For example, Canada has added peanut butter to its list of meat and alternatives while the U.S.D.A. has replaced its Four Basic Food Groups with a pyramid of daily portions. Fats, added as a fifth group, occupy the top position on the pyramid indicating the smallest allotment. Grain products on the other hand take up the entire and noticeably larger bottom segment thus illustrating significant differences in recommended daily intake. In addition the U.S.D.A. has added key symbols throughout the pyramid to demonstrate the fat and sugar content of each group. If these new food guides do anything they remind us that a well-balanced diet is important, especially where children are concerned.
Parents are, by nature, conscientious nutritionists when it comes to their family's health.
Oh sure, the odd fast food meal slips into the well-planned weekly menu but even the experts concede that in moderation these meals are not really bad. This is particularly so when a child is in daycare for a great portion of the day and meals such as breakfast and lunch are part of that care. It is important then that parents take the time to go over their child's diet with the provider even before they place their child in a center or home. Most licensing boards require that weekly menus be posted in a conspicuous place where parents can review them. Although menus are the first indication of a provider's knowledge of nutrition, there are many other things, as the following list indicates, that are part and parcel to providing healthy meals and establishing good eating habits.