Health Requirements & Inspections

Nutrition at Child Care Centres

Menu Planning and Supportive Nutrition Environments in Child Care Settings – Practical Guide and Self-Assessment Checklist


These child care nutrition resources were created by Public Health Dietitians in Ontario to help and support providers to:

  • plan and prepare healthy food for children in their care
  • reflect current best practices for creating supportive nutrition environments in the child care setting
  • meet the food and drink requirements set out in the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA, Section 42 of Ont. Reg. 137/15)

Support & questions

For support in implementing these nutrition recommendations contact:

  • Public Health Services in your area
  • In Hamilton phone Health Connections at 905-546-3550

Speak to a Registered Dietitian by calling Telehealth Ontario. Toll-free: 1-866-797-0000 Toll-free TTY: 1-866-797-0007

Visit UnlockFood.ca for information about food and nutrition.

Self-Assessment Checklist

The Menu and Nutrition Environment Self-Assessment Tool ( English | French ) complements the Menu Planning and Supportive Nutrition Environments in Child Care Settings Practical Guide.

Super Tasty Snack Ideas

Download the Super Super Tasty Snack Ideas pamphlet (PDF, 663 KB) to help plan your next healthy snack.

Join us for Child Care Nutrition Workshops

Supporting a Healthy Eating Environment at Child Care Settings

Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Time: 6:15 to 8 pm
Location: 526 Upper Paradise Road, Hamilton
Cost: $10.00 ASCY Members, $15.00 ASCY Non-members
To register: Register online or email [email protected] or call 905-574-6876 Ext. 222

At this interactive workshop for ECEs, supervisors and cooks, participants will:

  • Find out how to encourage kids to try new foods
  • Discover how the child care setting can promote healthy eating
  • Discuss ways to support picky eaters
  • Learn about helpful resources for your centre

Facilitated by Public Health Dietitians

Cook’s Network: Food Allergies – come see the NEW Allergy Substitution resource!

Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Time: 2 to 4 pm
Location: 526 Upper Paradise Road, Hamilton
Cost: No cost
To register: Register online or email [email protected] or call 905-574-6876 Ext. 222

Participants are encouraged to bring their own recipes and allergy substitution ideas to share.

At this interactive workshop for cooks, ECEs and supervisors, participants will learn about:

  • Allergy signs and symptoms
  • Creating a safe environment
  • What to look for on food labels
  • Allergy substitutions – NEW resource!

This workshop will be facilitated by Hamilton Public Health Dietitians in conjunction with Cathy Robb from ASCY.

 

Nutrition information for families

We can provide short nutrition articles with simple and clear information on nutrition topics that affect families with children from birth to six years of age for you to put in a newsletter or post on a bulletin board.

To receive these articles six times per year, contact:
Health Connections
Phone: 905-546-3550 
Email: [email protected]