Elements and Performance Criteria

Planning for nutritional needs will include:
Nutritious food
Balanced diet
Relevant to nutritional needs at that age

Health needs of children to be considered may include:
Medical advice and diet
Allergies to certain foods

Cultural requirements and preferences about food may include:
Religious observations
Meal patterns
Foods used
Hot or cold meals
Spices and flavourings used
Inclusion of sweets

Menu may include:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks

Food and drink preferences will vary according to:
Age
Culture
Dietary requirements
Religion
Family patterns
Individual tastes
Stage of the day

Appetising food may consider:
Colour
Shape
Texture
Variety

Critical aspects of assessment:
· Demonstrated ability to prepare food which is nutritious and suitable for children
· Assessors are recommended to particularly look for:
· nutritious food is provided over a day, as relevant to provide a balanced diet
· food prepared and presented in accordance with safe food handling procedures
· Food provided for babies:
· food and milk is warmed and tested for temperature
· solid food is introduced appropriately

Essential knowledge:
· Nutritional needs of children
· Food groups
· Impact of food additives
· Fat contents of foods
· Fibre content of different foods
· Dietary requirements for infants
· Cultural practices and beliefs about food provision
· Impact of foods and drinks on dental health
· Storage of food-temperatures
· Food preparation and cooking
· Organisational standards, policies and procedures

Essential skills and attitudes:
· Cooking and preparation of simple foods suitable for children and babies
· Safe food handling
· Menu planning

Resources:
Assessment requires access to a range of opportunities defined in the Range Statement. This includes: a childcare workplace, access to Children's services resources and equipment, access to the local environment.

Context of assessment:
This unit could be assessed either on the job or off the job through an appropriate workplace simulation for a range of age groups and a range of conditions over a number of assessment situations.