Knowing about nutrition and children's developmental needs helps to provide a good start in making healthy food selections, yet there are other factors to consider, including children's preferences, cultural backgrounds, and, of course, individual health issues. In other words, it's not always simple to decide what constitutes a quality snack for young children.

For this Discussion, imagine you are an early childhood professional who is responsible for selecting snacks for the children in your program. Some of your children are overweight, some are obese based on nutritional guidelines, and others appear to be underweight or malnourished. Some are vegetarians, and others are accustomed to specific cultural foods. Referring to Table 9-1 (pp. 338-340) and Sections 9.3 and 9.5 in your text, what factors should you consider when choosing which snacks to serve?

With these thoughts in mind:

Post your response to at least two of the following:

1. How you would make food selections that value and respect children's cultural backgrounds

2. How you would balance children's preferences with any special needs or preferences of others

3. Essential information you would share with families about your philosophy of healthy snacking