Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals • http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov 

Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals 

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: 

Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program 

Family style meals provide many benefits to both 

children and child care providers. In family style 

meal service, food and beverages for the meal are 

placed in common serving bowls, plates, dishes, 

pitchers, and containers on the table. Foods 

are passed around the table and children serve 

themselves how much and what they would like 

to eat, with the help of an adult when needed. 

Children are encouraged to try each food and can 

take more food during the meal if it’s available. 

Because family style meals allow children to have control over how much or how 

little food they want to eat, this type of meal service can help children: 

y Eat based on their hunger and fullness cues 

y Develop independence 

yyBuild self-esteem and confidence 

yyDevelop healthy eating behaviors, such as trying new foods and making healthy 

food choices 

Children will also learn and improve their social skills, language skills, 

and table manners. 

 CACFP Crediting Tip: 

When preparing foods for family 

style meals, enough food should 

be provided for each child to 

be able to take the full CACFP 

portion size, as well as adults 

who are eating with the children. 

Children should be encouraged 

to take the full portion, but 

they are not required to take 

or consume the full portion for 

CACFP reimbursement.

How can I prepare for family 

style meals? 

1) Set a start date. Look at the calendar and think 

about when you would like to start serving family 

style meals in your child care program. Once you 

have a date in mind, work backwards and decide 

on dates and deadlines for buying supplies, 

holding training, and educating parents and 

children on family style meals. 

2) Buy equipment. Most servingware and dishes are 

designed for adults and may be too big or heavy 

for young children to easily handle. If possible, try 

to buy supplies that are child-sized, unbreakable, 

stain-, odor-, and scratch-resistant, and convenient 

(dishwasher and microwave safe). You can use 

the information in the table on the next page as a 

guideline for items you would like to purchase. 

more 'prepare for family style meals' tips on next page... 
Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

...more 'prepare for family style meals' tips 

Child-Size Dishes and Utensils Estimated Sizes 

Plates 7-8 inches in diameter 

Bowls 2-4 inches in diameter 

Cups 8-10 fluid ounces 

Eating Utensils/Spoons 5-6 inches in length 

Serving Bowls 6-9 inches in length 

Serving Spoons/Ladles/Spoodles 7-8 inches in length 

Serving Tongs 4-6 inches in length 

Serving Pitchers 13 fluid ounces 

Tip: Try using colored serving utensils 

and dishes and white eating utensils 

and dishes so that children can tell the 

difference between the two. This will help 

remind the children not to lick the colored 

serving spoon or eat from the colored 

serving bowl. 

3) Provide training. If you have other staff or helpers, organize a meeting to introduce and 

teach about family style meals. You may want to include detailed instructions about 

helping children serve themselves, determining portion sizes, and encouraging children 

to eat based on their hunger and fullness. 

Talk about things to expect, and possible challenges and solutions (See “Mythbusters” 

at the end of this supplement). You may also want to brainstorm how to keep a positive 

meal environment (See Supplement D: Create a Positive Meal Environment from 

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and 

Adult Care Food Program. http://teamnutrition.usda.gov) and how to encourage, but 

not force, children to try or eat the food being served (See Supplement C: Encourage 

Healthful Foods from Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider 

Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program. http://teamnutrition.usda.gov). 

If possible, role-play serving meals family style to increase awareness of some of the 

challenges that might come up. 

4) Educate parents, caregivers, and other family members. Send the message home and put 

the “family” into family style meals! You may wish to hold a meeting, tell parents and 

other caregivers during drop-off or pick up time, or send a letter home letting them 

know you will be starting family style meals on a certain date. Describe and explain 

what family style meals are, highlight the benefits to the children, and ask them to talk 

to their children about this change. If some families already do this at home, ask them 

to share their experience with the rest of the group. 

more 'prepare for family style meals' tips on next page... 

Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals • http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov 
Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

 

 

 

more 'prepare for family style meals' tips 

 Connect with Parents 

Adapt and give parents and other caregivers the Sample Letter to Parents on Family Style 

Meals from the Institute of Child Nutrition’s CARE Connection. http://www.nfsmi.org/

documentlibraryfiles/PDF/20100916045241.pdf 

You can also point parents and other caregivers to the New York State Department of 

Health’s “Serving Meals Family Style” Web page. http://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/

nutrition/resources/servmealsfs.htm 

5) Educate children. Explain to the children that there will be some changes at 

mealtime and snack time. Have them practice some of the skills they will 

need, such as pouring water into cups, passing empty serving dishes, and 

scooping dried beans from a large bowl into a smaller one. As their 

skills develop, allow them to serve themselves one item during snack 

time or mealtime and continue to add more items until children are serving 

all foods to themselves. 

For more information and resources, please visit the Institute of 

Child Nutrition (ICN). See Lesson 5: Mealtime Procedures. 

http://www.nfsmi.org/documentlibraryfiles/PDF/20140423090130.pdf. 

The “Family-Style Mealtime Checklist” on page 101 can help you create and follow 

a routine for successful family style mealtimes. 

What can I do to make family style meals a success? 

 Be a good role model: 

You already know about the many ways that you can influence children’s lives! 

Children are constantly watching you and copying what you do, which lets you be a 

positive role model for them to follow. Some ways to be a good role model for family 

style meals include: 

zyEating the same foods as the children, and not eating unhealthy foods in front of them. 

zySitting and eating with the children at mealtimes and snack times.
 

zyHaving everyone, including adults, sit down before the meal starts and having everyone 

stay seated until the meal ends. 

zyBeing enthusiastic and positive while trying different foods. For example, say “This 

pineapple looks so sweet and juicy! I can’t wait to try it!” or “This lettuce tastes so 

fresh and crunchy! Do you want to try it?” 

zyDemonstrating good table manners, such as:
 

 Saying “please,” “no, thank you,” and “thank you.”
 

 Chewing foods slowly and not speaking while mouths are full.
 

 Using napkins for cleaning messy hands or faces.
 

 Waiting until everyone has served themselves before eating.
 

Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals • http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov
Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals • http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov 

 

 Teach through talking: 

Family style meals provide lots of opportunity for social interaction and conversation. 

Try talking to the children about:
 

zyHow full or hungry they feel throughout the meal. 

 Is your stomach telling you that you’re full? 

 Has your tummy had enough? 

 If you are hungry, you can have more. 

zyWhat nutritious foods do for our bodies. 

 Eating carrots will keep our bodies healthy, especially our eyes! 

 Milk is good for our teeth and bones. Can you show me how nice and strong your teeth are? 

 Do you know the protein in those beans will help you grow strong muscles? 

 We need strong muscles so we can play! 

zyThe different food groups they see on the table, and examples of foods in each group. You can visit 

www.choosemyplate.gov or the “Discover MyPlate” Five Food Groups handout at http://www.fns.

usda.gov/sites/default/files/tn/dmp_tgfive.pdf to learn more about the five food groups. 

 We eat bread from the grains group. 

 What food group do you think bananas are a part of? What about eggs? 

You can print a picture of MyPlate that has examples of foods in each food group 

and display it near your eating area. 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/dmp_poster.pdf 

zyWhy it is good to eat foods from all food groups, and serve themselves more food 

from different food groups if they are still hungry. 

 I can tell you really like vegetables! 

 Would you like to try some chicken? 

zyWhere food comes from, how food grows, or what time of the year it grows. 

 Where does milk come from? 

 Where does broccoli come from? 

 Did you know spinach grows in a garden? 

zyFoods they eat at home and what their favorite foods are. 

 Have you seen this food before? 

 Do you eat this food at home? 

 What foods do you like the best? 

 Why do you like it? 

zyThe color, shape, size, and temperature of the food or other items on the table. 

 Is this food hot or cold? 

 How many foods on this table are red? 

 What color is this peach? 

 What is the name of that vegetable? 

 How many colors do you see?
 

zyThe serving skills and table manners that you see around the table. 

 I see some great table manners here! 

 I like how nicely and carefully you passed that bowl. 

 Great serving skills and I like how you said “please” and “thank you.” 
Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals • http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov 

 Keep kids safe! 

Child care providers and other adults can also help make family style meals a success by making 

sure food is handled properly and everyone stays safe. Some tips to follow include: 

zyBefore the Meal: 

 Make sure all children and adults wash their hands before 

eating or preparing the meal. 

 Clean tables and other surfaces with hot soapy water, 

disinfect, and allow the surfaces to air dry before eating. 

Keep cleaning tools, such as sponges, paper towels, and 

cleaning cloths close by to wipe up spills, and show 

children how to clean up properly. 

 Make sure the foods served are not choking hazards, which 

may include cutting food into smaller pieces. Foods that 

are round, hard, small, thick and sticky, smooth, or slippery 

may increase the risk of choking. (For more information, 

see Supplement A: Practice Choking Prevention from 

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider 

Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program. 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/supplementA.pdf) 

 Use the right-sized serving tools and utensils for children. 

Think about the weight of the serving utensil, the serving 

dish or plate, and the food. If possible, divide the food on 

multiple plates and dishes to make it lighter in weight and 

easier for the children to pass around the table. 

zyDuring the Meal: 

 Seat children who need more help near you or 

other adults and help them as needed. 

 Provide and encourage everyone to use tongs, 

spoons, and scoops to serve themselves, rather 

than the utensils they will use to eat.
 

 Teach children how to pass the food without 

putting their hands in the container or touching 

the foods. 

 Remind children to take the foods they touch 

when serving themselves.
 

 Watch over sick children to be sure food is 

handled safely and germs are not passed around.
 
Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals • http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov 

 

Family Style Meals Mythbusters
 

Myth Reality
 

Family style meals will cost more money and 

cause more work. 

Meals served family style do not cost any more than 

meals served preplated. In both cases, enough food 

must be prepared to provide every child the full 

portion of each food component served. 

Family style meals may end up being less work for you 

because the children will be serving themselves. This 

lets you and other adults stay at the table and enjoy 

the meal or snack with the children. 

You can have the children help you by teaching them 

how to set the table before the meal and clean up 

after the meal. They can also be taught how to clean 

up spills and other messes. Once they have learned 

how to do this, it will be less work for you and others. 

The children in my care are too young for 

family style meals. 

Many providers have reported success with family 

style meals with children as young as 2 years old. 

Start slowly by introducing one item served family 

style at a time during mealtimes and snacks, 

watching the children closely, and helping them 

when needed. 

Children may serve themselves too much or 

too little food. 

Children can be guided to follow their hunger and 

fullness cues and be encouraged to eat accordingly. 

This is one of the benefits of family style meals: it 

allows children to control how much they want to eat. 

Remind the children that they can start with a small 

amount of food, and take more if they are 

still hungry. 

To encourage children to take appropriate portions 

for their age, use serving utensils that provide the 

amount needed for one serving. For example, if the 

meal pattern calls for 1⁄2 cup of fruit, and you are 

offering diced peaches, have children use a 1⁄2 cup 

scoop, ladle, or spoodle to serve the peaches. 

more 'family style meals mythbusters' on next page... 
Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals • http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov 

...more 'family style meals mythbusters' 

Family Style Meals Mythbusters 

Myth Reality
 

We won’t get our CACFP reimbursement if a child 

doesn’t take the full servings required in the meal 

patterns. What if a child takes only one or two foods? 

For reimbursement in family style meal service, 

CACFP requires that the full portion of each food 

component for every child be put on the table and 

offered to the children. Supervising adults should 

actively encourage (but not force) children to accept 

the full portion during the meal. If a child refuses to 

take one or more food components, he or she should 

be offered that food again before the meal 

is finished. 

For the meal to be reimbursed, children are not 

required to take all components. They also do not 

have to consume the full portion of any components 

they take. 

To encourage children to try foods from each 

component, use “Phrases That Help” in Supplement 

C: Encourage Healthful Foods from Nutrition and 

Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook 

for the Child and Adult Care Food Program. 

http://teamnutrition.usda.gov 

Our meals and snacks come pre-portioned from the 

caterer or vendor, so we can’t serve family style. 

Ask your caterer or vendor to deliver the food in 

serving bowls or containers, so that it can still be 

served family style. If that’s not possible, have the 

children pass around foods that are not preplated, so 

they can still practice some aspects of family 

style meals. 
Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals

Activities 

How can I put family style meals into practice in my child care program? 

Read through these tips below and check off the ones you would like to try. You can also circle the ones 

you have tried and had success with. 

yPractice makes perfect: During playtime, have children practice the motions and skills needed 

to serve themselves. These may include scooping objects into a bowl, using tongs to move 

objects from one dish to another, and pouring water. You can use items such as small toys, 

pretend food, sand, dried beans, or uncooked pasta. What other ideas will you try to help kids 

build skills for family style meals? _______________________________________________ 

yStart slowly: Introduce family style meals by starting with finger foods or cold foods during a 

snack or a meal. These foods may be easier for children to handle. What foods do you plan to 

start with when introducing family style meals to the children? 

zy__________________________________________________________________________ 

zy__________________________________________________________________________ 

zy__________________________________________________________________________ 

ySet up, clean up: Show the children how to set the table for a meal and how to clean 

up afterwards. You can also show them how to clean up spills and other messes that 

they may make. 

yAllow plenty of time: Give children enough time to eat so mealtimes and snack times are 

relaxed, not rushed. Write in the amount of time for each meal: 

zyBreakfast ______________
 

zyMorning snack __________
 

zyLunch _________________
 

zyAfternoon snack _________
 

zySupper _________________
 

yPractice patience and persistence: Accept that meal times can be messy and it may take some 

time for children to fully develop the skills they need to successfully serve themselves. Keep in 

mind that this is normal and all part of the learning process. While it may be tempting to give 

up on family style meals, stick with them and they will soon pay off! 

ySend the message home: Send a letter to parents and caregivers that gives more information 

about family style meals. See “Connect with Parents” on the third page of this supplement. 

yOther ideas: 

U.S. Department of Agriculture • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Food and Nutrition Service • FNS-440 • June 2016

USDA and HHS are equal opportunity providers and employers.