Nutrition

How can my nutrition and mealtime practices support children’s health, growth, and positive relationships with food as my child care business begins or grows?

The Nutrition section supports Orange County’s future, current, and expanding child care providers by bringing together essential guidance to promote healthy eating, meet children’s nutritional needs, and maintain compliance with state and federal meal program requirements. This section includes information for both Family Child Care Homes (FCCs) and Child Care Centers, with practical tools that support consistent, high-quality nutrition practices across settings.

Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers each play an important role in shaping children’s early experiences with food. FCCs often provide meals in home-based, mixed-age settings where routines, cultural traditions, and family-style dining are central to daily care. Center-based providers manage larger food service systems that require coordinated planning, documentation, and staff training. This section reflects the unique responsibilities of each setting while reinforcing shared nutrition expectations.

Across both subsections, providers will find guidance aligned with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), including meal pattern requirements, menu planning tools, reimbursement information, sample menus, recipes, and food-buying calculators. Topics also include introducing new foods, offering healthy alternatives for celebrations, and creating positive mealtime routines that support children’s developing relationships with food.

Whether preparing bottles for infants, planning meals for toddlers and preschoolers, or expanding services to meet growing community needs, this section supports providers in implementing safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive nutrition practices that promote children’s health and well-being.