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dr. yum's food adventure: home edition

Your Kitchen Classroom
for PreK - 2nd grade (& a Grown Up!)

Picky Eater Prevention and Intervention! Subscribe Now! » Already an adventurer? Access here »

monthly lessons and videos

Introduces children to fruits and vegetables through monthly sensory-based approach with cooking and other extension activities.

expert guidance for parents

Provides expert training and guidance for parents and caregivers to participate in the lessons with their children.

tips on helping picky eaters

Families can access our team of child specialists through monthly tips and quarterly webinars on how to raise healthy, happy eaters.

teaches kids the power of food

Helps children to build a base of healthy eating habits and shows them how the superpowers in fruits and vegetables help their bodies and minds.

teaches cooking for life

Starting as early as 18 months, children can help in the kitchen. The Adventure builds foundational cooking skills and an interest in preparing healthy foods.

shows kids how food grows

Teaches children where their food comes from and how it grows.

reinforces early childhood skills

Serves as a creative supplement to other early childhood curricula and reinforces cognitive and developmental skills like language, math, fine motor skills, and more, all while making friends with healthy foods.

inclusive of kids with special needs

We understand kids with special needs may have additional challenges when learning to eat new foods. The Adventure is designed to help children with a range of abilities, including those with special needs to make friends with food using a fun, sensory-based approach.

flexible program for the family

Offers a flexible, self-paced, and economical program the whole family can enjoy together while building a culture of wellness in the home.

Adventure Tool Kit

Subscribe Now!

Already an adventurer? Access here »

• 12 month subscription to Dr. Yum's Food Adventure (also available separately)

• "Welcome to the Adventure" orientation, including a primer on how to get the most out of the monthly lessons (including suggested multi-sensory and cross-disciplinary teaching points, enrichment activities and a Food Adventure Log)

• our 29-page Parent Manual

• monthly e-letters

• pre-recorded parent guidance

• quarterly live webinars with Dr. Yum Project Team of Experts

• Dr. Yum Apron

• 2 child safe dog knives

• mini cutting mat

• EZPZ Happy Mat

• Yum Score magnet

• Raising a Healthy Happy Eater by Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH, (“Dr. Yum”) a pediatrician and founder of the nonprofit The Dr. Yum Project, and Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP (“Coach Mel”), a certified speech-language pathologist specialized in pediatric feeding

testimonials

"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!

frequently asked questions

What age is Dr. Yum’s Food Adventure for?

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!

How is this different from other Kids Cooking Clubs?

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.

Do you provide a parent orientation?

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.

Why parent education on healthy eating is important

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.

What’s included?

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.

Is food included?

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.

Can I buy additional aprons and/or items in the Adventure Tool Kit separately?

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.

Is this appropriate for my child with special needs?

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.

What if our family has food restrictions?

Our Registered Dietitian provides substitution suggestions for all recipes in our collection found at DoctorYum.. She provides Nutritional Facts for every recipe as well.

What is The Dr. Yum Project?

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.

What if I have additional questions?

We are here to help! Please feel free to email info@DoctorYum.org.