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Five Valentine’s Day Ideas for CACFP Providers

February 13, 2023

Valentines Day Blog Post Interior

It’s customary to hand out Valentine’s Day cards to those we care about. Here’s our Valentine note for you!  

While Valentine’s Day may be synonymous with candy for many, it’s also a day to simply celebrate friendships and family. In fact, we’ve seen the best expressions of love in the artwork CACFP providers have shared with us or posted online. 

Wondering how to shift the focus in your home or center? Choose one of these fun ideas or do them all! Have fun in showing those your care how much they matter to you through these activities and the healthy foods you serve. 

1. Love Your Heart (Nutrition Education)

One of the most important hearts is the one we have in our bodies! Let's show our hearts some love by feeding healthy foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, milk and lean meat/meat alternates. Get some more fun tips to eat healthy and keep children moving to build a strong body with this fun handout! 

2. Crafting with Love 

There are hundreds of different crafts you can find online for little fingers for Valentine's Day! Here’s one of our favorites that is simple and requires paint, cardstock, and a blank canvas for each child.  

Have children tape a cardstock heart to a blank canvas. If they are old enough, they can even trace and cut the heart from cardstock too once you have drawn the outline. 

Then, have the children use stick sponges to stamp pinks, reds, and whites around the outside of the paper heart. Once dry, remove the paper heart for a heart-warming work of art!

Crafting with Love

3. Activity Pages

There are so many ways to show someone you care for them. Here are a few more activities that you can incorporate in your child care center or family child care home.  

 

4. CACFP Recipes

Serve berries, like strawberries and raspberries, or beets to celebrate Valentine’s day.  Not only are they healthy fruits and vegetables to eat but can easily be incorporated into many dishes. Try one or more of these fun and delicious CACFP Creditable recipes for all to enjoy!    

 

Pink Party Salad

5. MyPlate Valentine's Day Pink Party Salad

This heart-healthy recipe is a great way to say, "I love you!" For nutrition information, please visit MyPlate.gov.

Pretty in pink! Enjoy this colorful and flavorful salad at a picnic or cookout with family and friends. 

This recipe will make 12 servings, crediting as 1/2 cup vegetable and 1/2 oz eq. meat/meat alternate.

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb potatoes (washed and cut in half) 
  • 3 cups beets, cooked (peeled and diced) 
  • 1 cup peas, green, fresh or frozen 
  • 3 large eggs, hard boiled, chopped
  • 1 cup apple, peeled and diced
  • 1 tsp lemon juice 
  • 2 tbsp olive oil 
  • 3 tbsp vinegar 
  • 1 tbsp sugar 

Directions 

  1. Boil the potatoes in 2 cups of water in a deep kettle. Cover and cook over moderate heat for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
  2. Remove from heat, drain the potatoes and allow to thoroughly cool. Dice the potatoes and place in a large bowl.
  3. Add diced beets, peas and egg and mix with the potatoes.
  4. Place apples in a small bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Then add to the salad.
  5. Add the vinegar, olive oil and sugar.
  6. Mix thoroughly. Chill and serve. 

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb papas – lavadas y cortadas por mitad 
  • 3 tazas betabel, cocido – pelado y cortada en cubitos 
  • 1 tazas chícharos verdes – frescos o congelados 
  • 3 huevos grandes, duros, picados
  • 1 taza de manzana, pelada y cortada en cubitos
  • 1 tsp jugo de limón 
  • 2 tbsp aceite de oliva 
  • 3 tbsp vinagre 
  • 1 tbsp azúcar 

Instrucciones 

  1. Hervir las patatas en 2 tazas de agua en una olla profunda. Tapar y cocinar a fuego moderado durante unos 20 minutos, hasta que las patatas estén tiernas.
  2. Retirar del fuego, escurrir las patatas y dejar enfriar completamente. Cortar las patatas en cubitos y colocarlas en un bol grande.
  3. Añadir la remolacha cortada en cubitos, los guisantes y el huevo y mezclar con las patatas.
  4. Coloque las manzanas en un tazón pequeño y espolvoree con jugo de limón. Luego, agregarlas a la ensalada.
  5. Añadir el vinagre, el aceite de oliva y el azúcar.
  6. Mezclar bien. Enfriar y servir.