Objectives: Students will discern what constitutes a healthy lunch for young children. Students will also discern the impact that the style of food service and the overall atmosphere during meal time has the young child’s development of life long eating habits.
Report Guidelines: Students will observe and evaluate a lunch being served to a group of preschool-aged children in an early childhood program. Students should observe the entire process; activities before the meal, set up, lunch, and activities after the meal. Please begin your report with a complete heading. Number each answer accordingly. Remember to include actual examples of what you saw and heard during your observations to support your answers to the lab report questions.
Written Report:
1. How is the lunch prepared and who prepares it?
2. Describe the transition to lunch. Include a discussion of the activities the children are involved in before the meal.
3. What was the overall mood of the transition to lunch? How could it have been improved?
4. How is the seating arrangement handled?
5. Describe and evaluate the style of service.
6. List all the food served during your observation.
7. Evaluate the food being served:
a. Is the food nutritious; why or why not?
b. Compare the lunch with DCFS guidelines; Appendix E.
c. What changes would you recommend?
8. Did the meal that you observed appeal to the children? Why or why not?
9. What did the caregiver(s) eat?
10. Describe a situation where a child asked for more food – how did the caregiver respond?
11. Did the children participate in any aspect of the meal (food prep, set up, self-serve, clean-up)?
12. Describe the emotional climate during the lunch you observed. Was it calm and relaxing or hurried and stressful?
13. Describe the transition from the meal. How are the children dismissed, do they wash their hands, help with clean up? What activities are available immediately after the meal?
14. What was the most negative incident involving food that you observed? What changes would you make?
15. State your thoughts on the teaching techniques you observed that would encourage positive and negative eating habits. What changes would you suggest the teacher make in the way he/she handles the children?

http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/089/08900407ZZ9996eR.html

Here are some information you’ll need to be able to answer the questions correctly
The food is prepared in the early childhood center (day care) and served in big serving bowls brought out to the lunch room in a cart.
Before lunch they were playing outside in the playground (bikes, sand, and balls, as well as slides and swings,….) they went inside to eat while singing songs, they were asked to take their jackets off and wash their hands before they start preparing the lunch table. One of the 2 teachers lined up the kids to get inside, kids sat on the rug and sung the (ABC’s) twice and (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). One of the kids suggested to sing (we got the whole world in our hands)
Children were happy I saw some smiling having fun and enjoying the eating experience.
Kids chose where they sit it was not assigned but it was orderly.
Food was fish nuggets, green beans, and pears with (Ketchup, milk and water) if they want to
Food looked appealing and kids enjoyed it and happy they finally had their lunch.
Three tables and 3 teachers. one at each table, they also ate the same food that was available for the kids.
When kids finish their plates they have the option to ask for more.
Kids help with setting the tables up, teachers choose one girl and one boy (different every time) the adults put the plates and the silverware and cups with napkins on the side of each table and the 2 kids takes them and spreads them on the table.
Kids are 3 or 4 years old, they serve themselves the food with help available if needed from adults. Milk is served only by the adults so they don’t spill it.
When done eating each kid puts his tray of food in a cart and then wash their hands.
after the meal they went back outside to play on the playground activities included ( bike, sand, and balls, as well as slides and swings)
Kids had cups full of water and didn’t have a chance to drink milk in my opinion, only one kid had milk on the table I was sitting at.