How Mealtimes Can Set the Stage for Better Learning, Behavior and Health in Children Instructor’s Name Program Date

Purpose Raise awareness of the important role school cafeterias play in helping children create positive relationships with food. Share tips to make mealtime pleasant for students. Review the link between nutrition and learning. – School meals programs are an essential (but, often overlooked) element in successful learning and education.

Who should be concerned about mealtime at school? School Food Service Staff School Administrators Teachers Aides Students Parents Coaches Communities

Schools have the opportunity to create and support a Pleasant and Positive Mealtime Environment. (So, what is that?!)

Welcome to Comfortable Cafeterias

Pleasant & Positive Mealtime Environment: A time for students to relax, socialize and nourish their bodies and minds. Students eat better, behave better and score higher when the mealtime environment is positive. Kids are overfed, but undernourished. School meals provide key nutrients and may be the only reliable meal of the day. A learning laboratory for developing healthy eating habits and acceptable mealtime behaviors.

Pleasant & Positive Mealtime Environment: School meals could be the best part of the school day. (Good food in a safe, welcoming place. Shows that schools value the importance of mealtime.) Do adults prefer to eat in a pleasant environment? Do students deserve the same courtesy? What are we teaching children when we rush them through meals?

Sometimes cafeterias are not so inviting….. Students are pressured to eat. Supervising adults are not trained to be supportive at mealtime. Students are not allowed to talk during meals. Meals are consumed in a hurry to get outside or due to not enough time to eat. Other situations…….

A Positive Mealtime Approach This training addresses a variety of issues and how to turn these issues into positive mealtime practices. A Positive Mealtime Approach requires effective teamwork and communication amongst administrators, teachers, aides, food service, students and parents.

Why is this important? The experiences which kids have NOW with food/meals will shape their FUTURE and LIFE- LONG relationships with food. The goal is to develop capable, competent (and healthy) eaters. Meals consumed at school are essential to the growth of healthy students- bodies, minds, and behaviors. It’s good for the bottom line. Paying customers. Higher participation= more $.

Based on the Ellyn Satter Approach to Feeding and the Division of Responsibility in Feeding

Ellyn Satter Approach Kids eat better if they are not pressured. Kids eat unpredictably, waste food, and are leery of trying new foods. Kids stop eating and drinking when they are full.

Division of Responsibility in Feeding Adults decide the what, when and where of feeding at school. Children decide the whether they will choose to eat the foods offered and how much to eat.

How do kids eat? Very differently than adults do Cautious about new food and about new people cooking it (Esp. ages 2-6 yrs) Learn by repeated experience. (6-8 weeks, over 20 times) Like to be in control of their eating, with supportive adults present, in a pleasant setting, with enough time to eat. (20-30 minutes after they sit down with their tray)

How do kids eat? They like choices They want to feel safe with food on their tray (not scared that they will be forced to eat it, pressured to try a bite, etc.) They listen and respond to their own hunger and satiety cues. They know how much they need to eat and drink at mealtime.

How do kids eat? They waste food. They won’t eat food that is unappealing to them. They need limits and guidance on how to respectfully decline food. They like to eat and socialize with friends.

Remember the Division of Responsibility? Adults decide the what, when and where of feeding at school. Children decide the whether they will choose to eat the foods offered and how much to eat.

What is the role of the School Food Service Staff? A very important one! Provide eye-appealing, tasty, colorful, fresh meals in a pleasant environment Decide the what (what foods served on the menu.) Introduction to new foods. Decide the when (timing of meals) Decide the where (location of meals) Make customers feel safe, welcomed and valued! Help with respectful manners.

What is the role of School Staff (any adult) in the Lunchroom? A very important one! Make customers feel safe, welcomed and valued! Help with respectful manners. Allow children to try new food at their own pace and let them decide how much to eat. Teach social skills- inside voices, eating etiquette, use of utensils, gauging time to eat before dismissal- eating vs. talking Teach children to make choices in a respectful manner.

These things are NOT the responsibility of School Staff Getting children to eat a minimum amount of food or milk. Forcing, bribing, pressuring to try a new food item. (Please don’t use a one bite rule) Taking it personally if students decline or dislike what was prepared. Over-riding their bodies’ hunger/fullness cues. (“Finish your milk.”)

What happens when the lines of responsibility are crossed? Children are conditioned to “over-ride/ignore their hunger/satiety cues. Emotional eating. (Good foods/bad foods) Fearful of school meals and of new foods. Kids who are pressured to eat, eat less. Kids who don’t get enough to eat, tend to overeat at the next opportunity. The start of an unbalanced relationship. Bribing, rewarding, etc. backfire in the end.

What about these situations? The Clean Plate Club. The One Bite Rule. The No Dessert Until You’ve Eaten Your Vegetables Rule. Should schools use these rules? NO!

The Meal Pattern for a Reimbursable School Meal – How to serve it in a pleasant manner – Offer vs. Serve – Be encouraging, respectful, receptive

Consider a Mealtime Philosophy Basis for training all staff who are in the cafeteria. Supports a pleasant eating environment. Helps children learn life-long skills in developing a healthy relationship with food. Simple, direct, easy to follow. See example provided. Post it in cafeteria, share with parents.

Best Practices for School Lunch 10 Steps provided on handout. – Enough time to eat, 20 minutes after sitting down with tray – Use a Recess Before Lunch Schedule – Follow the Division of Responsibility in Feeding – Encourage adults to model healthy habits in the cafeteria.

What to Say and What Not to Say in School Cafeterias Phrases that HINDER Finish your milk. You didn’t eat enough of your lunch. Phrases that HELP Are you still thirsty? Are you finished with your milk? Did you get enough to eat today? Are you finished with your lunch?

What to Say and What Not to Say in School Cafeterias Phrases that HINDER You need to try one bite of that. Please take a “No, thank you” bite for the cook. You should try that, it is really good. Phrases that HELP You are in charge of choosing which foods on your tray to eat. Everybody likes different foods, don’t they? You don’t have to eat it. You might decide to try a bite of that next time.

What to Say and What Not to Say in School Cafeterias Phrases that HINDER No dessert until you have eaten all of your (main dish, fruit and vegetables, or the rest of your lunch tray.) Phrases that HELP We serve dessert with lunch. Everyone gets one serving of dessert.

What to Say and What Not to Say in School Cafeterias Phrases that HINDER Hurry, you only have five more minutes to finish your lunch! Phrases that HELP You have five more minutes to enjoy your lunch. Fill up your tummies in the next five minutes. Other examples from your schools?

Let’s Practice

Other things to consider: Discipline during meal periods Other situations? – Always fall back on the Division of Responsibility and the role of the adults.

Problem-Solving- What can a school do? – Training of staff by role modeling and use of this resource – Follow a Positive Mealtime policy and include in staff handbooks Staff turnover Life-long and personal beliefs about food and eating. – Schedule adequate time for students to eat their meals (20 minutes SEAT time.) – Other ideas?

Cafeteria Supervision What do you like about your role in supervising children in the cafeteria? What would make adult’s job duties in the cafeteria go more smoothly? Sharing of techniques to manage noise level and flow of students What works well in your schools? Any feedback on Recess Before Lunch?

References Ellyn Satter, Dr. Janice Fletcher and Dr. Laurel Branen, University of Idaho, Feeding Young Children in Group Settings Katie Appel-Goble, MT School Food Service Peer Educator.

Questions/Comments Check out OPI School Nutrition Programs website for more useful resources: ms/School_Nutrition/ Montana Team Nutrition hool_Nutrition/MTTeam.html New Dietary Guidance- Choose My Plate

Healthy Kids Healthy Communities T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore

Insert Instructor’s contact information here. Thank you!