Tips for Parents and Daycare Providers on how to make informed decisions for meals and snacks, and keep kids feeling full and energized.

1. Fill your plates with high
volume foods
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For Parents &
Care Providers

2. Here’s what 200 calories looks like…

3. …yep, this is 200 calories…

4. Vol-ume (noun)
Definition:
The amount of space a substance or object occupies.
ˈvälyəm,ˈvälˌyo͞om/

5. Where does volume come from?
Higher-volume in your food comes in a few forms:
• Fiber
• Water
• Air

6. Volume + Energy Density
• Your stomach responds to the volume of food, not to the number of
calories in the food you’ve eaten.
• A large volume of low-calorie food activates your body’s “full feeling”
sooner than a small volume of high-calorie food.
• You can consume the same volume of food, yet a lower amount of
calories in each portion, consuming fewer calories and feeling just
as satisfied.
• Using water, air and fiber will help to lower the energy density of foods
while maintaining or increasing food volume.
• Providing children with foods that have proper volume and calorie
balance may help reduce issues related to childhood obesity.

7. Where do calories often hide?
Low-volume ingredients like oil, butter, peanut butter and yellow
cheeses often contain higher calories.
These food ingredients also don’t usually make you feel full, so you
may continue to eat, consuming even more calories…
Daily calorie goals
Young children need somewhere around 1,000-1,500 calories per day.
Most adults need between 1,600-3,000 calories per day depending on
factors like gender, age and activity level.
The average american consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving day!

8. Choose healthy snacks & meals
Children need a lot of energy for their growing
bodies, so its important they have healthy snacks
and meals throughout the day to keep their mind
and body sharp.
So, just for fun, let’s compare options that have the
same amount of calories, but one is good (lower in
fat and higher in fiber and volume) and one is bad
(high in fat and low in fiber and volume), so you
can get a sense of what healthy calories look
like…
Note: these are not examples of meals, but calorie
and volume comparisons

9. What does more volume look like?
Low volume, low fiber,
high fat
1
cup
baby
carrots
¼
cup
ranch
dressing
350
calories
31g
fat
3g
fiber
Same calories -
Higher volume and
fiber, lower fat
1
cup
baby
carrots
¼
cup
hummus
1
string
cheese
3
whole-­‐grain
crackers
1
small
apple
10
pistachios
350
calories
16
grams
fat
5
grams
fiber
Ranch dressing is high-calorie, low-volume. This option cuts the fat in half.

10. Which option is lower in fat?
Low volume, higher in
fat
Fe;uccine
Alfredo
1,220
calories
75g
of
fat
5g
of
fiber
Higher volume, lower in
fat
1
serving
whole
wheat
pasta
1
tbsp
olive
oil,
1
cup
bell
peppers
2
oz
mozzarella
cheese
3
cups
Spinach
Salad
1
Granny
Smith
Apple
sliced,
1
serving
of
almonds,
1
serving
of
feta
cheese
and
10
sprays
of
Italian
dressing
3
oz
grilled
chicken
breast
1
scoop
chia
seeds
1,129
calories
56g
fat
23g
fiber
Alfredo sauce is high calorie, low-volume.

11. You get the idea…
Lower in volume,
higher in fat
6
oz
steak
1
cup
garlic
mashed
potatoes
Caesar
side
salad
1,255
calories
70g
fat
6g
fiber
Higher volume, lower
in fat
5 oz grilled salmon
1 med. sweet potato
½ cup cottage cheese
1 cup fresh green beans
1 cup pinto beans
Side salad w/4 tbsp light salad
dressing
2 cups of mixed berry & yogurt
smoothie
1 cup skim milk
1,181 calories
22g of fat
35g of fiber
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, 70g of fat
would likely wipe out your entire daily
recommended allowance, yikes!

12. Recap
Incorporate more water, fiber and air into meals
using fruits and vegetables
Choose or create grains and snacks with a higher
air, water, or fiber value
You’ll feel full, and consume less calories
It can help you maintain a healthy weight
Give your children healthy options!

13. Thank you!
Find more tips at www.daycarebaby.com
With a variety of visuals, videos and eBooks!
Images source: Google image search, content guidelines are primarily based on USDA standards.
Consult a nutrition or medical professional if you have specific dietary needs or concerns. This
information is provided for educational purposes only.

14. Plus…
Get free education tools for parents and kids at
SunrisePals.com