by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Oct 11, 2021 | Education Materials
I recently released my UPDATED “Meal Planning for Kids” curriculum, which teaches kids Healthy eating on a Budget. In this curriculum, children Pre-K through 12th grade learn foundational nutrition science while having fun.
I chose to create “Meal Planning for Kids” for many reasons. First, consider these statistics:
My “Meal Planning for Kids” was designed to indirectly address the above issue and more.
As I am sure you already realize, knowing how to eat healthy and stay on a budget can be a challenging skill to learn. But it is SO important! By instructing your children through this curriculum,
You will be educating your children on creating a real-life budget based on real prices at a real 
grocery store.
It doesn't get any more practical than that!
Your children aren't going to simply create a budget, however. They are going to create a budget that is nutritionally adequate, calorie-appropriate, and delicious for the entire family.
One of the assignments for the curriculum is to create a 2-day menu or meal plan for a family of four. However, it can be adjusted, depending on your family's size. This is just ONE of the many assignments you will be able to schedule for your kids to do.
I am master's degree-level Registered Dietitian and I studied Public Health for my master's degree. Thus, I think it's important to focus on prevention. For example, teaching kids behaviors and choices that will lead to a healthy weight and a healthy body. When a person grows up with a healthy weight and body, they are less likely to develop diseases such as Diabetes and Hypertension.
Note, however, that this curriculum is not weight-focused. This is simply one example of how it can be applied.
My overriding goal is to teach kids important health science and nutrition principles that meet scholastic requirements and build life-long skills. And “Meal Planning for Kids” will help them to achieve health and well-being as adults.
Kids also develop research and writing skills, critical thinking, and budgeting while completing this curriculum.
LOTS of hands-on, practical activities are included in this 147-page curriculum package.
Activities include real-life skills. For example, how to pick the best, most nutritious foods, at the best price, while at the real supermarket. Kids will also learn what goes on behind the scenes at the grocery store, what influences prices, and more.
Once kids complete this course, they will be proficient at planning a menu for an entire family.
Plus, this curriculum assists kids in gaining valuable experience working as a team.
“Meal Planning for Kids” is appropriate for preschoolers, elementary, middle, and high schoolers.
So, if you have multiples, “Meal Planning for Kids” is an economical way to meet health science requirements for all the kids in your family, pre-K through 12th grade.
High school kids (9th-12th grade) who spend at least 150 hours completing this course (which is absolutely possible considering the amount of work included), will earn 1 full unit of high school credit.
The time to take advantage of this package which will teach your kids “Healthy Eating on a Budget” is NOW.
Included with this thorough course is a Bonus Activity Book which enhances the health science activities in the main course, allowing for further collaboration and time spent on subject. A $5.00 value.
*I have included in the BONUS section, the Entire set of FDA-created materials (complete with tables and a glossary) that will allow for your children to complete the questions I have included related to vitamins, minerals, label reading, the several types of carbohydrates (sugars, sugar alcohols, fiber), fats (saturated, unsaturated, trans-fat), proteins, sodium, cholesterol, and more. This will make it easier for your students to answer the lengthy and involved questions I have created to go with the FDA-created materials. (These questions could satisfy college requirements as well).
Meal Planning for Kids is a digital download/printable type course. 147 pages
Click here to purchase.
Or better yet, click here to grab the bundle and get an even better deal!
Other things on my site you might be interested in:
Nutrition and Food Science Mega Pack
What Attracts Kids to Fast Food?
Entrepreneurship and our Children
Etsy Masterclass for Teens
Seven Surprising Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Sep 8, 2021 | Nutrition and Health
Churches Can Make a Difference for Senior Immigrants: Here’s How
Moving to a new country is always challenging, but for senior immigrants, the transition is often more difficult. Older adults can have a harder time adapting to a new culture, finding a social support network, and figuring out ways to remain connected to their homeland in an unfamiliar environment. Not only does this make the transition lonelier, but it puts them at serious risk for physical and mental health issues along the way.
Fortunately, church communities have the power to make a significant difference in senior immigrants’ lives. Below, Homeschooling Dietitian Mom presents some ideas for how you can open your heart — and your community — to senior immigrants.
Offer Useful Resources
When getting to know your new neighbors, try to stay attuned to their needs and offer resources when you can. For example, if they mention they want to send money to relatives in the Philippines, you can point them toward trustworthy services that will send funds without huge fees.
A site like Remitly offers safe and speedy transfers that are either free or cost as low as $3.99 depending on how much you send. You can also offer to help them set up video chats, navigate instant messaging platforms, or create care packages to send to their loved ones. Your input can also help them find a network in their new home. For example, if they’re looking for an opportunity to take a class or connect with the community, suggest some local options.
The benefit here isn’t just the recommendation or resource itself. Although the help can be extremely valuable, this kind of active attention also shows your neighbors that they have a friend and ally. It might seem like a small gesture, but it can go a long way toward helping senior immigrants know they have someone they can turn to.
Provide a Spiritual Community
Religion and spirituality often have a key place in senior immigrants’ hearts. But it’s not always easy to find a welcoming space in a new country. Go out of your way to make your church community as immigrant friendly as you can so that people know they’re welcome to worship with you. For example, if you have a sizable immigrant population that shares a common language, consider offering services in that language to create a space where people can feel more at home.
Not every church is going to have the resources to make something like that possible. However, there are other ways you can ensure your space is welcoming. Many new churchgoers feel unnoticed or left out. Prevent this in your community by creating a welcoming committee made up of congregants dedicated to noticing and greeting church visitors. A simple, “Hello, nice to meet you!” can help visitors know they’re valued in your parish.
Invite, Introduce, and Include
Finally, try to involve senior immigrants in community activities. Make sure they know when social gatherings, fundraisers, and volunteer outings are happening and invite them to come along. Remember, however, that it’s not enough to get them there. To really make an impact and ensure you’re providing a supportive community, you need to make sure they’re truly included.
Do this by making an effort to invite them once they arrive. For example, if you see that they’re sitting by themselves or seem to be looking for a place to be, include them in your conversation or activity. This is especially helpful for immigrants since they may be hesitant to dive into social situations. They may fear inadvertently breaking a social norm. Taking the lead gives them a safe space to observe. It also takes some of the pressure off when trying to navigate a new culture all alone.
Churches Can Make a Difference
Everyone has something valuable to offer to your church community. And your congregation can do its part to make sure senior immigrants feel welcome, safe, and comfortable in their new country. These tips are a wonderful way to keep your space inviting to all. It's also a terrific way to ensure that older immigrants get the resources they need along the way.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Alyssa Strickland created millennial-parents.com for all the new parents on the block. Alyssa believes the adage that it takes a village to raise a child, but she also thinks it takes a village to raise a parent! Millennial-Parents is that village. Today’s parents can be more connected than ever, and she hopes her site will enrich those connections. On Millennial-Parents, she shares tips and advice she learns through experience and from other young parents in three key areas — Education, Relationships, and Community.
Food and Cultural Geography Sorting Mats
Religious Freedom and the Church
Online PE for Homeschoolers
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Aug 19, 2021 | Creation Education Resources, Homeschooling
We can understand why unbelievers don't hold to the literal interpretation of Genesis. But why don't people believe in Young Earth Creationism? The mystery is why do a growing number of Christians not believe in either the inspiration or literal interpretation of the first book of the Bible? Below are some reasons that I have observed over the years I have spent teaching creation science of why people don't believe in creationism:
Why Don't People Believe in Creationism?
1. Lack of Spiritual Maturity
Spiritual maturity is not measured by time and our Christian walk is not measured by distance.
Spiritual maturity is a never-ending journey to become more Christ-like.
How a person integrates their beliefs into all aspects of their lives is a good measure of their spiritual maturity. This is different from a person’s salvation. That is only dependent on their relationship with Jesus. But it can affect their witness and their Christian walk.
The key to spiritual maturity is a teachable spirit and a willingness to learn and grow, to not “lean on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Many people who today do not accept the literal interpretation of the creation story will at some point in time, eventually become mature enough to see clearly the obvious clear meaning of the test and be able to lose the chains of worldly compromise.
2. Influence by False Teachers
Those who devise these interpretations are in the position of influencing millions of Christians by their publications, Internet presence, and classroom teachings. Unfortunately, the originators of these theories also are often respected and influential teachers in our Christian schools and Seminaries.
Young people are easily influenced when professors present attractive compromises that allow for long earth ages and even evolution as additions to the Bible. One bit of leaven can leaven the whole lump. (Galatians 5:9)
3. Human Pride
How can a person have the audacity to try to correct God? First, they have to believe that The Holy Spirit did not write Genesis, or that it is merely an allegory and not to be taken literally. Then a human mind can imagine anything and fit it in-between the lines. Just like the snake in the Garden, “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1)
4. Lack of Scientific Understanding
There is an overwhelming amount of scientific proof that the earth is young. But most of the people who originate the compromising theories accept that secular science has proven that the earth is old, so they feel that they need to correct the Bible to fit into the existence of long ages.
Why Don't People Believe in Young Earth Creationism?
If the age of the earth were only a battle of facts, young earth creationism would win easily.
But it is a spiritual battle and facts get lost in emotions and false assumptions. Others, while still believers, have fallen for the lie of evolution. They do not understand the violence and struggle that evolution entails. Since they do not really understand the theory of evolution, they can accept that God used it to create the diversity of organisms on earth.
While almost all of these alternative theories are created by theologians, somehow there is a general understanding that they are created by believing scientists. Dr. Hugh Ross would be the exception. He is an astronomer who is a proponent of Progressive Creations. However, he sets himself up as an expert in Hebrew. More about that later.
5. A lack of knowledge of Hebrew and Hebrew traditions.
The Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, was originally written in Hebrew. Much has been lost in translation and opens itself to interpretation. In Genesis, the word Yom means day. It is used to recount each of the days of creation. Every time it's used with a number is a literal 24-hour day. This occurs within Genesis and outside of Genesis.
Yom occurs 2,282 times within the Hebrew Bible. Every time it meant just 24 hours, a standard day. This is the same word used nine times in Genesis 1 to depict the six days of creation.
Hebrew language and tradition uphold that this is the true meaning of the word. It cannot mean millions of years because it always means a 24-hour day.
And last, but most importantly,
6. Many people do not study Genesis or the Bible as a whole.
Many people do not study Genesis in particular and the Bible as a whole. As a result, they cannot see that the entire Bible is one consistent story from Genesis to Revelations, and that picking and choosing what is to be believed removes that consistency. One thing that all these theories have in common is death before sin. If there is not a literal Garden, Adam and Fall there is no original sin and no need for a Universal Savior.
Why Don't People Believe in Young Earth Creationism?
- The Gap theory
- The Framework Hypothesis
- The Cosmic Temple
- Progressive Creation or Day/Age Theory
- Theological History
- Analogical Days
- Ancient Science/ Mythology
Although all these theories claim to be biblical, they all are accommodations that allow for an old age of the earth. They all have death before sin, and some allow for biological evolution.
In my next post, I will discuss the Gap Theory.
5 Reasons My Son Believes in Catastrophism
Creation: Old Earth versus Young Earth
Click here to see more about Creationism and Bible study resources here.
The Unbreakable Faith Course by Pilgrim's Rock, LLC
Biomes of the World
Paleontologist Kids Activity Pack
Sunday School God Created You Series
Dr. Sharon Cargo is a retired veterinarian from eastern San Diego County. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University, and a Master’s of Science Education from The Institute for Creation Research. After practicing veterinary medicine for 38 years, she is currently an Assistant Professor at Liberty University. She and her husband Robert Davey have three adult children and seven grandchildren.
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Aug 7, 2021 | Cooking Tips, Education Materials, Food Allergies and Special Diets, Homeschooling, Nutrition and Health
Today, I'm going to tell you a little about Traditional Cooking School with Gnowfglins. This awesome online cooking school is not just about cooking. It's about healthy, homesteading, natural, back to basics, cooking. and I am in love with it!
According to the website Traditional Cooking School with Gnowfglins
“Gnowfglins” stands for:
G – God's (not man's creations)
N – Natural (not artificial)
O – Organic (raised without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers; raised without drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals)
W – Whole (not processed)
F – Foods (not synthesized chemicals)
GL – Grown Locally (not transported from far away)
INS – In Season (not out of season)
Traditional Cooking School with Gnowfglins is an online school with tons of different cooking classes. To introduce new members to her cooking school, Wardee Harmon, the owner, included one of her awesome classes, in the 2020 Ultimate Women's Wellness Bundle. This is how I learned of her, and this is what my review here is based on.
What stood out to me about Traditional Cooking School with Gnowfglins.
When I signed up for my account/membership, I kept forgetting where I put my log-in information. As a result, I kept going in through my Ultimate Bundle (UB) access link. This triggered an email from Wardee regarding whether I was having issues signing up. I also received a text on my phone. I let her know that I was already signed up but that I kept forgetting how to get in (forgot the name and such).
The school team was SUPER responsive and made sure that I had all that I needed to get in with no problems.
What I love the most is that, even though the original e-course I signed up for doesn't give me access to all the courses in the premium school,
I DO have access to a ton of stuff FOR NO EXTRA CHARGE.
For example, as you can see in the screenshot below, which is a picture of my membership page, there is an orientation course. This course helps the user get involved with the private group and it is complete with assignments and all. For example, the first assignment is to introduce yourself in the forum. I posted a couple of days ago and Wardee responded personally.
At this level you also have what is called a “Freebie Cupboard.” (See screenshots below). In this cupboard, I have access to all sorts of free cooking and recipe downloads.
Back to the e-course. I mean LOOK AT THOSE AMAZING DOWNLOADABLES THAT ARE INCLUDED at this level! Isn't that cool? The ones you can't see below the four FREE downloads shown include:
Bottom Line: You HAVE to check out Traditional Cooking School with Gnowfglins!
Click here now to grab a freebie or two.
Other Posts and Products from Homeschooling Dietitian Mom:
The Importance of Iron – What You Need to Know
Gluten-Free Cheat Sheets
Vitamin Cheat Sheets
27 Christmas Cooking Ideas for Kids
Recommended Resources
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Jul 5, 2021 | Nutrition and Health
Vitamin D is an important nutrient that is also considered to be a hormone. This vitamin/hormone is one of many that can be difficult to get through the diet. The good news is that it can be synthesized by your skin when you are exposed to high quality sunlight. If you are someone who lives in a location far north or south of the equator, you are probably not getting sufficient levels of vitamin D through the sun. So, it is important to know there are at least 10 foods high in vitamin D.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it is absorbed better with foods containing fat. This also means that vitamin D is stored in the fat in your body. As a result, vitamin D can be potentially toxic when high doses are taken in supplemental form. Therefore, you shouldn't take a high dose supplement unless you've had your levels checked first.
I am going to briefly discuss how vitamin D is measured and reported on food labels. This will hopefully alleviate some of the confusion you have when trying to decide if you are getting enough in your diet or multivitamin.
Firstly, vitamin D is measured in two ways:
-
- Using IU, which stands for “International Units.”
- Using mcg (micrograms).
A microgram is equivalent to one millionth of one gram. In contrast, 1 IU is the biological equivalent of 0.025 mcg cholecalciferol, the active form of vitamin D (D3). Note that an International Unit is a measure of biological activity and is different for each substance. So, you can't use this formula for converting retinol or beta-carotene, for example. (Dietary Supplement Data Base)
Secondly, keep in mind that vitamin manufacturers use different units of measure.
For example, we have two different multi-vitamins currently in our house. One of them, Kirkland Signature Daily Multi for adults, shows 10 mcg vitamin D (400 IU) and says it has 50% of the US RDA. On the other hand, Centrum chewable for adults contains 400 IU vitamin D, claiming this is 100% of US RDA.
So, which one is correct? It depends on who you ask. However, since the US RDA for vitamin D varies by age, it is not that simple.
Thirdly, research shows that 50% of people are deficient.
This is a controversial topic, with some doctors believing that a blood level of 50 nanograms/milliliter (ng/ml) is the optimal level to shoot for. In contrast, other doctors believe over 50 ng/ml to be potentially toxic.
For example, when my vitamin D was low some years ago, I had to take 10,000 IU a day to get it above 50 ng/ml which is what my doctor at the time recommended. My current doctor, however, is part of the second crowd, bless his little heart. He's a great doctor, otherwise, but we don't always see eye-to-eye on these things.
The Vitamin D council, which specializes in vitamin D research, is in the first group, and I'm with them. However, it is important to note there are two different blood measurements of vitamin D. Thus, it is advised that you check with your doctor to help you decipher your results.
It is important to get your blood level checked to make sure that it isn't too low OR too high.
If it is low, you will need a higher dose than the US RDA. If it is within normal levels, then you will probably do fine with 1000 IU per day. However, if you have any of the symptoms of low vitamin D, (even if your levels are 30-40 ng/ml) then speak with your doctor about a higher dose.
Click here for a Free List of 10 Foods High in Vitamin D
*GF – Gluten Free / DF – Dairy Free / MP – Meal Prep-Freezer Friendly / HP – Protein higher than 20 grams per serving
Click here for coconut sugar.
Click here for Tamari
Other Posts from Homeschooling Dietitian Mom
Diet and ADHD in Children
Preparing our Children for Worldly Images
6 Reasons You Need More Vegetables in Your Diet
God Created the Sun and Moon (product)
Whole Wheat vs White Flour Baking
Kids Cookbooks Volume 1
High school kids (9th-12th grade) who spend at least 150 hours completing this course (which is absolutely possible considering the amount of work included), will earn 1 full unit of high school credit.
Dr. Sharon Cargo is a retired veterinarian from eastern San Diego County. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University, and a Master’s of Science Education from The Institute for Creation Research. After practicing veterinary medicine for 38 years, she is currently an Assistant Professor at Liberty University. She and her husband Robert Davey have three adult children and seven grandchildren.
