Abstract: Brief practical guidelines are offered to help child development personnel improve the mealtime environment in child care centers. The premealtime checklist suggests the appropriate equipment, environment, meal spacing and activities while mealtime activities encourage the children's independence, socialization and introduction of new foods. Successful methods of dealing with special circumstances, such as allergies, obesity, preferences, and slow eating are briefly described. Methods of involving children in meal planning, food preparation and clean up also are offered. (js)

Mealtime—“Yummy-in-the-tummy time”—is an opportunity to teach young children two major life skills: nutrition and table manners. Simple but important mealtime routines come to life as the toddlers in this book remember to wash their hands, use a napkin and fork or spoon, stay at the table, and eat healthy foods. Toddlers also learn the one big rule for mealtime: Always try one bite (“You just might like it!”). Parents and caregivers want toddlers to develop healthy eating habits and positive mealtime routines. This book helps them do so with Verdick’s keen ability to speak directly to little ones and Heinlen’s delightful, appealing illustrations. Includes tips for parents and caregivers. Part of the award-winning Toddler Tools series.

* MOONBEAM GOLD AWARD * * GROWING GOOD KIDS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AND NATIONAL MASTER JUNIOR GARDENER PROGRAM * Milk doesn't just appear in your refrigerator, nor do apples grow in the bowl on the kitchen counter. Before We Eat has been adopted by the USDA’s Agriculture in the Classroom program. Before we eat, many people work very hard—planting grain, catching fish, tending farm animals, and filling crates of vegetables. With vibrant illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Mary Azarian, this book reminds us what must happen before food gets to our tables to nourish our bodies and spirits. This expanded edition of Before We Eat includes back-of-book features about school gardens and the national farm-to-school movement. Fountas & Pinnell Level L

What a Good Eater! is a baby and toddler cookbook filled with wholesome, family-friendly recipes designed to promote a well-rounded eater right from the get-go. It is written by two moms who believe that introducing flavorful foods using herbs and spices and exposing children to a variety of colors, flavors, and textures while they are young encourages openness, minimizes picky-eating habits, and sets the stage--and table--for positive future family meal experiences.

A reflection on the wild joys of food and parenting and the marvelous melange of the two--"Hungry Monkey" takes food enthusiasts on a new adventure in eating (with dozens of delicious recipes).

A breakthrough approach for a good night's sleep--with no tears There are two schools of thought for encouraging babies to sleep through the night: the hotly debated Ferber technique of letting the baby "cry it out," or the grin-and-bear-it solution of getting up from dusk to dawn as often as necessary. If you don't believe in letting your baby cry it out, but desperately want to sleep, there is now a third option, presented in Elizabeth Pantley's sanity-saving book The No-Cry Sleep Solution. Pantley's successful solution has been tested and proven effective by scores of mothers and their babies from across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Based on her research, Pantley's guide provides you with effective strategies to overcoming naptime and nighttime problems. The No-Cry Sleep Solution offers clearly explained, step-by-step ideas that steer your little ones toward a good night's sleep--all with no crying. Tips from The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Uncover the stumbling blocks that prevent baby from sleeping through the night Determine--and work with--baby's biological sleep rhythms Create a customized, step-by-step plan to get baby to sleep through the night Use the Persistent Gentle Removal System to teach baby to fall asleep without breast-feeding, bottlefeeding, or using a pacifier

TASTE CANADA AWARDS SILVER WINNER The definitive guide to childhood nutrition, packed with practical advice to support you through pregnancy, and up until your little one starts school. Food to Grow On gives you the tools to confidently nourish your growing child, and set them up with a positive relationship with food for life. From the moment you know a baby is on the way, you want what's best for your child. Enter Food to Grow On to coach you through every stage of feeding your child in their early years of life. Laid out in an easy-to- navigate question and answer style, this book provides practical advice and support from Sarah Remmer and Cara Rosenbloom, two trusted dietitians (and moms). With an empathetic tone and hint of we've-been-there-too humor, Food to Grow On is packed with hard-earned parenting wisdom and the very latest research in pediatric nutrition, so you will feel supported, understood, and ready to help your child thrive. Included inside are answers to pressing questions like: How often should I breastfeed or bottle-feed? Should I spoon-feed or try baby-led weaning? What do I need to know about raising a vegan child? My toddler is a picky eater, what should I do? How can I make school lunches my child will eat? Sarah and Cara's advice covers what to feed your child, but also dives deeper into how to feed your child. With this broad approach, you'll learn eating well is much more than just the food you serve. It's about cultivating positive experiences around food at every stage of your child's development, whether they're about to start solids or about to start school.

Matilda's picky parents refuse to try new foods, so Matilda teaches herself to cook.

Has your family dinner table become a landing spot for junk mail, homework, and bills? Is scheduled dinnertime in your home 6:00 for mom, 7:00 or later for dad, and . . . are the kids even home tonight or do they have another activity to get to? Because with sports, activities, long hours, and commutes, family dinners seem to have gone the way of the dinosaur . . . And it’s time to bring them back--before it’s too late!Studies have tied shared family meals to increased resiliency and self-esteem in children, higher academic achievement, a healthier relationship to food, and even reduced risk of substance abuse and eating disorders. Written by a Harvard Medical School professor and mother, Home for Dinner makes a passionate and informed plea to put mealtime back at the center of family life and supplies compelling evidence and realistic tips for getting even the busiest of families back to the table.Parents looking to make family dinnertime more than just a fantasy will find inside this invaluable, life-saving resource highly relatable stories, new research, recipes, and friendly advice to help them:• Whip up quick, healthy, and tasty dinners• Get kids to lend a hand (without any grief!)• Adapt meals to the needs of everyone--from toddlers to teens• Inspire picky eaters to explore new foods• Keep dinnertime conversation stimulating• Reduce tension at the table• And moreBoth parents and kids need a family mealtime environment that allows them to unwind and reconnect from the pressures of school and work. More than just offering them nutrition and energy for another intense day of jet-setting about, the incalculable family therapy provided for all will far surpass the small sacrifices it took to gather around the table for a short time.

Abstract: A selected listing of 93 nutrition education resources is provided to aid child care center staff and family day care home providers in initiating or maintaining a nutrition education program for children of ages 2-5. The materials in this guide are organized into 5 sections according to either intended audience of instruction or to type of material. The 5 sections comprise: nutrition education programs (materials directed towards child and adult audiences for providing a complete child care nutrition education program); aids for teaching care-givers (materials directed towards child care providers and parents); lesson plans for teaching chldren; food and nutrition activities for teaching children; and audiovisuals for teaching children and care givers Each section includes an introduction providing additional information on the types of materials included. Each resource citation includes information on the type of material, source availability, cost, an abstract, and an appraisal. (wz).