As a parent, there are a lot of things you think about when choosing childcare for your child. The educators, the environment, the routines…and of course, the food!
Many families tell me that one of the first questions they ask when touring a daycare is: What do the kids eat here? And that makes a lot of sense. For many children, daycare meals and snacks make up a large portion of their daily nutrition. So it’s important that those meals are thoughtfully planned.
That’s exactly why I’m so excited to be partnering with Top Meal to help support the nutrition behind the menus they serve to children across Calgary.
As a registered dietitian and mom of three, I know how important it is for kids to have access to balanced, nourishing meals during their busy days of learning, playing, and growing. My role is to work alongside the Top Meal team to ensure their menus support children’s growth, development, and positive relationships with food. Let’s talk a little bit about what that actually means!
Meet Sarah Remmer, Dietitian and Mom
Hi! I’m Sarah, a registered dietitian who has been working in family and child nutrition for 20 years. I’m also a mom of three, so I know firsthand that feeding kids can sometimes feel confusing, overwhelming, and definitely stressful.
My goal has always been to help parents and caregivers feel more confident when it comes to feeding their children. Through my work with families, childcare centres, and organizations, I focus on creating nutrition guidance that is practical, evidence-based, and realistic for, well, real life. You won’t find anything about “perfect” eating around here!
I’m also the author of Food to Grow On: The Ultimate Guide to Childhood Nutrition, and the founder of Centred Nutrition Collective, a nutrition counselling practice where our team of dietitians supports families through common feeding challenges like picky eating, snack struggles, and busy mealtimes. I also run Nourished Families Network, an online community where parents can access practical tools, guidance, and support to make feeding their families feel a little easier.
I’m thrilled to be working with Top Meal to support the meals served to children in childcare settings!
What Does a Dietitian Do for Daycare Menus?
You might be wondering what a registered dietitian actually does behind the scenes when it comes to childcare menus. My role with Top Meal includes reviewing and auditing menus to ensure they adhere to the most evidence-based and up-to-date pediatric nutritional guidelines, and contain the variety of foods, nutrients, flavours, and textures that support your child’s nutrition needs and nurture eating confidence and competence, as well as build positive relationships with food.
That includes looking at things like:
- The balance of food groups and nutrients across meals and snacks
- Variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein foods
- Variety in colour, flavour, texture and culture
- Opportunities to introduce kids to new foods in a safe, positive and pressure-free way
- Ensuring meals remain nourishing and balanced when substitutions are needed
- Supporting allergy-friendly options when required
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s consistency, balance, and variety over time. Because when it comes to kids’ nutrition, what matters most is what happens across days and weeks, not at a single meal.
What Makes a Balanced Meal for Kids?
As you know, children are constantly growing, learning, and burning energy. Balanced meals help support all of that. Allow me to put on my dietitian hat for a moment…A typical balanced childcare meal usually includes a mix of:
Protein foods
Foods like beans, lentils, eggs, yogurt, chicken, tofu, or fish help support growth, muscle development, and keep kids feeling satisfied.
Grains or starches
Whole grains, rice, pasta, potatoes, and breads provide the steady energy kids need for active days of play and learning.
Fruits and vegetables
These foods provide fibre, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of colour and flavour.
Healthy fats
Foods like avocado, nut butters (when safe), seeds, and cooking oils support brain development and help meals feel satisfying.
When these components come together, kids are more likely to stay energized and focused throughout their day.
Why Variety Matters for Young Kids
One of the most important things childcare menus can do is offer variety. Young kiddos often need multiple exposures to a food before they feel comfortable trying it. Seeing different foods regularly (even if they don’t eat them right away) helps build familiarity and curiosity over time.
Childcare settings can be especially powerful for this because kids are exposed to foods in a relaxed environment alongside their peers. In fact, it can help a child to feel brave enough to try something new when they see their friends trying it and enjoying it. Sometimes children will try foods at daycare that they refuse at home, and that’s completely normal!
Repeated, low-pressure exposure is one of the most effective ways to help children learn to enjoy a wider variety of foods.
A Positive Relationship With Food Matters Too
Nutrition is about more than just nutrients on a plate.
In my work with families, I emphasize creating positive, pressure-free food environments where children can listen to their hunger cues, explore foods, and build confidence with eating.
That philosophy is rooted in approaches like the Division of Responsibility in Feeding (sDOR) and Intuitive Eating principles, which focus on helping children learn to trust their bodies and develop a healthy relationship with food over time. We also bring a neuroinclusive lens to nutrition and mealtime support, recognizing that feeding challenges can look different for neurodivergent children. By considering sensory preferences, routine, autonomy, and emotional safety around food, we help create eating environments where every child can thrive.
Childcare environments can play a really supportive role in the feeding process by providing consistent routines, nutritious and balanced meals, and opportunities for food exploration.
If some of these ideas are new to you, don’t worry – we’ll be diving deeper into them in upcoming posts. I’ll be sharing more about the Division of Responsibility in feeding, how to create positive and food-neutral mealtime environments, and practical strategies for navigating selective eating with young kids.
What This Partnership Means for Families
Through my partnership with Top Meal, you can feel confident that the meals served to your children are thoughtfully planned with nutrition and child development in mind.
That means:
- Balanced and nutritious meals and snacks designed for growing kids
- Menus reviewed by a registered dietitian (yours truly!)
- Variety of foods that support learning and exploration
- Thoughtful planning around substitutions and allergies
Most importantly, it means creating a food environment where children can enjoy eating, try new foods, and build lifelong healthy habits.
More Nutrition Tips Coming Soon
This blog is just the beginning! In upcoming posts, I’ll be sharing more guidance to help make feeding young kids feel a little less stressful and a lot more manageable. We’ll be diving into topics like:
- The Division of Responsibility in feeding and how it can make mealtimes easier for both parents and kids
- How to create positive, pressure-free mealtime environments, including what it means to take a food-neutral approach
- Practical strategies for navigating selective eating (because it’s incredibly common in the toddler and preschool years!)
- How to support your neurodiverse child through eating and nutrition challenges
- And more!
Feeding kids doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters most is offering nourishing meals consistently and creating positive experiences around food. I’m excited to partner with Top Meal to support families and childcare centres in doing exactly that!
