bits Lessons [PDF]
    Activity ideas to help children learn about nutrition, making healthy food choices and healthy behaviours during classroom, circle time, craft time or play time.
  • Boks Bits for Celebrations [PDF]
    Activity ideas for special events, birthdays and seasonal or cultural celebrations.

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