"My kids absolutely loved this program. It was much more fun for them to hear someone else (rather than their boring mom) explain why it's important to eat different foods. My four-year-old daughter loved getting to hear about the science behind how her food grows and the "superpowers" it gives her. My three-year-old son liked talking about the different shapes and colors of the food we were making. It was a nice bonding experience for us as a family, and the kids really did try some new foods. No, it's not going to always persuade kids to eat everything and love it. I don't love all foods either, but they were willing to try foods I never in a million years would have seen them try. They snacked on chickpeas like they eat them every day, and I actually had to tell them off from eating all the spinach I had set out! As soon as I realized MY kids were eating SPINACH, I was shocked! The lessons are short, and the recipes are easy. We were able to do the program around our hectic lives. The customer service was outstanding! It really made the whole experience positive to be able to work together to make some yummy food."
"Our family realized the true magic of the Dr. Yum Project [when] Maggie was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Thanks to the monthly lessons, she understood (at four years old!) that different foods contain different nutrients needed for a healthy body. When we explained that she was deficient in certain nutrients, she was more willing to try new foods. She knows that her new diet means that she needs to be more willing to try new things and the Dr. Yum Project has helped reinforce this."
My 4-year old learns a lot about food at preschool, but this program is so unique! For her it's about using all the senses to explore new foods in so many ways besides "just trying a bite". For me as a mom, it's learning the medical science around her developmental stages, reasons kids may be averse to trying new foods, and how to manage that patiently by a team of health professionals. Most of the tips I've learned in this program I haven't heard anywhere else and they are SO helpful to the whole family. Thank you Dr. Yum Project! Highly recommend!
Kids ages 2 - 7 can join the Adventure with a grown-up. Older kids and kids as young as 18 months kids can lend a hand too!
Dr. Yum’s Food Adventure: Home Edition is based on Dr. Yum’s Preschool Food Adventure, a monthly cooking curriculum created by a Pediatrician, a Registered Dietitian, a Pediatric Feeding Specialist, and an early education specialist to improve feeding behaviors in children within Early Childcare and Education centers since 2013. For a variety of reasons, many parents are looking at programs to enhance their children’s education at home in fun and creative ways. In addition, many are searching for ways to help improve their family’s habits around food to create a healthier environment for their kids. Our flexible, self-paced monthly lessons are based on our research-backed school curriculum to create a unique online home experience for parents to cook with their children, teach them the joy of exploring new fruits and vegetables each month, and receive professionally guided parenting strategies. As your children are introduced to the joy of fruits and vegetables, our team will introduce you to an even bigger toolbox of recipes, meal planner, our Meal-o-Matic customized recipe tool, and more on our free website, DoctorYum.org.
Yes, we do! Parents not only receive a “Welcome to the Adventure” orientation, including a primer on how to get the most out of the monthly lessons, but a 29-page Parent Manual, monthly e-letters and pre-recorded parent guidance, and quarterly live webinars with Dr. Yum (pediatrician Dr. Nimali Fernando), a Registered Dietitian, a Pediatric Feeding Specialist, and an early education specialist to help you along the journey of creating new healthy habits for your family.
Did you know learning how to eat a wide variety of new foods is a DEVELOPMENTAL process, just like talking, reading, and riding a bike? Not many do. With so many topics to cover at check-ups, parents may not get detailed guidance on feeding development. At the same time, parents are bombarded by marketing messages that kids only eat “kid food” or fast food. Often parents are not sure how to overcome picky eating in toddlers and preschoolers. Children can easily fall into eating the usual “kid-friendly foods” which are low in nutrients, but high in fat, salt, and sugar. As a result, rates of childhood obesity continue to rise, and the highest rate of rise is currently in children aged 2-5 years. Additionally, feeding issues, ranging from picky eating to more severe feeding disorders can lead to both failure to thrive and obesity. Unfortunately, feeding disorders are becoming more prevalent in young children. There are few resources or parenting strategies for parents to learn that feeding is a developmental process and how to prevent picky eating from becoming a feeding disorder in children. Dr. Yum’s Food Adventure: Home Edition fills this void.
After an initial parent orientation and training, each month kids will make friends with a new fruit or vegetable using an exciting toolbox of informational printouts and videos. Families will receive an ingredient and tool list for the month’s featured recipe, along with information about the math, motor skills, and emotional/social development components they will use at home while they watch the monthly lesson presented by a veteran early childhood educator and cook together. Dr. Yum will also provide suggested enrichment activities (art, literacy, science, movement, music, and more) so grown-ups can extend the experience with their kid(s) throughout the month. Kids can record all their progress in a Food Adventure log each month. The Dr. Yum Food Adventure: Home Edition uses a multi-sensory approach, encouraging children to participate at their own comfort level, and we teach parents language to support this proven approach. The 29-page Parent Manual is just the beginning of their support. Parents will receive a fun and informative e-letter with tips and tricks to help picky eaters and encourage a culture of food exploration in their home. Monthly pre-recorded parent guidance from Dr. Yum (pediatrician Dr. Nimali Fernando), a Registered Dietitian, a Pediatric Feeding Specialist, and an early education specialist help parents or caregivers along the journey of creating new healthy habits for their family. Quarterly live, interactive webinars with the Dr. Yum team and other parents are also included with the subscription.
We know how tough it can be to keep on a tight schedule with a young family, so we send you the ingredient list for each recipe so you can pick it up at your local store, co-op, or farmers market when it’s most convenient for you.
You can, but there is a discount off of retail price when you purchase the bundle. To order additional aprons visit the Dr. Yum’s store. There, you will also find a link to our Amazon Store to find individual items in the Adventure Tool Kit.
Our Dr. Yum’s Preschool Food Adventure curriculum’s joyful approach has been embraced by typically developing children and has also been particularly helpful in children with special needs, many of whom have feeding challenges which can lead to a restricted diet. This group of children in particular will benefit from enriching experiences with their parent or caregiver that address developmental needs and physical health.
Our Registered Dietitian provides substitution suggestions for all recipes in our collection found at DoctorYum.. She provides Nutritional Facts for every recipe as well.
The Dr. Yum Project is a pediatrician founded and led 501c3 organization on a mission to help families and communities overcome the barriers to eating well. Please visit our Who We Are page for more information.
We are here to help! Please feel free to email info@DoctorYum.org.