Nutrition by Age Group

Nutrition is essential at every stage of life, and understanding the dietary needs of different age groups can help promote optimal health and well-being. Each stage of life presents unique nutritional requirements, influenced by growth, development, and lifestyle changes

Infants

Element 1: Written feeding instructions are followed for the child under one year of age who is fed by parent-supplied
food or drink. The food or drink is placed in a container that is labeled with the child’s name (Government of Ontario,
2026).

Preschool

Element 1: Balanced lunch offerings. The variety of vegetables and fruits as well as whole grains and protein foods
should be offered at lunch. Clearly post the menu for the day and have water available as well as any substitutions.

Element 2: Food learning. Children at the preschool age can help with food-related tasks. These tasks should be
developmentally appropriate for the child. Preschoolers can learn about colours and textures of food. Children at this
age can practice their self-help skills by pouring water for themselves or by serving themselves food with assistance
from others.

Toddlers

Element 1: Nutrients can be repeatedly offered in regular meals and snacks in small portions and it is best to offer
healthy foods. Drink water throughout the day.

Element 2: Develop menu ideas for meals and snacks that contain a variety of fruits and/or vegetables, whole grain
foods and protein foods. Toddlers have trouble masticating foods with hard or sticky texture and need food cut to the
right size for their emerging ability to self-feed. Two snacks are expected to be provided to children in care for six
hours or more of the day (Government of Ontario, 2026).

School-age

Element 1: School-age children need to have enough energy for all of the things that they are involved in throughout
the day, such as learning, sports, after-school activities and completing homework.

Element 2: Independence and choice. Allow children to make their own healthy food choices, such as making their
own wraps, making their own healthy bowls, making their own yogurt parfaits, cutting up raw or cooked vegetables
and allowing children to make their own healthy vegetable trays with a variety of dips to choose from within the child
care setting and within the children’s food allergies.

The Child Care Menu Planning Practical Guide was written for the Child Care and Early Years Sector. The Guide
supports child care providers and their teams to plan and deliver healthy and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks for
children and staff one year of age and older. The Guide was developed in response to the requirements of the Child
Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) and supports providers to plan and deliver healthy and well-balanced meals and
snacks that support healthy eating for children in the child care and early years setting (Ontario Dietitians in Public
Health, 2024).