|Reviewers Comments: ||This book was designed to give educators, nutrition professionals, parents and other caregivers the tools they need to teach children about food and nutrition. Lessons are intended for children aged 6 to 12 years, but can be adjusted for children slightly younger or older. They are easy to implement with little preparation and are easily adaptable to be taught along with different subjects. Suggestions are given for educators and parents on how to best incorporate ideas and activities from the book. Most lessons can be made simpler or more complex based on available time and audience.
The book is divided into twelve chapters. The first three chapters provide introductory background information on the need for a new way to teach nutrition to kids; the influence of media messages; and the three ingredients necessary for effective nutrition education: Fun, Integrated, and Behavioral (F.I.B.). These introductory chapters may be useful to educators as background information in preparation for the lessons.
The remaining chapters are divided by subject. These include Language Arts, Math, Performing Arts, Art, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, and Cafeteria. Each chapter is filled with suggested activities, units, and lessons on nutrition in relation to the specific subject. There are a multitude of example activities in each chapter. The Edible Art chapter includes many child-friendly recipes, which encourage creativity, such as smiling burritos, bread dough art and yummy pumpkin softies. Nutritional information for recipes is not included.
Throughout the book, picture symbols are used to identify related subject areas, so a lesson can be crossed with other disciplines, saving time and energy for educators and making the concepts more meaningful to children. If additional materials or supplies are required, that information is noted with “You Will Need” boxes. Activities are also categorized according to level and designated as primary, intermediate, or either. Some lessons involve food preparation. Guidelines are given for these lessons in an appendix section. The author occasionally refers to some resources that must be purchased separately. These resources are not necessary to complete the activities. Resources for low-cost materials to reinforce nutrition topics are included in an appendix at the end of the book.
Activities from the book can work well in both individual and group settings. Many of the activities in the book that are designed for classroom situation can be easily modified for other learning situations, and suggestions are given for how to adapt them.
The 4th Edition of this book is based on MyPlate and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The lesson plans, creative, hands-on activities and a multitude of other resources included in How to Teach Nutrition to Kids can inspire educators, nutrition professionals, parents and other caregivers to teach food and nutrition in innovative ways, and empower children to make healthful behavior changes. A hands-on activity guide, Nutrition Fun with Brocc & Roll is also available for purchase on the web site, in addition to related copy-ready handouts to use with children, teens or adults.