What to know
Embedding high-impact obesity prevention standards (HIOPS) into policies and activities in early care and education settings can affect the health and well-being of millions of young children. Of 47 HIOPS, these 21 support nutrition. They include standards for nutrition quality and mealtime practices.
Nutrition quality
Of 47 HIOPS, these 15 support nutrition quality in early care and education settings.
- Limit oils by choosing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and avoiding trans fats, saturated fats and fried foods.
- Serve meats and/or beans – chicken, fish, lean meat, and/or legumes (such as dried peas and beans), avoiding fried meats.
- Serve other milk equivalent products (yogurt and cottage cheese), using low-fat varieties for children 2 years of age and older.
- Serve whole pasteurized milk to 12- to 24-month-old children who are not on human milk or prescribed formula. Or serve reduced fat (2%) pasteurized milk to those who are at risk for hypercholesterolemia or obesity.
- Serve skim or 1% pasteurized milk to children 2 years of age and older.
- Serve whole grain breads, cereals, and pastas.
- Serve vegetables, specifically, dark green, orange, and deep yellow vegetables; and root vegetables such as potatoes and viandas.
- Serve fruits of several varieties, especially whole fruits.
- Use only 100% juice with no added sweeteners.
- Offer juice (100%) only during meal times.
- Serve no more than 4 to 6 oz juice per day for children 1-6 years of age.
- Serve no more than 8 to 12 oz juice per day for children 7-12 years of age.
- Make water available both inside and outside.
- Limit salt by avoiding salty foods such as chips and pretzels.
- Avoid sugar, including concentrated sweets such as candy, sodas, sweetened drinks, fruit nectars, and flavored milk.
Mealtime practices
Of 47 HIOPS, these 6 support mealtime practices in early care and education settings.
- Teach children appropriate portion size by using plates, bowls and cups that are developmentally suited to their nutritional needs.
- Require adults eating meals with children to eat items that meet nutrition standards.
- Serve small-sized, age-appropriate portions.
- Permit children to have one or more additional servings of the nutritious foods that are low in fat, sugar, and sodium as needed to meet the caloric needs of the individual child; teach children who require limited portions about portion size and monitor their portions.
- Do not force or bribe children to eat.
- Do not use food as a reward or punishment.
Learn more
Background: National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education.