New Food Program Rules

[Leigh]

That's it.

I am serving everything in those ****-able pouches from now on.

The kids can all pretend they are on a spaceship to the moon and have to eat astronaut food.

At least no one would refuse lunch! I am so dang sick of spending so much time cooking and cleaning up after cooking that this sounds so dang tempting! ::

[Josiegirl]

And think of how EASY it will be!

And expensive!

That list is ridiculous. I still do NOT understand why raspberries and kiwi are not allowed but apples, pineapple and even oranges are. I don't understand the peanut butter as long as you spread it on something thinly. I still serve hot dogs(about 1x a month) and grapes; I just cut them appropriately.
I'll have to buy myself a food processor and throw their whole meal in it, give 'em a bowl and let them go at it.
And if you don't serve some of those foods, how will they automatically know to chew them well at 4 yo?
It's all about common sense. Sit to eat, take small bites, no fooling at the table, cut/chop food appropriately.
If they keep restricting more and more, there will be less and less providers on the food programs and then there goes their funding.

[e.j.]

And expensive!

That list is ridiculous. I still do NOT understand why raspberries and kiwi are not allowed but apples, pineapple and even oranges are. I don't understand the peanut butter as long as you spread it on something thinly. I still serve hot dogs(about 1x a month) and grapes; I just cut them appropriately.
I'll have to buy myself a food processor and throw their whole meal in it, give 'em a bowl and let them go at it.
And if you don't serve some of those foods, how will they automatically know to chew them well at 4 yo?
It's all about common sense. Sit to eat, take small bites, no fooling at the table, cut/chop food appropriately.
If they keep restricting more and more, there will be less and less providers on the food programs and then there goes their funding.

Just fyi...It's been clarified for us that by kiwi they mean kiwi berries (which I had never heard of!) and not the kiwi with the fuzzy skin we're used to seeing around here. So you can serve kiwi but not kiwi berries.

[Country Kids]

If we make anything homemade we know have to provide the recipes to the food program or have on hand when our rep comes.

Also, we are know going to need to start writing down how much we serve to each child on a daily basis. Will be a formal rule in 2019 it sounds like but trying to get us in the habit of doing it now.

[e.j.]

We haven't been told any of that yet. My guess is, they want the dust to settle on the berry/melon flap first before they hit us with more.

It was also confirmed for me that while we can serve graham crackers and animal crackers at 6 and 7 grams of sugar per serving, we can no longer serve cinnamon swirl bread at 4 grams of sugar per serving. Go figure. My dc kids love cinnamon bread. They're going to be a very sad group of kids.

[LysesKids]

If we make anything homemade we know have to provide the recipes to the food program or have on hand when our rep comes.

Also, we are know going to need to start writing down how much we serve to each child on a daily basis. Will be a formal rule in 2019 it sounds like but trying to get us in the habit of doing it now.

Just another reason I'm glad I am not on it anymore... it's hard enough to care for four infants without extra paperwork & even my rep that I had agreed that trying to set inspections was useless because my kids flip flopped naps & lunch due to age; I can take food deductions on taxes, I'm ok with that

[hwichlaz]

And expensive!

That list is ridiculous. I still do NOT understand why raspberries and kiwi are not allowed but apples, pineapple and even oranges are. I don't understand the peanut butter as long as you spread it on something thinly. I still serve hot dogs(about 1x a month) and grapes; I just cut them appropriately.

That’s a licensing reg though, not FP.

[hwichlaz]

If we make anything homemade we know have to provide the recipes to the food program or have on hand when our rep comes.

Also, we are know going to need to start writing down how much we serve to each child on a daily basis. Will be a formal rule in 2019 it sounds like but trying to get us in the habit of doing it now.

I’ve always had to have recipes on hand for home made things. Also, for recording how much I serve them....I’ll record what I’m required to serve them then. Easy Peasy. Or I’ll multiply it by 1.5 since they usually have a small 2nd helping. Maybe kidkare will have a button for that like they do for taking roll, where you can just use the enrolled times if everyone is present and and relatively on time that day.

[Baby Beluga]

I'm posting the most recent clarification from my food program. From what I understand, this is not just a MA regulation. If it doesn't impact you now, it will at some point. I've been told that all states will be implementing these rules at some point.

Clarifications received to the Choking Foods Rule.
The good news is that MOST berries are ok, see specific list below for berries that are NOT ok. Melon is ok, it may NOT be served in BALL form. Please see list below. All in all the changes are not that big.
Choking Foods:
Based on guidance from the USDA, foods that pose the highest risk for choking are foods that, "are round, tube-shaped, small, hard, thick and sticky, smooth, slippery, or easily molded to stick to the airway." In order to align with Massachusetts state licensing and USDA's recommendations, OFNP's policy restricts the serving of the following foods to children under 4 years of age:
* Hot dogs, sausages, sausage links, or similar processed
food items
* Grapes, cherries, melon balls (melon is ok as long as it is NOT in “BALL FORM"), or cherry and grape tomatoes.
* Specific berries - kiwi, raspberries, blackberries, goji berries.
* Peanuts, nuts, and seeds (for example sunflower or pumpkin seeds)
* Peanut butter and nut butters
* Dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries
There are many other items that are not included in the above list which may still pose a choking hazard due to their shape (tube-shaped, round, small) or texture (hard, thick and sticky, smooth, slippery, or easily molded).
To clarify, the foods listed in the bulleted list, are not to be served to children under the age of 4, even using alternate food preparation methods.
We will work together on helping you choose alternate foods to feed children under 4.

I'm not on the food program, but this list is ridiculous.

[hwichlaz]

I'm not on the food program, but this list is ridiculous.

I’ll be watching for this and fight against it. Because if you chop them up they are no longer round or tubular shaped. EESH.

[daycarediva]

That's it.

I am serving everything in those ****-able pouches from now on.

The kids can all pretend they are on a spaceship to the moon and have to eat astronaut food.

::::::

We haven't been told any of that yet. My guess is, they want the dust to settle on the berry/melon flap first before they hit us with more.

It was also confirmed for me that while we can serve graham crackers and animal crackers at 6 and 7 grams of sugar per serving, we can no longer serve cinnamon swirl bread at 4 grams of sugar per serving. Go figure. My dc kids love cinnamon bread. They're going to be a very sad group of kids.

Was banned here too, as a sweet.

I now make WW bread and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. It's NOT the same, but the kids are ok with it.

[e.j.]

I now make WW bread and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. It's NOT the same, but the kids are ok with it.

I'll have to try that. I did try using cinnamon butter on whole grain toast and the kids looked at me like I was trying to feed them poison. I tried telling them it tastes just like cinnamon bread but they weren't buying it!