Abstract
Many child care food program guidelines recommend family-style food service as a best practice for feeding young children in group settings. However, some child care providers resist these guidelines, expressing concerns about convenience, food waste, and time constraints. This study was conducted to determine if there are differences in food intake, waste, and time required for eating when young children in group settings are served by pre-portioned or family-style food service. Forty children, ages 35 to 60 months (19 boys, 21 girls), were observed during 108 preschool sessions. Pre-portioned food service was used one day per week for 35 sessions; family-style food service was used for the remaining 73 sessions. Mean intake of children fed family style was significantly greater than the mean intake of children fed using the pre-portioned method. No significant differences between feeding protocols were found in the mean portions of waste or in the time required to eat. This study provides evidence that family-style service does not significantly contribute to the generation of food waste, nor does it significantly extend the amount of time required for eating.
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