2022 NCNC

Snacks are an essential part of daily meal plans and fill a gap for energy and nutrients needed for play, learning, and growth. Chef Brenda will demonstrate easy to prepare, kid-friendly snacks that meet the CACFP snack meal pattern. Receive ready-to-go snack recipes, tips for encouraging kids to try new foods and kitchen hacks for easy snack preparation.

An analogy on how we changed society in one generation by reaching our youngest leads this uplifting and positive message meant for everyone. While it’s impractical to expect child care to serve ‘A Rainbow A Day,’ we can absolutely serve ‘A Rainbow A Week.’ Learn simple concepts to increase our rainbow of choices and take home recipes which feature fruits and vegetables.

Learn to become more aware of the traditional foods in Hispanic cuisine and how to break the barriers with the Latino culture. Leave with a better understanding of Hispanic culture, common Latin American ingredients, family dynamics and the foods we love.

Cycle menus require planning and forecasting as well as recipe and menu development. Fight menu fatigue by seeing how popular foods can be versatile and support your program. See what other programs are doing and take home their recipes and ideas.

Nutrition education can assist in addressing food insecurity in food desert communities. Our dietitian lead project aims to increase access to healthy food options at early childhood education centers while increasing nutrition education. Discuss ideas to incorporate hands-on learning through gardening, recipes for menus, and snack ideas for the classroom

Being mindful of the food you eat promotes better digestion and influences wiser choices about what you eat in the future. Come discover how to create connections to the food you’re serving in your program with an “in the moment” experience while teaching children to pay attention to the experience of eating and drinking, both physically and psychologically.

Preventing exposure to food allergens for children with food allergies is crucial to their safety. Good food safety practices help keep these children safe. Learn best practices for managing food allergies in child care centers and provide input for the Child Care Center Food Safety Kit.

Are you or your family home child care providers having trouble serving mixed foods and not serving the right quantities? We’ll teach you how to use our muffin tin hack and you’ll work in groups to develop a new recipe to share with fellow attendees. Together, we’ll review your ingredients to ensure you’re ready to make a muffin tin recipe box back home.