Looking for fun, educational resources that teach children and adults alike about health, history, and nutrition? This collection features engaging books, videos, and activities, each offering unique insights into topics like smoking prevention, nutrition, and food traditions across different time periods and cultures. From interactive games that encourage healthy eating to captivating histories of food from Ancient Egypt to the Middle Ages, there’s something here for learners of all ages. Dive in and explore the fascinating world of food, health, and wellness!
F.A.C.T.S. for 5: Facts & Activities about Chewing Tobacco & Smoking
Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health ©1995 CATCH
A four-week, four-session curriculum designed for fifth-grade students, focusing on smoking prevention. Each 50-minute session explores the harmful effects of smoking, strategies for resisting peer pressure, the financial costs of smoking, and the impact of secondhand smoke.
Audience: Upper Elementary Health Instructors
Format: Four-session curriculum
Family Pictures: Cuadros de Familia
Children’s Book Press ©1990 Carmen Lomas Garza
This bilingual picture book features beautiful illustrations and heartfelt stories about life in a Mexican-American family. Several tales revolve around food—picking cactus, making tamales, eating tacos, preparing rabbit and tortillas, picking oranges, and enjoying watermelon.
Audience: Child Care Providers, Sponsors, Early Elementary, Parents, Preschool Teachers
Format: 32-page book
Feast for 10
Clarion Books ©1993 Cathryn Falwell
In this delightful counting book, readers follow a family as they shop and prepare a feast for ten. From one shopping cart to ten happy faces around the dinner table, the book’s rhyming text and vibrant illustrations teach counting while celebrating family togetherness.
Audience: Child Care Providers, Sponsors, Early Elementary, Parents, Preschool Teachers
Format: 32-page book
Fit For A King: The Smart Kid’s Guide to Food & Fun
American Academy of Pediatrics ©1997
This engaging and educational video introduces children aged 7-11 to the importance of good nutrition and physical activity. Through the story of a young king learning about healthy habits, the video uses the Food Guide Pyramid to show kids how to make smart choices for a diet and fitness plan that is “fit for a king.”
Audience: Elementary Students, Child Care Providers, Sponsors, Health Clinics, Physical Education Instructors
Format: 9-minute video, Leader Guide, Reproducible Activity Sheet, Food Guide Pyramid Poster
Fitness For Good Health
Perennial Education ©1994
Join Jackie, a young girl who accepts her teacher’s challenge to become her own fitness hero. This video teaches children about strength, endurance, flexibility, and the importance of rest, safety, and healthy eating habits to stay fit and active.
Audience: Lower Elementary, Physical Education Instructors
Format: 15-minute video
5 A Day Power Play: Eat 5 School Idea and Resource Kit
California Department of Education ©1994
This resource kit is packed with fun, hands-on activities designed to encourage kids to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It provides teachers and food service staff with tools to make healthy eating an enjoyable and educational experience for 4th and 5th graders. Activities strengthen connections between the classroom, cafeteria, family, and community.
Audience: Upper Elementary, Parents, Food Service Personnel, Teachers, Health Clinics
Format: Camera-ready teaching aids, Audio tape, Posters
Five A Day Bingo: A Fun Nutrition Game for All Ages
Food Services of America, Inc ©1995 Kathy Andersen
“Five A Day Bingo” is a fun way to educate players of all ages about the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. This interactive game encourages participants to try new produce while learning more about the importance of a healthy diet.
Audience: Child Care Providers, Sponsors, Elementary, High School, Adult Day Care, Health Clinics
Format: Game, 25-page notebook
Food and Feasts Between the Two World Wars
Macmillan Publishing Company, New Discovery Books ©1994 Philip Steele
A fascinating look at the food and social customs in Europe and North America during the 1920s and 1930s. This book explores the impact of technological advances and historical events on what people ate during this period.
Audience: Upper Elementary, Middle School, Teachers, General Adults
Format: 32-page book
Food and Feasts in Ancient Egypt
Zoe Books Limited ©1994 Richard Balkwill
An insightful exploration of the food culture of Ancient Egypt, detailing what people ate, how it was prepared, and how the Nile shaped their diets. This book provides a look at the significance of food in the daily lives of Egyptians.
Audience: Upper Elementary, Middle School, Teachers, General Adults
Format: 32-page book
Food and Feasts in Ancient Greece
New Discovery Books ©1995 Imogen Dawson
This book delves into the food and feast traditions of ancient Greece, showing what was eaten, how it was prepared, and the celebrations that revolved around food. It provides a glimpse into the role of food in both daily life and special events.
Audience: Upper Elementary, Middle School, Teachers, General Adults
Format: 32-page book
Food and Feasts in Ancient Rome
New Discovery Books ©1994 Philip Steele
A comprehensive look at the foods of Ancient Rome, this book explains why Romans ate certain dishes and how they celebrated with grand feasts. It also gives readers a sense of how some of these historical feasts could be recreated today.
Audience: Upper Elementary, Middle School, Teachers, General Adults
Format: 32-page book
Food and Feasts in the Middle Ages
New Discovery Books ©1995 Imogen Dawson
This book covers the eating habits of the Medieval period, explaining why certain foods were consumed, how they were prepared, and what events called for special feasts. It offers a detailed glimpse into Medieval social life through the lens of food.
Audience: Upper Elementary, Middle School, Teachers, General Adults
Format: 32-page book
Food and Feasts in Tudor Times
New Discovery Books ©1995 Richard Balkwill
This book offers a social history of the Tudor period in England, exploring the various foods consumed during this time and the methods used for their preparation. It highlights the dietary habits of different social classes, including country folk, townspeople, the nobility, and royalty, as well as the introduction of new foods due to increased travel.
AUDIENCE: Upper Elementary, Middle School Teachers, General Adults
FORMAT: 32-page Book
Food and Feasts With The Aztecs
New Discovery Book ©1995 Imogen Dawson
Delve into the social history of the Aztec Empire just before the Spanish conquest. This book explains the dietary choices of the Aztecs and details the preparation methods of their food. It also covers the significant events that led to various celebrations and feasts.
AUDIENCE: Upper Elementary, Middle School Teachers, General Adults
FORMAT: 32-page Book
Food and Feasts With the Vikings
New Discovery Books ©1995 Hazel Mary Martell
This book presents a social history of the Viking peoples in Europe, detailing their food choices and preparation techniques. It includes insights into the occasions that prompted special celebrations and feasts within Viking culture.
AUDIENCE: Upper Elementary, Middle School Teachers, General Adults
FORMAT: 32-page Book
Food Guide Pyramid Flannel Board Cutouts
These engaging flannel cutouts help students learn how to make healthier food choices. The 25-inch flannel pyramid comes with 62 movable pieces that can be placed in the appropriate food groups.
AUDIENCE: Child Care Providers/Sponsors, Preschool, Early Elementary
FORMAT: Flannel Board Food Pyramid
Food Guide Pyramid Lesson Plans: Kindergarten
Young People’s Healthy Heart Program ©1995 Sharon E. Buhr
These lesson plans are crafted for kindergarten teachers to introduce students to the Food Guide Pyramid, guiding them toward healthier daily food choices. Each plan includes age-appropriate objectives, a daily supply list, additional resources, a healthy recipe for classroom preparation, and a parent newsletter.
AUDIENCE: Kindergarten
FORMAT: Lesson Plans, Reproducible Worksheets
Food Guide Pyramid Lesson Plans: First Grade
Young People’s Healthy Heart Program ©1995 Sharon E. Buhr
Designed for first-grade teachers, these lesson plans aim to familiarize students with the Food Guide Pyramid and encourage better food choices. Each plan contains specific age-appropriate objectives, a daily supply list, additional resources, a classroom recipe, and a parent newsletter.
AUDIENCE: Elementary, First Grade
FORMAT: Lesson Plans, Reproducible Worksheets
Food Guide Pyramid Lesson Plans: Second Grade
Young People’s Healthy Heart Program ©1995 Sharon E. Buhr
These lesson plans are tailored for second-grade teachers to introduce students to the Food Guide Pyramid, promoting healthier food decisions. Each plan features clear objectives for the age group, a daily supply list, additional resources, a healthy recipe for classroom cooking, and a parent newsletter.
AUDIENCE: Elementary, Second Grade
FORMAT: Lesson Plans, Reproducible Worksheets
Food Guide Pyramid Lesson Plans: Third Grade
Young People’s Healthy Heart Program ©1995 Sharon E. Buhr
Targeted at third-grade teachers, these lesson plans introduce students to the Food Guide Pyramid to aid in making informed food choices. Each plan includes age-appropriate objectives, a daily supply list, supplementary resources, a healthy recipe for classroom cooking, and a parent newsletter.
AUDIENCE: Elementary, Third Grade
FORMAT: Lesson Plans, Reproducible Worksheets
Food Guide Pyramid Lesson Plans: Fourth Grade
Young People’s Healthy Heart Program ©1995 Sharon E. Buhr
These lesson plans are designed for fourth-grade teachers to introduce students to the Food Guide Pyramid, guiding them towards healthier daily food choices. Each plan includes age-appropriate objectives, a daily supply list, additional resources, a healthy recipe for classroom cooking, and a parent newsletter.
AUDIENCE: Elementary, Fourth Grade
FORMAT: Lesson Plans, Reproducible Worksheets
Food Guide Pyramid Lesson Plans: Fifth Grade
Young People’s Healthy Heart Program ©1995 Sharon E. Buhr
Tailored for fifth-grade teachers, these lesson plans aim to familiarize students with the Food Guide Pyramid to promote better food choices. Each plan contains specific objectives suitable for the age group, a daily supply list, additional resources, a healthy recipe for classroom preparation, and a parent newsletter.
AUDIENCE: Elementary, Fifth Grade
FORMAT: Lesson Plans, Reproducible Worksheets
Food Guide Pyramid Lesson Plans: Sixth Grade
Young People’s Healthy Heart Program ©1995 Sharon E. Buhr
Created for sixth-grade teachers, these lesson plans are designed to introduce students to the Food Guide Pyramid, helping them make informed daily food choices. Each lesson includes age-appropriate objectives, a daily supply list, additional resources, a healthy recipe for classroom cooking, and a parent newsletter.
AUDIENCE: Elementary, Sixth Grade
FORMAT: Lesson Plans, Reproducible Worksheets
Food Models for General Audience: Comparison Cards
National Dairy Council ©1994
These life-size cardboard photographs depict 185 commonly consumed foods in realistic portion sizes. Each card includes nutritional information on the back. The accompanying Leader Guide offers various activity ideas for utilizing the Food Models.
AUDIENCE: Elementary Students, High School Students, General Adults
FORMAT: 185 Food Models, Leader’s Guide
Food Pyramid Bingo
Smartpicks, Inc ©1996 Kathleen Stefancin
A fun and interactive way to learn about food and nutrition, Food Pyramid Bingo engages participants of all ages in an energetic game that teaches good nutrition. This unique bingo format features the Food Guide Pyramid structure at the top of the card for easy reference. Players will enhance their knowledge of 95 selected foods, including their placement in the Food Guide Pyramid and appropriate serving sizes.
AUDIENCE: Elementary, Child Care Providers/Sponsors, Parents, Community
FORMAT: 30 Laminated Cards, 95 Picture Squares, Checking Chart, Instruction Sheet
Food, Energy, and You
Perennial Education ©1993 Sy Wexler
This educational program illustrates how our bodies utilize energy derived from the foods we consume. Emphasizing the importance of sufficient food energy for growth and development, this edition explains how food provides energy and highlights the significance of sensible eating habits for overall well-being.
AUDIENCE: Elementary Students, Child Care Providers/Sponsors
FORMAT: 20-Minute Video
Food, Family & Fun: A Seasonal Guide to Healthy Eating
June 1996 USDA
This 122-page book features a collection of 50 recipes designed for parents. The recipes are organized by month, and each one includes a family nutrition education activity. This book is part of the USDA’s Team Nutrition program.
AUDIENCE: Child Care Providers/Sponsors, Parents
FORMAT: 122-page Book
Foods Around the World
Dairy Council of Wisconsin
Embark on a multicultural journey with this program, designed to explore various countries through food. Within minutes, you can create an engaging bulletin board suitable for any environment and adaptable for all ages. The program includes materials for studying one or all 15 featured countries, such as a map, flag, food list, and reference sheet for each country. It also provides a vibrant banner, 150 colorful food picture cards, a teacher/leader guide featuring three lessons and 20 activities for grades 2-6, and a recipe booklet.
AUDIENCE: Elementary Students, Child Care Providers/Sponsors
FORMAT: Maps, Picture Food Cards, Teacher/Leader Guide, Recipe Booklet
The Foods I Eat…The Foods You Eat
Many Hands Media ©1996
This educational program invites young children to explore a diverse world of food! Through this food and nutrition initiative, children experience various foods, discovering the similarities and differences among those that support their growth. It’s a joyful celebration of food and culture!
AUDIENCE: Child Care Providers/Sponsors, Head Start, Early Elementary, Nutritionists
FORMAT: Teacher’s Guide, Audio Cassette, Books, and Recipe Cards
Foodworks: Over 100 Science Activities and Fascinating Facts That Explore the Magic of Food
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company ©1987 Ontario Science Center
Created by the renowned Ontario Science Centre, this resource offers a blend of activities, games, and intriguing facts about food—from dental health and taste to digestion and nutrition. Discover why you feel hungry and what happens to a hamburger after your first bite. Learn what children eat for breakfast in India and why cheese isn’t a staple in Chinese cuisine. Create ice cream without a machine, start your own hydroponic garden, and delve into the fascinating stories behind chocolate, hot dogs, soda, and other favorite foods. Explore topics like fish farming, food in space, the secret life of seeds, and the eating habits of pythons, among many others.
AUDIENCE: Upper Elementary Students, Middle School
FORMAT: 90-Page Book
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Photo Cards
©1997 California Department of Education
This set includes 142 photo cards, each featuring a vibrant photograph of a fruit or vegetable along with its name in English and California-Mexican-Spanish. The reverse side of each card provides a nutrient analysis in bar graph format, serving size, preparation methods, a map indicating the main producing states, a symbol showing which part of the plant is consumed, and the names of various varieties.
AUDIENCE: Middle School Students, High School Students, Upper Elementary Students
FORMAT: 142 Photos
From Farm to Food
Pennsylvania Department of Education ©1993
This 10-minute video focuses on the origins of food. It utilizes the Food Guide Pyramid to illustrate to Pennsylvania schoolchildren where various food products originate within their state and how these products fit into the Pyramid structure.
AUDIENCE: Elementary, Child Care Providers/Sponsors, Health Clinics
FORMAT: 10-Minute Video
From Moo to You
Dairy Council of Wisconsin ©1996
In the program From Moo to You, students will join Billy on an engaging journey through pastures, barns, and dairy plants to learn about milk production and processing. The adventure continues with visits to supermarkets and schools, where students will discover the nutritional benefits of milk when paired with other foods from the Food Guide Pyramid.
AUDIENCE: Preschool, Early Elementary
FORMAT: CD-ROM, Computer Program
Get Ready, Get Set, Go for Quality Service
©1996 National Food Service Management Institute
This 1996 training module for breakfast and lunch includes a manual and a videotape specifically designed for school food service managers to facilitate employee training. It defines and elaborates on Value Added Productivity and discusses how to prepare food items using a batch process. The module also provides ready-to-use food production and product comparison forms.
AUDIENCE: Child Nutrition Professionals, School Food Service Managers
FORMAT: 80-Page Book, 14-Minute Video
The Girl Within
Ballantine Books ©1989, Emily Hancock
In this significant work, the author explores a highly discussed study within contemporary feminist and eating disorders theory. She pinpoints a critical phase in girls’ lives, before the onset of adolescence, when they establish a unique and essential sense of self, which is often lost during the process of socialization.
AUDIENCE: High School, Middle School, General Adults
FORMAT: 292-Page Book
Girls in the Nineties
Salal Books ©1994, Sandra Susan Friedman
Many middle school girls navigate physical changes and emerging emotions by concentrating on their weight and food. This innovative prevention program aims to alleviate these preoccupations before they become deeply ingrained. It serves as a resource for teachers, therapists, youth counselors, parents, and anyone who impacts pre-adolescent girls.
AUDIENCE: Teachers, Health Providers, Nutritionists, General Adults
FORMAT: 42-Page Book
Giving You the Best That I Got, Baby
Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, 1993, The Office of the Maryland WIC Program
Almost all women recognize that breastmilk is the optimal food for newborns, yet many opt not to breastfeed. This motivational video encourages women to consider breastfeeding by addressing their specific concerns and featuring role models, including the renowned singer Anita Baker.
AUDIENCE: Parents, Pregnant Women
FORMAT: 14-Minute Video
The Gluten-Free Gourmet: Living Well Without Wheat
Henry Holt and Company, Inc. ©1990, Bette Hagman
This invaluable resource is designed for those needing to cook without gluten, a protein present in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. In addition to numerous recipes, the book features chapters on hidden glutens, as well as tips for traveling and dining out.
AUDIENCE: Parents, General Adults, Child Care Providers/Sponsors, Food Service Personnel
FORMAT: 237-Page Book
Go for the Gold! In Child Nutrition
National Food Service Management Institute, 1994
This training tool focuses on enhancing quality customer service in school lunch programs. It includes lessons on providing high-quality food, marketing the cafeteria, improving communication, and refining the serving line. The accompanying video narrates strategies for effectively marketing school food services to students. This resource comprises a training manual, a professional handbook, and a video.
AUDIENCE: Food Service Personnel, Child Nutrition Professionals
FORMAT: 100-Page Training Manual, Handbook, 16-Minute Video
A Good Soup Attracts Chairs: A First African Cookbook for American Kids
Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. ©1993, Fran Osseo-Asare
This beautifully illustrated full-color cookbook is a recipe for fostering cultural understanding. It covers basic cooking tips and special African techniques for creating delightful dishes like egg curry, banku, fufu, African doughnuts, and akla, a tasty cousin of Southern hush puppies. The straightforward recipes, easily supervised, originate from the kitchens and courtyards of Ghana and West Africa. The book also provides cultural and historical notes, instructions for hosting an African-themed party with music and games, and a comprehensive glossary of West African ingredients, including where to find them and suitable substitutes.
AUDIENCE: Middle School, Elementary, General Adults
FORMAT: 159-Page Book
The Great Food Almanac: A Feast of Facts From A to Z
Collins Publishers ©1994, Irene Chalmers
This engaging reference book features over 260 entries on a wide array of topics, from airline food and cheese to farm subsidies and Queen Victoria’s wedding cake. Chalmers enhances the text with recipes, quotes, mail-order sources, lists of associations, and bibliographies. It directly addresses food concerns, including the use of hormones in cattle ranching and synthetic pigments in salmon farming, making it an entertaining and informative read for food lovers and trivia enthusiasts alike.
AUDIENCE: High School, General Adults, Teachers
FORMAT: 368-Page Book
Guide to Feeding Young Children with Special Needs
Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Nutrition Services, 1995
This guide aims to raise awareness about the unique challenges in nutrition and feeding for children with special needs. It helps caregivers develop the understanding, acceptance, and skills necessary to provide proper nourishment for these children.
AUDIENCE: Health Clinics, Nutritionists, Teachers, Child Care Providers/Sponsors, Parents
FORMAT: 95-Page Book