We teach reading developmentally: ABCs, letter sounds, words. We teach math developmentally: numbers, value, addition. But when it comes to food, we too often skip development entirely. When we teach kids about nutrition, we often begin with abstract ideas like health, balance, nutrients, and disease prevention. But what does “healthy” mean to a five-year-old? What we teach and what a child understands are not always the same thing. This is where child development matters.

In this blog series, I am sharing the key principles from materials I created with a Team Nutrition grant that was titled RECIPE for Growing Healthy Children. In this sixth and final post, we will cover the second E, which stands for Enjoy eating together.

In this blog series, I am sharing the key principles from materials I created with a Team Nutrition grant that was titled RECIPE for Growing Healthy Children. In this post, we will cover P, which stands for Partner with parents. This segment of the workshop was not in the original plans until we surveyed and interviewed the childcare providers and they asked us for help in reaching parents more successfully.

In this blog series, I am sharing the key principles from materials I created with a Team Nutrition grant titled RECIPE for Growing Healthy Children. In this post, we will cover I, which stands for Involve children in food and fun.

In this blog series, I am sharing the key principles from materials I created with a Team Nutrition grant titled RECIPE for Growing Healthy Children. In this post, we cover C, which stands for Create delicious and nutritious meals and snacks.

In this blog series, I am sharing the key principles from materials I created with a Team Nutrition grant that was titled RECIPE for Growing Healthy Children. In this post, we will cover E, which stands for a mealtime Environment that encourages children to practice healthy behaviors.

In this blog series, I will share the key principles from materials I created with a Team Nutrition grant that was titled RECIPE for Growing Healthy Children. In this post, we will cover R, which stands for role model what we want children to be, say, and do.

Over the years, we may use different tools to teach, but the principles of effective nutrition education are timeless. Let’s explore what those are. In this week’s post, I will share what I believe are the three most important concepts children need to be exposed to and the three overarching principles of teaching young children.

Learn how to communicate with parents about the importance of parent-child bonding through a video and a demonstration.