Nutrition and Food Service

PURPOSE: This rule provides the requirements for nutritious meals, snacks and methods of food service. (1) General Requirements. (A) The provider shall supply and serve nourishing food according to the Meal and Snack Food Chart provided in this rule. (B) The required meal schedule shall include breakfast or a midmorning snack, lunch and a midafternoon snack for children in care during daytime hours, with a maximum time of four (4) hours between any meal or snack. School-age children shall be served a snack after school. (C) Children in care during evening hours shall be served a snack. Upon parental request, children in care during evening hours shall be served supper and children spending the night shall be served breakfast. (D) Snacks of fruit juice, raw fruit or vegetable, milk, crackers, cheese, peanut butter or similar nutritious food shall be served. (E) One (1) serving of fluid milk shall be served with each meal. (F) If the home is licensed exclusively for school-age care, the child may be permitted to bring sack meals. The provider shall supply one (1) serving of fluid milk with each sack meal and shall supply nutritious snacks. (G) The acceptable food components and serving sizes for meals and snacks are outlined in the following chart for each age group. Menus and amounts served shall be based on this chart. Meal and Snack Food Chart Age Age Age Food Components 1 and 2 3 through 5 6 through 12 BREAKFAST Requirements— Fluid Milk*** 1/2 cup 3/4 cup 1 cup Juice**or Fruit or Vegeable 1/4 cup 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1 serving from each of the Bread or Bread 3 food components Alternate* 1/2 slice* 1/2 slice* 1 slice* SNACK Requirement— Fluid Milk*** 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1 cup 2 servings Juice**or Fruit or selected from 2 Vegetable 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 3/4 cup of the 4 components Meat or Meat Alternate 1/2 ounce 1/2 ounce 1 ounce 1 serving from the Bread or Bread bred component Alternate 1/2 slice* 1/2 slice* 1 slice* LUNCH/SUPPER Requirements— 1 serving of Fluid Milk*** 1/2 cup 3/4 cup 1 cup milk component MEAT/MEAT ALTERNATE Meat, Poultry, or 1 ounce 1 1/2 ounce 2 ounces Fish or 1 serving from Cheese or 1 ounce 1 1/2 ounce 2 ounces the meat/meat a Egg or 1 1 1 alternate component Cooked Dry Beans 1/4 cup 3/8 cup 1/2 cup and Peas or Peanut Butter 2 tablespoons 3 tablespoons 4 tablespoons FRUIT/VEGETABLE 2 servings from 1 Vegetable and 1/4 cup total 1/2 cup total 3/4 cup total the fruit/vegetable 1 Fruit or component 2 Different Vegetables or 2 Different Fruits 1 serving bread or 1/2 slice* 1/2 slice* 1 slice bread alternate from the bread component *Or an equivalent serving of an acceptable bread alternate such as cornbread, biscuits, rolls, muffins, cereal, rice pasta and the like **All fruit juices shall be one hundred percent (100%) fruit juice. ***See subsection (1)(H) for acceptable milk supply AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (H) The water and milk supply shall be approved by local and state health authorities, or both. Powdered milk shall not be used except for cooking purposes. Milk substitutes shall not be used for drinking or cooking. (I) State or local rules, or both, governing food service sanitation shall be maintained in the storage, preparation and service of foods. (J) Mealtime atmosphere shall be enjoyable and relaxed. No child shall be forced to eat, but shall be encouraged to set his/ her own pace according to personal preferences. (K) Menus shall be available to parents upon request. (L) Drinking water shall be conveniently located near playrooms so children may be free to drink as they wish. Water fountains or individual cups shall be used. (2) Nutrition and Food Service for Infants Up to Twelve (12) Months of Age. (A) The provider shall serve nourishing foods appropriate for the infant’s individual nutritional requirements and developmental stages as specified by his/her parent(s). (B) If preferred, formulas and special baby foods may be provided by the parent(s) with individual identification on each container. (C) Until infants can hold a bottle comfortably, they shall be held by a caregiver during bottle feeding. Bottles shall not be propped. (D) When an infant/toddler shows evidence of wanting to feed him/herself, the child shall be encouraged and permitted to do so. AUTHORITY: section 210.221.1(3), RSMo Supp. 1993.* This rule was previously filed as 13 CSR 40-61.170, 13 CSR 40-61.190 and 19 CSR 40-61.190. Original rule filed March 29, 1991, effective Oct. 31, 1991. Changed to 19 CSR 40-61.190, effective Dec. 9, 1993. Changed to 19 CSR 30-61.190 July 30, 1998. Moved to 5 CSR 25-400.190, effective Aug. 30, 2021. *Original authority: 210.221.1(3), RSMo 1949, amended 1955, 1987, 1993.