Developmentally Appropriate Nutrition Education & Meal Ideas
I initially thought I’d write about Father's Day and share travel snack ideas in today's newsletter. But a few days ago, I came across an Instagram post that my mind keeps returning to. Not because it was a great post, but because the information in it is incorrect.
Contrary to what the post said, developmentally appropriate nutrition education for young children doesn't include teaching kids what nutrients do in their bodies.
Doing that isn't really any different than putting foods in "good" and "bad" categories. The need to teach young kids what food does in their bodies stems from trying to get them to eat those foods.
When I was a young child, I remember being told that vitamin A in carrots is important because it helps you see. I have clear memories of being scared that if I didn't eat them, something bad would happen to my vision.
Whoever told me that wanted me to eat carrots and viewed carrots as "good."
The same with milk, calcium, and bones. I then worried that if I didn't drink milk, something bad would happen to my body. Clearly, too much info for me as a child and too much for many young children.
If you feel compelled to teach young kids what nutrients do in their bodies, this is a great opportunity to pause and get curious about what makes you feel that information will be beneficial.
I could go on and on! But thankfully, Anna has written several wonderful blog posts about how and why to teach nutrition to children that will provide you with lots of helpful information.
We also have a Nutrition Education Workbook that Anna and a fellow RD friend developed. It's filled with developmentally appropriate nutrition lessons for pre-school through elementary-aged kids to help them feel empowered and connected to food and their bodies.
Do you have an experience where someone told you or your child how nutrients worked in the body, and it was scary or confusing? Please leave a comment below.
Meal Ideas/What I'm Cooking
DINNER
Mustard marinated flank steak, broccoli, roasted new potatoes
Shrimp scampi, spaghetti, broccoli, and baguette with butter
Pasta with pesto, peas, and precooked chicken (Applegate Farms), mixed green salad
Veggie tofu stir-fry with rice
Turkey burgers, burger buns, cherries, crisp veggie salad
LUNCH
Cheese, salami, crackers; carrots, sugar snap peas, and hummus; strawberries, cookies
Leftover pasta with pesto, apple slices, and nut or seed butter; yogurt squeezer, chips
Greek yogurt, granola, berries, red pepper slices, and cherry tomatoes with hummus, pretzels, and chocolate candies
Ham and cheese roll up, apple slices, chips, yogurt squeezer
BREAKFAST
Mixed berry baked oatmeal
Cheese toast, apple slices
Cereal, milk, banana
Have a safe weekend. We’ll be back in your inbox with a new podcast episode on Monday!