by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Oct 7, 2019 | Education Materials
Kids Cookbooks Volume 1- Easy Food, by Sarah Watson Bean at “Love at Home Education,” is a super simple, basic cookbook to help your children get started in their cooking journey. (Post contains affiliate links).
From age 2 and up, “Cooking by Levels” offers steps to get even the youngest members of your family in the kitchen and to help them feel included, by offering simple tasks for them to successfully complete.
Kids Cookbooks, Volume 1 – Easy Food provides opportunity to build teamwork from an early age.
“A level based cookbook that teaches your kids how to cook 15 meals. From helping out to cooking full meals all by themselves.” And the recipes all look yummy too!
Five levels are provided with directions on what to give specific aged kids to do. Visuals are included and placed in appropriate places throughout the cookbook to make it easier to tell at which level each individual cooking step fits.
For example:
- Pouring for 2-4 year old kids – This level gives younger kids the opportunity to practice pouring without actually measuring ingredients. A simple black and white measuring cup picture is placed in all the places to make it clear which age group the specific task is appropriate for.
- Measuring tasks (4 years and up) are paired with simple measuring spoons. These are tasks designed to encourage your child to start reading ingredients and instructions on recipes.
- Reading and Assembling ingredients – For example, 5 to 7 year old children can look for ingredients in a recipe and then find them in the cabinet or refrigerator. These tasks are identified by a simple milk carton.
- Ingredients and directions for a recipe can usually be read at this level. Also, children can begin to choose their own recipes. The symbol associated with level 4 is a simple, black and white recipe picture.
- Doing all of the reading, gathering all of the ingredients, and cooking all by themselves. This is the last and 5th step! This step is symbolized by a chef hat. 🙂
Suggestions are offered to deal with kids starting out at older ages as well as how to help the child move up more quickly when it is desired.
This Cooking Class and Curriculum is meant to be fun, of course, and it really is!
Reading Instructions and Measurements
Cooking By Yourself
Simple recipes include:
Waffles, pancakes, and homemade multigrain bread.
Delicious oatmeal cookies and homemade granola bars
And spaghetti, hamburgers, fresh, from scratch fresh pasta, and scrambled eggs 3 ways.
(Post contains affiliate links).
Offerings by Homeschooling Dietitian Mom
Meal Prep for Beginners
Meal Planning for Kids
The Importance of Good Nutrition
Nutrition and Food Science Activity Pack
Paleontologist Kids Unit Study
Sunflower and Pumpkin Gardening and Activity Kit
Gluten-Free Cheat Sheet Bundle
Posts by Me
Homeschooling Dietitian Mom Recommended Resources
Is the Paleo Diet Biblical?
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by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Sep 30, 2019 | Nutrition and Health
10 Facts About Vitamin B12 (Post may contain affiliate links).
Vitamin B12 was first “discovered” in the 1850s.
Thomas Addison, one of the earliest researchers of vitamin B12, discovered a lethal form of anemia he named pernicious anemia. Symptoms of this disease included:
- Glossitis – (inflammation of the tongue)
- Macrocytic – (too large) red blood cells
- Numbness and abnormal gait.
There was no treatment and so patients afflicted would die.
In the 1920s, Georges Richard Minot, a practicing MD at Harvard, came up with the idea that something in food might help patients. Minot teamed up with two other MDs and they did research on dogs 🙁 to discover a treatment.
The research involved bleeding dogs and then feeding them various types of food until they determined that meats, especially raw liver, were the best treatment. Unfortunately, they did not discover what was in the raw liver and meat. They did however, earn a Nobel Prize in Medicine for their efforts in 1934.
It has taken well over 100 years to understand vitamin B12. And research continues to this day.
During the period 1934 and 1948, Intrinsic factor was discovered. This was seen as a substance in the body that was necessary for absorption of this mysterious food element, that became known as “Extrinsic Factor.”
Intrinsic factor in the stomach is necessary for absorption
Intrinsic factor is most effective when the acid level is higher. As a result, older people and persons taking antacids are at an increased risk for vitamin B12 deficiency.
Animal Products are the only Natural Way to obtain vitamin B12
Spirulina has been cited as a source of vitamin B12, and Spirulina has been shown to have numerous health benefits. However, the “B12” in Spirulina is an Analog or “Pseudo-vitamin.”
To make matters worse, this B12 analog in Spirulina also interferes with the absorption of the real vitamin B12.
Thus Spirulina is NOT a source of real vitamin B12.
Non-animal products are often fortified. For example:
- Soy, Rice, and Almond Milk
- Breakfast Cereals
Vitamin B12 is one of the water soluble vitamins.
As a result, it is easily lost when cooked in water.
Deficiency can result in psychosis
as well as spinal cord demyelination, neuropathy, and death.
Vitamin B12 is more readily absorbed when the stomach is acidic. As a result, antacids lower the absorption, and chronic antacid use can result in deficiency, especially in older persons.
B12 and Folate (Folic Acid) work together to prevent Megaloblastic anemia. As a result, it can be hard for healthcare providers to determine whether the cause is folic acid deficiency or B12 deficiency. Thus, it is important that you don't take excessive amounts of either folic acid or vitamin B12.
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US RDA of B12
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.9 micrograms – 1-3 years
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1.2 micrograms – 4-8 years
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1.8 micrograms – 9-13 years
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2.4 micrograms – 14+ years
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2.6 micrograms – Pregnancy
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2.8 micrograms – Lactation
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Seven Surprising Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
Diet and ADHD in Children
Lactose Intolerance or Protein Allergy?
6 Reasons You Need More Vegetables in Your Diet
What Interferes With Iron Absorption?
Is the Paleo Diet Biblical?
For Further Study
https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients/vitamin-b12/what-every-vegan-should-know-about-vitamin-b12+
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-spirulina#section1
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by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Sep 8, 2019 | Education Materials
Biomes of the World
Sara Bean of “Love at Home Education” has created an entire series on the different biomes of the world. These units can be purchased as one entire unit or separately. Each of the six units targets all grade levels, K-12, and there are dozens of activities to choose from in each individual unit. For example, at least one full page of links is included to supplement each of the individual biome units. These links include suggestions for subject specific books, art, as well as poetry.
All Units include:
- Reading List
- Blank Homeschool Reading Logs
- Journal
- Free Photos
- Block Letters that form the words for particular animal/plant studied.
- Mini Units
- Writing Guidelines for K-12
(Post contains affiliate links).
Interesting study of the Vikings, with fascinating supplemental activities. For example, Norse poetry, how to make Viking Bread. Also, awesome projects including making jewelry, and how to make white dye fabric. Another interesting project involves learning about the Vikings' individual style of boats.
Mini Units
- Arctic Owl
- Poppy
- Arctic Wolf
- Willow
- Lichen
- Woolly Mammoth
Three different types of forest are categorized as Biomes of the World today.
All three biomes are divided into separate units.
These units all contain mini units.
- Cocoa
- Jaquar
- Lemur
- Passion Flower
- Toucan
- Vanilla Orchid
Also included is an Aztec, Mayan, and Inca journal page.
- Azalea
- Chipmunk
- Holly
- Raccoon
- Timber Wolf
- Willow Tree
- Beaver
- Fir Tree
- Lynx
- Pine Tree
- Spruce Tree
- Wolverine
Mini Units:
- Bison
- African Lion
- Racka Sheep
- Milkweed and Monarch Butterfly
- Coneflower
- Lemongrass
Mini Units:
- Cactus
- Gila Monster
- Kangaroo
- Mesquite Tree
- Snap Dragon
- Desert Tortoise
Overall, these Units provide plenty of fun activities and food for thought and can be utilized as part of any K-12 Life Science curriculum.
Keep in mind, however, that the Biomes of the World curriculum assumes the “Continental Drift” theory is a fact. In case you aren't familiar with the idea of the “Continental Drift,” theory and the term “Pangaea.”
The “Continental Drift” theory states that at one time all the continents today existed as one big body of land. The term, “Pangaea,” is in reference to the one big body of land. The “Continental Drift” theory states that the current continents we have today are the result of the one body of land breaking apart into separate continents At a very slow rate. Thus, the “Continental Drift,” theory states that the continents existing today took 3.3 billion years to form.
Unfortunately, the “Continental Drift” theory is stated as fact in every single unit, throughout the entire curriculum.
I do accept as valid that there may have, at one time, been one large continent, or Pangaea. However, I don't adhere to the belief that the Pangaea formed at a slow rate as is stated in each of the Biome units. I believe there are other valid explanations for how the continents separated. I also believe that 3.3 billion years was not necessary to make this happen.
For example, a worldwide flood with its catastrophic conditions easily could have resulted in one big body of land being broken up into several.
In fact, the Bible states in Genesis 7:11-12, 17-20 (King James Version)
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth.
18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
Based on these verses, it is clear to me that the flood of the Bible was enough to break up “Pangaea” and that it would not have required 3.3 billion years.
To Find out more about Love at Home Education and the Biomes of the World Unit Studies, click here.
Other Recommended Resources
Paleontologist Kids Activities Unit Study
When Did Dinosaurs Live?
Why My Son Doesn't Believe in Evolution
Not All Fats Are Created Equal
Kids Cookbooks Volume 1
