Nutrition in Child Care

Nutrition in child care provides a variety of resources to support early care and education professionals and families with information about healthy eating, active living, child development and child health. 

Foods, beverages, mealtime and physical environment all influence a child's health while they are cared for away from their home. The child care setting is the perfect place to expose children to healthy meals, activities and choices. 
Snack Time

Child Health Resources for Early Care and
Education Providers



Healthy Eating Resources

Book List
Books with food or physical activity themes

Feeding Behaviors
Phrases that Help or Hinder, (Spanish)
Hungry-Full Meter

Healthy Menus
MyPlate fruit ideas (Spanish).
MyPlate vegetables ideas (Spanish).
MyPlate whole grain ideas (Spanish)
List of cereals that contain whole grains and are also low in sugar.
Lunch ideas for parents who bring food from home: A Month of Lunch Ideas
Snack ideas for rotation at child care: A Month of Snack Ideas
Colorado's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
Hidden Sugar resources through the Healthy Beverage Partnership

Healthy Celebrations in Early Care and Education
Ideas for creating healthy special events, (Spanish)

Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Messages
9 Ways to Grow Healthy Colorado Kids

Nutrition Activities Links to fun, researched based nutrition lesson plans.

Tri-County Health Department Training Sessions
Through training sessions with community partners, registered dietitians communicate information related to health and nutrition topics. 

Training sessions may include subjects such as:

  • Meal planning
  • Label reading
  • Sweetened beverages
  • Whole grains
  • Child Care program activities
  • Role modeling
  • Mealtime environment
  • Regulations in place to support healthy child care practices
Tri-County Health Department
Environmental Health and Child Care
Girl eating

Infant Feeding and Breastfeeding Resources
Colorado's Breastfeeding in Child Care Toolkit and more
University of Northern Colorado Infant Feeding Information and Best Practices for Child Care facilities.

Active Living Resources
Colorado's Physical Activity for Children Birth to Five web page
Animal Activity Cards

On-line Instructional Video for Child Care Professionals
Early Learning Ventures:
Preventing Obesity and Promoting Wellness in Early Childhood Settings
Food Friends: 
Fun with New Foods and Mighty Moves

Child Development


Colorado's Early Learning and Development Guidelines.
Learn the Signs Act Early


Health and Safety in Child Care


National Resource Center for Health and Safety