Promote and Provide Healthy Food and Drinks - Assignment Example

CHCECE004 - Promote and provide healthy food and drinks Name: Course: Institution: Date: CHCECE004 Questions SECTION 1: PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING Activity 1 1 Research shows that Australians tend to eat far too much fat and not enough dietary fiber. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Conduct some research of your own and provide substantiated reasons for your answer. It is true that that Australian tends to eat too much fat with limited amounts of dietary fibre. According to a report by Australian Food and Nutrition 2012, about 90% of adults in Australia are not consuming enough vegetables that are rich in fibre content. In addition the report stated that about half the population of the adults takes fruits as part of their daily meals. This has not only resulted in a dietary imbalance but also an increase in the population of obese individuals. According to this report about 25% of men and 10% of females aged over 65 years do not take in enough amounts of proteins. The report documents that failure to engage in healthy eating habits has also resulted in Aussie waistlines considering that about 17% of children below the age of 16are overweight while about 5% of the population is obese. In addition, 36% of the adult population in Australian is overweight while 25% are suffering from obesity related complications. For Austrian children, the report argues that compared to dietary recommendations, most nutrients that children take are adequate. However, the report also found that Australian children are also engaged in the consumption of food with high levels of fat and sugar but with limited amounts of calcium. In an attempt to prove that Australian consume more fat than food rich in fibre, the report indicated that the top five food items sold in food outlets include dairy foods, cold beverages, frozen foods, bakery items and confectionery 2 Explain how an understanding of the nutritional requirements for children impacts on the foods offered to children in an education and care service. It generates that understanding that every child in under child care requires the provision of regular and healthy meals. This is inclusive of health drinks and snacks. Promotion of a child’s health is an essential aspect of good and quality child care. It is necessary and sufficient that children in healthcare and educational sectors are provided with nutritious meals as a way of ensuring that enjoy every mealtime experience. Regardless of whether the children are provided with food, every childcare service has the responsibility of promoting good nutrition for every child under their care. It is necessary for the childcare centers and members of staff to be familiarize with the standards of hygiene, principles of child nutrition and food safety laws. 3 How can children be encouraged to develop healthy eating habits? Healthy eating habits can be encouraged by involving the children and their parents in understanding the food policy guidelines and procedures. This will enable them to conceptualize and internalize the purpose of healthy eating habits and act on the feedback. It can also be important for schools and other childcare service centers to provide a welcoming eating environment which encourages positive social interaction. Such institutions can also allow children to develop a habit of carrying water bottles into the classrooms. Schools can also conduct an assessment of food provided in their canteens and vending machines to ensure that they are healthy for children consumption. Parents can also participate in this process by acting as role models to their children. This can be done by exercising moderation and abstinence in consumption of unhealthy foods while promoting the consumption of healthy foods for their children to imitate. 4. List at least 4 of the government guidelines (Get Up & Grow: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for Early Childhood, and/ or Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia) that apply to healthy children from birth to 18 years. Encourage and support breastfeeding Children growth must be checked regularly Physical; activities is important for all children and those in adolescence Children and adolescents should enjoy a wide range of nutritious food and fruits Children should be encourages to drink a lot of water Reduce saturate fat and moderate total fat intake 5. List the food groups. Proteins Carbohydrates Fats Vitamins Minerals 6. Why do young children’s bodies require protein? Proteins are essential builders of body cells. This group of foods provides essential raw materials that a child’s body requires to develop and function effectively. Dietary requirements of proteins can be affected by numerous factors which include the age of the child, and the growth rate of the child. Younger children, especially those in their early child hood and adolescent days require more proteins than adults since their body organs are still developing. The first year of a child is characterized by high need for protein considering that he or she is experiencing rapid growth rate. The need for protein is often documented in the fact that children double their body weight before that can be six months of age. 7. How can you assist children in enjoying mealtimes? Showing enthusiasm for healthy foods will enable children to be, more comfortable especially when one sits with them and shares the same meal. Children also experience fun when they use their mealtimes as a platform for acquiring self-help skills. These include learning how to set the table, spread jam, and even serve themselves. Ensure that their mealtimes are social times where they get to sit with other on the table. This will enable them to learn vocabulary and acquire necessary skills such as taking turns and sharing. Plan for fun food activities to encourage children to try new food products. These include activities such as reading books about new foods, letting children prepare foods and serving them new foods as snacks. SECTION 2: PLAN FOOD AND DRINKS THAT ARE NUTRITIOUS AND APPROPRIATE TO EACH CHILD Activity 2 List foods and drinks that are suitable for children of these ages: A. Infants aged one year. Water Breast milk Formula Dairy products Grain products for carbohydrates Fruits Minced meat products B. Toddlers aged two years. Water Formula Vegetables Eggs Meat (minced meat), fish, and poultry Fruits C. Children aged five years. Water Meat, fish and poultry for proteins Yoghurt Vegetables Legumes 2. How can you encourage children to eat unprocessed snack foods rather than highly processed, not so healthy snack foods? Children can be encouraged to consume unprocessed snacks by ensuring that these snacks are available for children to eat. In addition, parents should ensure that these snacks are placed in areas where children can easily access them whenever they are needed. It is also important for parents to consume such snacks as a way of acting as role models for their children. This will ensure that these children are inspired to consume that which is healthy. Other than the sensitization of the essence of unprocessed snacks, parents can also make it compulsory for their children to consume these snacks considering the underlying health benefits of these snacks. Too much consumption of unhealthy snacks may contribute to a rie in life style diseases in children such as childhood obesity. This is because snacks such as sweets and biscuits are high in calories but low in nutrients. 3. List diseases that might be a result of poor diet. Obesity Diabetes Dental caries Iron deficiency anaemia Kidney diseases Gall bladder diseases Cancer 4. List the importance of breastfeeding and why it should be promoted by child service organizations, and when the recommended time is for the introduction of solid foods. Breast milk is considered an essential component of a baby’s meal considering the underlying benefits. Breast milk provides children with the necessary nutrients essential to protect the children against allergies, sicknesses and improving their intelligence ability. It is important to note that breast milk constantly changes to meet the needs of the children. Breast milk is considered ready food because it is readily available; it is clean, free and often right temperature. Breast milk also protects the baby against numerous diseases and infections which include diarrhoea and breathing complications. Children should be introduced to solid foods at 12 months even as the parent supplements these foods with breast milk. Parents can introduce solid foods in any order. However, the best technique is to introduce foods that are high in iron. These include foods such as minced meat, chicken, peas, beans, lentils and cooked vegetables. Throughout this process, parents can mix foods together before introducing one food at a time. This is a process through which one can identify allergic reactions. In the initial stages of introducing solid foods, parents must ensure that they promote healthy eating habits in their children by providing food rich in fibre and the provision of fresh foods. 5. Explain why you should learn how to read labels of food products when purchasing or preparing meals for children. Reading food labels is considered essential in the process of purchasing a child’s food because it makes it easier to conduct a comparison between foods and find that which has the nutritional value that a child needs. In addition, it will help parents in making healthy decisions about the foods that they are buying for their children. Through food labels parents are able to limit on the purchase of food rich in fat, sugar and cholesterol. These food labels can also be used in comparing foods with high content of vitamins, protein and fibre. Food labels are also important because they tell what is inside the food package. The list of ingredients will provide the buyer with adequate information concerning the composition of the ingredients in terms of their abundance in the food product. 6. What do you need to take into consideration when planning a cycle menu that will be displayed for the information of staff, parents and older children? There is need to consider that fact that menu cycles consider the four seasons; summer, winter, autumn and spring as a way of taking advantage of the seasonal foods. The menu should be planned in duration of four to six weeks of menus cycles before repeating. This will be followed by a comparison of the first and the last menus to minimize the possibility of repeating foods that are closely related. Through such a cycle, it will be easier to encourage healthy eating habits while staying within budgetary limits. 7. Design a simple menu for one day’s meals in a child care facility. Include snacks and beverages. Take into consideration eye appeal, flavor, texture, color, taste and smell and fat content. . Breakfast Scrambled eggs and toast Fried toast in olive oil Organic milk Lunch Peanut butter and honey sandwich Organic yogurt Melon slices Apple sauce Organic milk Snacks Organic yoghurt with raisons and walnuts 100% juice no sugar added Breakfast consists of scrambled eggs and toast due to the fibre and carbohydrate content in the toast and proteins in scrambled eggs. Organic milk provides sufficient vitamins and essential proteins. Peanut butter and honey sandwich are meant to provide essential minerals and natural oil. Organic yoghurt provides essential proteins, melon slices provides necessary vitamins together with the apple source. Organic milk provides essential minerals and vitamins. Snacks include organic yogurt with raison and walnuts to provide natural oil, proteins and essential minerals. 100% juice is meant to provide essential vitamins. 8. What considerations does an organization need to make regarding the menu of a child with diabetes? Most diabetic children often follow a meal plan. Carbohydrate counting is typical of the meal planning process considering that meal plans are tailored to meet the needs of individual diabetic patients. It is important to note that to design a successful meal plan for diabetic children and the organization must follow the Food Guide Pyramid. For diabetic children it is important that they eat their meals and snacks on time. Failure to do this may lead to a drop in the sugar levels. Important considerations for meals include the type of food, which must contain slowly absorbed carbohydrates. The quantities encompass the amount of food and the content of food in terms of balanced nutrients. In terms of timing it is important to consider the three major meals, breakfast, lunch and evening meals. Diabetic children must also be provided with snacks in the morning, during the afternoon tea and at bedtime. It is important to note that there should be additional snacks if the intervals between meals are very long. SECTION 3: MAINTAIN FOOD SAFETY WHILE CARRYING OUT FOOD HANDLING ACTIVITIES Activity 3 1. How are food safety and compliance requirements and responsibilities communicated in organisations? The organization has the responsibility of establishing, documenting, implementing and maintaining and effective food safety management system, this system must be updated whenever necessary in accordance with the existing laws and the requirements in international standards. Whole establishing communication channels the organisation has the responsibility of defining the scope, of the management system. The scope will provide specifications of the available food products, their nutritional content, production site and suppliers. This is meant to ensure that members of the organization understand all that is expected in terms of ensuring the safety of the food products in relation to the maintenance of children’s hygiene. 2. Where would the copies of the Food Standards and hygiene requirements kept in a workplace be located? These documents would be kept in the office of the managers and nutritional officers. In addition, since it is a requirement for the members of staff and the children in an organization to understand the expected standards, they would also be pinned on the organization’s notice boards for public viewing. These standards are often set out on food premises, fixtures, fittings, equipment and food transport vehicles. 3. Explain the procedures you should follow if you identify processes or practices that do not meet legislative hygiene requirements. Identify the procedures not followed, write to the childcare officer of the organization stating the problem and the probable solutions to the problem that you have identified in relation to the expected standards of hygiene’s and food safety. 4. Provide a brief explanation of the significance of practicing high standards of food safety during the handling and preparation of food for young children. Ensures the maintained of high health standards considering that children are sensitive to low hygiene standards. It also ensures that children are provided with food that is of the right nutritional value and this is essential for their growth . High hygiene standards protect children and their food from bacterial contamination which is considered harmful to their health. This means that understanding the standards of operation while handling food will not only minimize the possibility of food poisoning but also ensure that children are provided with food containing the right nutritional value. 5. There are six conditions which support the growth of micro-organisms, especially food poisoning bacteria. What are they? Moisture, Oxygen Nutrients Temperature pH- the measure of acid or alkali in a food product Condition of the storage facility 6. Explain expectations with regard to clothing and footwear for food handling. When handling food one of the safety measures is to wear appropriate clothing. These include aprons and foot wares. The main objective is to protect food from contamination by germs from nails, hair and human body. In addition, the appropriate clothing and foot wear also serve the purpose of protecting the individual handling food from any possible risks especially when handling very hot or very cold food items. The act of minimizing contamination of food is considered as a fundamental factor in the maintenance of high hygiene standards of food items. Written / Oral Questions 1. The body requires six essential nutrients for health and growth. What are they? Carbohydrate Minerals Water Protein Fats Vitamins 2. How would you ensure that the children in your care receive good nutrition? Make nutrition a selection fit criteria It is important be informed and ask questions of the ability of a childcare centre to provide sufficient food items. Share expectations and special need. This requires communication with the childcare centre manager concerning nutrition and the quality of food. Getting involved in the management of childcare activities, by volunteering time, as a way of commitment towards ensuring that a child receives appropriate nutritional value Seek a win-win situation where the parent dedicates sufficient financial resources to ensure that the childcare centre is able to afford the food necessary for a child’s well-being 3. What Quality Area of the National Quality Standards pertains to Children’s health and safety? Quality Area 2 which focuses on the provision of support and the promotion of a child health and safety in the process of attending educational or child care services. This quality area lists the expectations necessary in ensuring the protection of a child health, encourages the engagement of children in healthy eating habits and physical activities. 4. What factors influence the foods that children find acceptable? Family factors and this include the ability of the parents and other family members to engage in the consumption of the identifies food items Social influence especially from their peers Availability of the food product Method of preparation Taste of the food 5. What practices might lead to food contamination in a workplace? Failure to check the expiration dates on the food items Improper hand washing practices after handling dirt Uncovering food items Exposing dishes and utensils to pathogens 6. Why should you not attend work if you are suffering from a gastrointestinal upset? Gastrointestinal infections are considered as potential threats in contamination of food at a workplace. This is because the disease is characterized by dehydration, vomiting and diarrhoea. Depending on the type of pathogen that cases the infection, gastrointestinal infection is a highly contagious disease and this may lead to an outbreak considering that an individual can easily infect another through the doorknob, water tap, sinks, contaminated food or water. 7. Explain the requirements for clothing/ uniforms for food handlers and explain why this type of clothing is necessary. It is necessary for the clothing of food handlers to constitute hair nets, masks, gloves, closed shoes and aprons. Hair nets are meant to prevent hair items from contaminating the food, masks protect the food from the content in the handler’s mouth, aprons are meant to maintain the general cleanliness of the handlers clothing, closed shoes protect the handlers feet from any form of injury and the gloves are meant to protect the handler from harm and the food from contamination by hands. It is also important to note that the clothing that is worn while working with food should not be worn outside the workplace. 8. Identify a food allergy and describe the management related to the allergy, especially in regard to anaphylaxis shock. Anaphylaxis shock is a life threatening allergic reaction that is characterized by swelling, dilated blood vessels and low blood pressure. This form of severe allergy occurs a few minutes after an exposure to an offending substance. Food is considered as the main case of this type of shock. Some of the foods that trigger this form of shock include nuts, dairy products, sesame seeds and egg whites. This form of reaction can be treated by an epinephrine injection which rapidly reverses anaphylactic symptoms. It is important for n any facility to have the necessary procedures to handle the possibility of such an allergic attack. The best method of preventing the occurrence of such a reaction is through engaging the parents and guardians to help in preventing any allergic reaction. 9. Research what a code of ethics is and describe its importance in a child care setting. A code of ethics is a statement which outlines the expected behaviour of members of a specific professional group in relation to the profession’s values. In a childcare setting, the code of ethics provides a framework concerning the ethical responsibilities of early childhood professionals. In addition, the codes of ethics lay down the minimum standards of what is considered acceptable while emphasising the primary concern of attending to the needs of children. 10. What Regulations and Standards are concerned with Children’s health and safety, in particular healthy eating? Australia has a forum for national safety standards as defined by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). These standards are applicable to all food businesses in Australia except for those that are primary food producers. However, these standards can be applied to such production sectors in situations where they engage in retail sale of food. According to these standards, it is a requirement to possess and place accredited food safety plans such as Hazard Analysis of Critical Control points (HACCP). The standards also help in defining the structure of food premises and equipment. In addition, these standards also define safety practices and general requirements when handling food. Projects Project 1 Answer, in detail, these two questions: 1. Are takeaway and processed (convenience) foods nutritious for children? List some of the foods that would come under the headings of processed or takeaway type foods. Outline the health problems associated with popular takeaway foods. Takeaways and processed foods are not nutritious for children considering that most of these foods often contain chemicals in the form of additives. In addition, take away especially those from fast food restaurants and processed foods often contain high levels of fat and sugars which are considered harmful to the general well-being of a child. It is important to note that a high consumption rate of these foods is relatively harmful to the wellbeing of children since they can result in life threatening diseases such as diabetes high blood pressure and obesity. In addition, these foods also result in diseases caused by lack of sufficient amount of vitamins. Processed or takeaway foods include Soda Fried chicken Egg and sausage sandwich Bacon cheeseburger French fries Milk shake Deep-fried cheese sticks Fish and chips Pepperoni pizza Nachos Cheese cake Hot dog Consuming fast foods is associated to numerous health conditions some of which can lead to permanent disability or in some situations death. Health complications resulting from too much consumption of fast foods include stroke, which is a result of high blood pressure. There are also other illnesses such as obesity, type 2 diabetes which is a result insulin resistance. A high consumption of fast foods can also lead to cardiovascular diseases, cancer. It is important to note that the consumption of fast foods is often considered as an alternative to healthy food products due to the ease of access and the relatively affordable prices of the foods. Individuals often fail to consider the repercussions of too much consumption of fast foods and other unhealthy foods. 2. What foods can be used to replace these types of food in a child’s diet—and in particular, in a child care situation? One of the possible alternatives to the consumption of processed foods such as soda is to consume fresh fruit juices that do not have any additives or sugars. The consumption of deep fried chicken which is considered as fast food can be replaced with roasted chicken without skin. Instead of French fries one can also order for roast potatoes, pumpkin, Pease, verges, salad and bread roll. When consuming hamburgers, one can avoid burgers with fried eggs, chips, bacon, onion and cheese. Instead one can order a plain burger with a lot of salads. When consuming kebab one can avoid fatty meat kebab. Instead, this can be replaced by vegie kebab that is characterized by different vegetables such as hummus, tatziki and a lot of salads. When consuming pizza, one can go for gourmet pizza with thin crust, a lot of vegetables, baby spinach, tomato base and cheese with low content fat. Instead of including garlic bread in the pizza, one can order pizza that has an accompanying salad. Deep fried fish is considered a fast food. Instead of this type of fish, one can go for grilled fish considering the low levels of fat and additives. In addition, it can be replaced with chips, that is accompanies by salads and steamed rice. It is important to note that the reduction of the consumption of food rich in calories and fat should also be accompanied by an increase in the consumption of water as this is an essential to prevent dehydration and assist in the digestion process among other functions. Read More