Developed by the Minnesota Department of Health
LANA Preschool Program
Acknowledgements
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Minnesota Department of Health, Center for Health Promotion
University of Minnesota, School of Public Health
New Horizon Academy and child care centers
With contributions from early childhood specialists and curriculum
developers along with a professional graphic designer
*Many different individuals in the organizations listed above were
instrumental in the development, testing and success of the LANA
Preschool Study and Program.
Funded by a grant from National Cancer Institute (R01 CA59805)
Training Outline
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Overview
Daily Activities
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Weekly Activities
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Curriculum Theme Units
Periodic Activities
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Tasting
Cooking
Monthly Activities
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Food Service
Mealtime Interactions
Family materials and events
Planning & Logistics
Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Understand the importance of F/V consumption
Understand the importance of mealtime interactions
Be prepared to offer additional F/V at meals and
snacks
Be prepared to offer tasting and cooking activities
Be prepared to offer LANA curriculum
Be prepared to offer family engagement materials
and events
Why is eating fruits and
vegetables important?

Eating f/v reduces risk for cancer, heart
disease, stroke and diabetes

Eating f/v promotes healthy weight

Eating f/v is one of the most important things
to do to protect your health!
Fruit & Vegetable Serving Sizes

Adult Portions:

Child-Sized Portions:
–
1 medium piece of fruit
–
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½ cup cooked, canned,
raw fruits or vegetables
(1/2 cup = a light bulb)
Rule of Thumb: One childsized portion = 1 Tbsp. per
year of life
–
1 cup leafy greens (1 cup
= size of an adult fist)
1 Tbsp = size of an adult
thumb tip
–
2 Tbsp = size of a ping-pong
ball
–
4-6 oz. juice max per day
–
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6 oz. (¾ cup) juice
–
¼ cup dried fruit (1/4 cup
= size of an egg)
LANA Program Overview

A program for children,
parents and teachers in
childcare settings to:
–
Eight “target” fruits and
vegetable selected:
1.
Apricots
Increase children’s exposure
2.
Broccoli
to a wide variety of fruits and
3.
Cherry Tomatoes
4.
Kiwi
5.
Strawberries
6.
Sugar Snap Peas
Decrease children’s
7.
Sweet Potato
pickiness & neophobia*
8.
Sweet Red Pepper
vegetables
–

Increase children’s
consumption of fruits &
vegetables
–
Selection of Target
Fruits and Vegetables

Emphasis on vegetables

Multiple exposures to a new
food in a supportive
environment

Builds on the work of Dr. Leanne
Birch on taste preference and
acquisition by young children
Criteria for selecting F/V
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Dark green and orange vegetables
Nutrient content:
– Vitamin A, C and E, beta carotene, lycopene and
lutein
– Fiber
Availability and frequency of F/V on existing child care
center menus
Feasibility of use in child care settings
Preference data of young children from prior study
Past experience with F/V consumption of young children
Study Results
Children in the intervention group compared to the control group:
 Ate more vegetables at lunch*
 Ate more fruits and vegetables at snack**
 Ate more dietary fiber***
*p = .004 **p = .058 ***p = .023
Parents of the children who received the program reported:
 A significant increase in serving of f&v at home*
 Children ate more of the targeted f/v at home**
 Children were significantly less picky eaters
 Children were significantly less fearful of new foods
*p= .017 **p= .0001
Program Activities
1.
2.
3.
4.
Daily menu changes
Weekly tasting and
cooking
Monthly LANA
curriculum theme weeks
Periodic family events
and communication
Family
Involvement
Periodically
F/V Theme
Weeks
Monthly
F/V of the Week
Tasting & Cooking
Weekly
Menu Changes
Daily
How can children learn to eat more
fruits and vegetables?
Support for eating fruits & vegetables
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–
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Encouragement
Reinforcement
Positive interactions
Opportunities to eat fruits & vegetables
–
At lunch and snack
Modeling: seeing others eat fruits & vegetables
–
Everyone eats fruits and vegetables (friends, parents, and teachers!)
Experiences with fruits & vegetables
–
Through cooking, books, and materials
“S.O.M.E.”
Daily Activities
Menu and mealtime
Daily Activity
Goals
1. Serve four of the target fruits and
vegetables at lunch or snack
every week (Rotate so all eight f/v
served every two weeks)
2. Serve 1 or more fruit or vegetable
at snack every day
3. If allowing children to self-serve,
use age-appropriate serving
utensils
Sample Menu Changes
Lunch
Turkey
Rice w/ Gravy
Dinner Roll
Peas
Rosy Applesauce
Milk
Sweet Potatoes
Snack
Cherry Tomatoes
w/ Dip
Hard Cooked Eggs
Brownies
Milk
Menu Changes

Post the Menu for Parents
–
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Show Patience
–
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Post menus in your home or send a copy home to parents
Children are not likely to make changes immediately. Keep
offering new f/v
Help Children have Positive Experiences
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–
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Be a good role model - Eat f/v yourself!
Encourage children to take and taste the new f/v
Praise children for tasting and eating new f/v
Mealtime Interactions
Creating a supportive
mealtime environment
Parents and Children Sharing
Food Tasks
Mitchell, RA, and University of California EFNEP (1998)
Mealtime Interactions

Parents’ and Caregivers’
Responsibility:
– What food is served
– When and where food is
served

Child’s Responsibility:
– How much to eat
– Whether or not to eat
Tips for Positive Mealtime
Interactions
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Encourage through words
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Encourage through behavior
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Encourage through environment
Tips for Positive Mealtime
Interactions
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Encourage through words
–
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Encourage and praise for tasting f/v
Avoid rewarding as this can backfire
Talk positively about f/v at meals and snacks
Tips for Positive Mealtime
Interactions
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Encourage through behavior
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–
–
Be a good role model
Offer child-size portions
Involve children in preparing f/v
Tips for Positive Mealtime
Interactions
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Encourage through environment
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Offer f/v every day at meals and snacks
Give children many opportunities to taste f/v
Create supportive environment for eating f/v
Encourage children to serve themselves
To Review…
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Adults are responsible for:
What food is offered
When food is served
Where food is offered
Children are responsible for:
How much food is eaten
Whether or not they eat
Stretch Break!
Weekly Activities
Tasting and cooking
fruits and vegetables
Fruit / Vegetable of the Week

Each week, one of the
target fruits or vegetables
is “featured”
–
–
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1 tasting activity (for the first
16 weeks)
1 cooking activity (every week
during the program)
Each will be featured 3 times
during program
Provides many opportunities
for children to taste the new
fruits & vegetables
Target Fruits and Vegetables
Broccoli
Apricots
Cherry Tomatoes
Kiwi
Sugar Snap Peas
Strawberries
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Red Pepper
LANA Tasting Activities
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Purpose
–
Provide opportunities for children
to taste new fruits/vegetables in an
activity format each week
–
Help children become familiar with
new fruits/vegetables
Benefits
–
Children are encouraged to taste
small portions
–
Fruits/vegetables offered in a fun
activity format
–
No pressure to eat
–
Acceptance, increased willingness
to taste new foods
Tasting Activity Logistics

Purchase the fruit/vegetable
for activity each week
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Wash and prepare the
fruit/vegetable to be tasted

Gather tongs, containers,
gloves, napkins, plates as
needed
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Invite children to wash
hands and gather for activity

Try using Lana to announce
the activity:
“I heard you are going to
taste a vegetable today.
Can I join you? I know
what it is. Can you
guess?”

Experiment with other ways
to introduce the fruits &
vegetables
Tasting Activity Demonstration
Tasting Essentials
Top
5
List
#5
Separate Time for Tasting
Offer tasting activities
separate from meals, snack & cooking
activities
#4
Build Anticipation

Use Lana to introduce

Ask questions about
the fruit/vegetable
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Make fruit/vegetable visible
before tasting time
#3
Offer small amounts
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1 broccoli floret
1 cherry tomato half
1 sweet potato chunk
1 peapod
1 red pepper strip
1 apricot half
1 kiwi wedge
1 strawberry half
#2
Encourage, don’t pressure
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Encourage and praise for tasting
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Talk positively about fruits/veg.
“I’d like you to try it and you can
have as much as you’d like.”

Be a good role model
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Encourage children to serve
themselves - Have a bowl of
fruits/vegetable for children to serve
themselves
#1
MAKE IT FUN!
 Bring out the aprons and chef’s hats
Pick a child helper or two to serve
 Use stickers when a child tries the f/v
 Use the taster’s choice chart
 Any other ideas?
LANA Cooking Activities
• Give opportunities to
prepare new fruits/veg.
• Allow children to touch,
smell, and taste
fruits/veg.
• Increase familiarity with
fruits/vegetables
• To have FUN and
increase self confidence
• Done Every Week
• Each of the 8 targeted
fruits/vegetables will be
featured 3 or more times
• There are at least 3 different
cooking activities for each
fruits/vegetables
• Recipes range from very simple
to more complicated
• You may move from the simple
to more complicated recipes or
repeat one or two of them
Cooking Activity Logistics

Be sure to purchase the fruits/vegetables for activity each week

Make sure prep is done before inviting children to sit down for activity

Use photo cards to show the finished product
(children need a vision!)
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Demonstrate simple snacks and then have children make their own

For salads and other “community” dishes, involve children
as much as possible in measuring, pouring, and stirring

Set a regular schedule for cooking and tasting
Cooking Activity:
Mouse Tail Snack
1 graham cracker square
1 tablespoon whipped berry
cream cheese
½ strawberry
2 sunflower seed “mouse ears”
1 string of cheese “tail”
Cooking Activity Demonstration
Apricot Recipes
Broccoli Recipes
Red Pepper Recipes
Kiwi Recipes
LANA COOKING ACTIVITIES:
TOP 5 LIST
#5
Plan Ahead
DECIDE:
•
Day & time for cooking activity
BE SURE:
•
Ingredients will be available
•
Arrangements have been made
for any necessary prep
ON THE DAY OF THE ACTIVITY:
•
Gather ingredients
•
Gather other materials (photo
card, recipe, plates, etc) before
kids sit down for activity
#4
Let Kids Decide
#3
Make the Connection
#2
Demonstrate
#1
Kids as Cooks
Monthly Activities
Fruit and vegetable
curriculum theme
units
LANA Theme Units
1.
Eating the Alphabet (kiwi)
Introduces Lana the iguana
2.
Vegetarian Animals (broccoli)
Animals eat fruits and
vegetables
3.
Our Senses Teach Us (sweet potato)
Using the 5 senses to learn
about fruits & vegetables
4.
Inside Outside (sweet red pepper)
Identifying and sorting fruits &
vegetables
5.
Growing Things (sugar snap peas)
How fruits and vegetables grow
6.
Foods for Everyone (cherry tomatoes) Families eat and enjoy different
types of fruits and vegetables
Theme Unit Overview
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Offered once a month

Incorporate the weekly cooking and tasting activities with fruit and
vegetable-themed stories and other special classroom activities to
teach children about fruits and vegetables

Include at a minimum:
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Continue menu changes, cooking projects and tasting activities
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At least one activity using the Lana the Iguana puppet
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Read the feature LANA story aloud with the children
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Read at least 2 of the storybooks recommended for each theme
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Complete at least 1 additional theme activity
Program Materials
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Many of the storybooks featured in the theme units
will be available at your local library
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Other materials:
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Program manual
Lana the Iguana puppet
Fruit and vegetable models
LANA Stories
other theme-related books
Parent materials (Parent’s Talk, Take-home Kits, Theme unit letters)
Periodic Activities
Engaging
Families
Family Resources
1.
Parent letters
2.
Take-home tasting kit
3.
Parents Talk brochures
4.
Lana Stories
5.
Lana’s Favorite Recipes
cookbook
Theme Unit
Eating the Alphabet
Vegetarian Animals
Our Senses Teach Us
Inside/Outside
Growing Things
Foods for Everyone
LANA Story
Introduce Lana the Iguana
Lana & Willie Eat Lunch
Lana Plays a Trick on Tenzin
In & Out with Lana & Carlos
Lana and Alisha Plan a Garden
Lana’s Learners Activity Book
Let’s Taste Kit Parents Talk
Fruit Basket
Issue 1
Broccoli
Issue 2
Sweet Potato
Issue 3
Red Pepper
Issue 4
Sugar Snap Peas Issue 5
Cherry Tomatoes Cookbook
Special Events

Three special events:
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Team Tasting Challenge
Beginning of the program
–
Parent Discussion Group
Program midpoint
–
Family Cooking Tour
Finale
End of the program
Team Tasting Challenge

Introduces families to the
LANA Preschool Program

Children visit tasting stations
with their family

Families can receive further
information about program
activities and tips on feeding
children.
Parent Workshop

An opportunity for parents to come together
with other parents to discuss the child
feeding issues they face

Participants also learn:
–
–
the division of responsibility in feeding children
how they can help their children develop healthy
eating habits.
Family Cooking Tour Finale

Celebrates the children’s
participation in the LANA
Preschool Program.

Encourages families to explore
cooking with their children.

Children demonstrate how to
make some of the LANA recipes

Children decorate the covers of
their copy of Lana’s Favorite
Recipes to give to their families
at the Cooking Tour.
Planning & Logistics
Preparing to offer the
LANA program
Planning Logistics

As you begin the LANA Preschool Program, you will be planning
for four primary types of program activities:
–
Daily
o
–
Weekly
o
o
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Tasting Activities
Cooking Activities
Monthly
o
o
–
Menu Changes
Theme Units
Family Resources
Special Events
o
o
o
Team Tasting Challenge
Parent Discussion Group
Cooking Tour Finale
Sample Program Timeline
Week
Veg / Fruit
Suggested
Classroom Take-Home Materials
of the Week Cooking Project
Tasting
Month 1 Week 1
Kiwi
(A)
Week 2 Sweet Potato
(B)
Week 3 Sugar Snap
(A)
Peas
Week 4 Strawberries
(B)
Month 2 Week 5
Apricots
(A)
Week 6
Broccoli
(B)
Week 7 Sweet Red
(A)
Pepper
Week 8
Cherry
(B)
Tomatoes
Kiwi Smile Snacks
Kiwi
Parent Letter
Fruit Basket
Sweet Potato Parents Talk #1
Special Events
Eating the Alphabet Theme Week
Sweet potato
spread
Vegetables flowers Sugar Snap
Peas
Mousetail Snacks Strawberries
Pretend egg
sandwich
Broccoli forest
Red pepper wrap
Cherry tomato
kabobs
Apricots
Broccoli
Parent Letter
Take-Home Tasting Kit
Sweet Red Parents Talk #2
Pepper
Cherry
Tomatoes
Vegetarian Animals Theme Week
Family Event: Team Tasting Challenge
Managing Program Costs
Consider:
 Menu changes: Account for the reduced cost
of foods not purchased as well as the cost of
new food items
 Classroom activities: “foods” treated as
supplies rather than part of the food budget
 Borrow books from local library
Evaluation and Wrap up

Plans for program evaluation

Please fill out the training evaluation
Questions?
Thank you!
LANA curriculum available at:
www.health.state.mn.us/mnpan
Questions?
Health.healthyeating@state.mn.us
Taped at MTN Studios, Minneapolis
3/2010