Making New Foods Fun for Kids
2
Laura Young, MS, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado Jennifer Anderson, PhD, RD, Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado Leslie Beckstrom, MS, RD, Coordinator, Colorado Nutrition Network, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado Laura Bellows, MPH, RD,* Youth Initiatives Coordinator, Colorado Nutrition Network, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1571;Tel: (970) 491-1305; Fax: (970) 491-7252; E-mail: [email protected] Susan L. Johnson, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Center for Human Nutrition, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado ( J Nutr Educ Behav. 2003;35:337-338.) *Author for correspondence INTRODUCTION Children develop many food- and nutrition-related attitudes and behav- ior patterns during the preschool years.Therefore, nutrition education at the preschool level is essential. Unfor- tunately, however, as Hertzler points out,“too often preschoolers are simply entertained because they are assumed to be unable to learn.” 1 In actuality, preschool children are an excellent tar- get audience because they possess both a readiness to learn and the potential to change. 2 Engaging their natural cu- riosity about food and their bodies can help young children establish lifelong healthy eating habits. Research has also shown that preschool children will ex- pand the variety of foods eaten if given the opportunity to experience new foods in a positive environment. 2,3 As reported by Birch and colleagues, it may take 8 to 15 exposures for a child to explore, taste, and eat each new food. 3 PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION “The Food Friends: Making New Foods Fun For Kids” ™ program (Fig- ure 1) is designed to introduce new foods and create a positive feeding en- vironment in an effort to increase chil- dren’s willingness to try new foods. The program consists of “hands-on” nutrition activities, storybooks, and many opportunities to try new foods. All activities support developmental learning skills for preschool-aged chil- dren, including fine and gross motor control, listening and language skills, sensory evaluation, and problem solv- ing.Activities in the program were de- signed for use by Head Start and preschool teachers but likely could be adapted for use in day-care settings and kindergarten classrooms. Each activity is simple, self-contained, and integra- tive and requires approximately 20 minutes for completion.The program includes an activity outline to guide teachers through the program. Orga- nized by week, the activity outline de- scribes the learning objectives for each activity, lists the needed materials, and provides directions.For the program to be completed in 12 weeks, 1 “hands- on” activity and 1 storybook are scheduled each week, along with 2 op- portunities to taste new foods. Central to the entire program is a set of 7 characters collectively referred to as “The Food Friends” (Figure 2). These characters were transformed into puppets, which play a key role in all program components. Caricatures of “The Food Friends” were printed on posters, magnets, and placemats to act as visual reinforcements for the program’s primary message that tasting new foods is fun. Also, a “Food Friends” theme song, memory game, and puzzles were created for the program. The unique “hands-on” activities provide an innovative approach to ad- dress children’s willingness to try new foods. For example, in the activity en- titled “Fruit and Vegetable Mystery Bags,”children reach into a brown pa- per bag that contains a variety of fruits or vegetables, select a fruit or veg- etable, describe how it feels, and then guess the type of fruit or vegetable. Another activity, “Rhyming with the Food Friends,” uses simple rhymes to introduce new foods and to provide the sensory characteristics of each food.Toward the end of the program, the children participate in a “Food Friends Tasting Party” in which they have the opportunity to taste several new and familiar foods. In addition, the program includes nutrition- and/or food-related chil- dren’s books. Reasons for incorporat- ing books were to introduce food- related vocabulary, to help children develop listening skills,and to promote and reinforce the program’s theme. Among the books selected, 4 intro- duce novel foods, 4 focus on the ben- efits and barriers associated with trying new foods, and 3 explore foods from different cultures. Each week during the program, the children are also given 2 opportu- nities to taste a new food. In an effort to positively influence children’s food preferences through repeated expo- sure, 2 of the foods (gouda cheese and daikon radish), which were deter- 337 GEM G EM N O. 368 Making New Foods Fun for Kids Funding for this project was provided by the US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service through the Colorado Department of Hu- man Services, Food Stamp Program, and the Col- orado Action for Healthy People. Figure 1. Program materials. Figure 2. The Food Friends.
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Transcript of Making New Foods Fun for Kids
Laura Young, MS, Department of FoodScience and Human Nutrition, ColoradoState University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Jennifer Anderson, PhD, RD, Professorand Extension Specialist, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition,Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Leslie Beckstrom, MS, RD, Coordinator,Colorado Nutrition Network,Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado StateUniversity, Fort Collins, Colorado
Laura Bellows, MPH, RD,* YouthInitiatives Coordinator, ColoradoNutrition Network, Department of FoodScience and Human Nutrition, ColoradoState University, Fort Collins, Colorado80523-1571;Tel: (970) 491-1305;Fax: (970) 491-7252; E-mail:[email protected]
Susan L. Johnson, PhD, AssistantProfessor, Department of Pediatrics,Center for Human Nutrition, Universityof Colorado Health Sciences Center,Denver, Colorado
( J Nutr Educ Behav. 2003;35:337-338.)
*Author for correspondence
INTRODUCTION
Children develop many food- andnutrition-related attitudes and behav-ior patterns during the preschoolyears.Therefore, nutrition education atthe preschool level is essential. Unfor-tunately, however, as Hertzler pointsout,“too often preschoolers are simplyentertained because they are assumedto be unable to learn.”1 In actuality,preschool children are an excellent tar-get audience because they possess botha readiness to learn and the potentialto change.2 Engaging their natural cu-riosity about food and their bodies canhelp young children establish lifelonghealthy eating habits. Research has alsoshown that preschool children will ex-pand the variety of foods eaten if giventhe opportunity to experience new
foods in a positive environment.2,3 Asreported by Birch and colleagues, itmay take 8 to 15 exposures for a childto explore, taste, and eat each newfood.3
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION
“The Food Friends: Making NewFoods Fun For Kids”™ program (Fig-ure 1) is designed to introduce newfoods and create a positive feeding en-vironment in an effort to increase chil-dren’s willingness to try new foods.The program consists of “hands-on”nutrition activities, storybooks, andmany opportunities to try new foods.All activities support developmentallearning skills for preschool-aged chil-dren, including fine and gross motorcontrol, listening and language skills,sensory evaluation, and problem solv-ing.Activities in the program were de-signed for use by Head Start andpreschool teachers but likely could beadapted for use in day-care settings andkindergarten classrooms. Each activityis simple, self-contained, and integra-tive and requires approximately 20minutes for completion.The programincludes an activity outline to guideteachers through the program. Orga-nized by week, the activity outline de-scribes the learning objectives for eachactivity, lists the needed materials, andprovides directions. For the program tobe completed in 12 weeks, 1 “hands-on” activity and 1 storybook arescheduled each week, along with 2 op-portunities to taste new foods.
Central to the entire program is a setof 7 characters collectively referred toas “The Food Friends” (Figure 2).These characters were transformed intopuppets, which play a key role in all
program components. Caricatures of“The Food Friends” were printed onposters,magnets, and placemats to act asvisual reinforcements for the program’sprimary message that tasting new foodsis fun. Also, a “Food Friends” themesong, memory game, and puzzles werecreated for the program.
The unique “hands-on” activitiesprovide an innovative approach to ad-dress children’s willingness to try newfoods. For example, in the activity en-titled “Fruit and Vegetable MysteryBags,” children reach into a brown pa-per bag that contains a variety of fruitsor vegetables, select a fruit or veg-etable, describe how it feels, and thenguess the type of fruit or vegetable.Another activity, “Rhyming with theFood Friends,” uses simple rhymes tointroduce new foods and to providethe sensory characteristics of eachfood.Toward the end of the program,the children participate in a “FoodFriends Tasting Party” in which theyhave the opportunity to taste severalnew and familiar foods.
In addition, the program includesnutrition- and/or food-related chil-dren’s books. Reasons for incorporat-ing books were to introduce food-related vocabulary, to help childrendevelop listening skills, and to promoteand reinforce the program’s theme.Among the books selected, 4 intro-duce novel foods, 4 focus on the ben-efits and barriers associated with tryingnew foods, and 3 explore foods fromdifferent cultures.
Each week during the program,the children are also given 2 opportu-nities to taste a new food. In an effortto positively influence children’s foodpreferences through repeated expo-sure, 2 of the foods (gouda cheese anddaikon radish), which were deter-
337
GEM
GEM NO. 368
Making New Foods Fun for Kids
Funding for this project was provided by the USDepartment of Agriculture, Food and NutritionService through the Colorado Department of Hu-man Services, Food Stamp Program, and the Col-orado Action for Healthy People. Figure 1. Program materials.
Figure 2. The Food Friends.
mined to be novel to at least 85% ofthe target population through a foodfrequency questionnaire, are servedseveral times throughout the program.The other new foods are served onlyonce during the program and are in-cluded to give children exposure to awide variety of different foods andprovide multiple opportunities to ex-plore, taste, and eat new foods in a pos-itive feeding environment.
EVALUATION
“The Food Friends: Making NewFoods Fun For Kids” program was cre-ated for use by the Colorado NutritionNetwork, a statewide collaborativepartnership based at Colorado StateUniversity.During spring 2000,4 HeadStart centers participated in a 12-weekpilot study to evaluate the program as awhole as well as each activity.
Data were gathered from the chil-dren using a food preference panelconsisting of 9 foods: 4 novel and 5 fa-miliar foods. The taste panel was ad-ministered at pretest, posttest, and 10-day follow-up to assess the willingnessof the Head Start children to try newfoods.The results demonstrated an in-crease in overall acceptance of newfoods after repeated exposures. Obser-vational data showed that the children
became increasingly excited about newfoods and that more children tried theother new foods served on first expo-sure as the weeks progressed. Teachersurveys, probing their opinion of theactivities and how the Food Friendsprogram was used in the classroom,were completed after week 6 and oncompletion of week 12. Responsesfrom teacher surveys indicated that thechildren enjoyed the activities.Teach-ers also reported that the program waswell designed, unique, creative, fun,easy to follow, and successful in in-creasing the children’s willingness totry new foods.
SUMMARY
The “Food Friends: Making NewFoods Fun For Kids” program is auniquely creative and effective methodfor educators to address nutrition andeating habits with preschool children.To date, over 50 preschool and HeadStart classrooms have used the pro-gram. It continually undergoes refine-ment based on feedback from teachers,children, and nutrition educators. Inaddition, a parent component is cur-rently under development.
Anyone interested in more infor-mation about the program is encour-aged to contact the authors or visit
the Colorado Nutrition Network’sWeb site at <www.cahs.colostate.edu/fshn/nep>.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Funding for this project was providedby the US Department of Agriculture,Food and Nutrition Services throughthe Colorado Department of HumanServices, Food Stamp Program, andthe Colorado Action for Healthy Peo-ple. Creative design and developmentfor the program materials were doneunder the direction of Stratecom, amarketing strategies and communica-tion firm in Boulder, Colorado.
REFERENCES
1. Hertzler A. Preschoolers’ food han-dling skills—motor development.J Nutr Educ. 1989;21:100B-100C.
2. Birch L. Development of foodacceptance patterns in the firstyears of life. Proc Nutr Soc. 1998;57:617-624.
3. Birch L, Zimmerman S, Hind H.The influence of social-affectivecontext on the formation of chil-dren’s food preferences. Child Dev.1980;51:856-861.
338 Young et al/GEM NO. 368 ( J Nutr Educ Behav. 2003;35:337-338.)
