Free Resources For Promoting Healthy Eating Habits In Children

Parents and caregivers seeking to encourage healthy eating habits in children have access to numerous free resources that combine education with engaging activities. These resources include physical product samples, educational materials, interactive activities, and specialized tools designed to make learning about nutrition fun and accessible for children of various ages. This article explores the available free resources that support healthy eating habits among children, categorized by type and intended audience.

Product Samples and Free Food Items

Several companies offer free product samples specifically designed for children's healthy eating needs. These samples allow children to try nutritious foods and snacks that support healthy development.

The Dandy-Lyon brand provides free samples of their raw food kids' bites, which are presented as a healthy snack option. Interested individuals can request these samples either by completing a form or by calling the toll-free number 1-888-205-3422, as indicated on their blog page.

Enjoy Life Foods offers a free information kit focused on food allergies and intolerances. This resource is particularly valuable for parents of children with dietary restrictions, as the company specializes in nut-free, gluten-free, and vegan products. The information kit can be obtained through a survey link on their website.

Soybutter provides a free sample of their product, which is available to residents of both the United States and Canada. While specific details about the sample size or request process are not provided, this represents another option for families seeking alternative protein sources for children.

Hyland's, a homeopathic brand, offers a free calendar and coupon to families interested in exploring their product line. These materials can be requested through a website specifically designed for Spanish-speaking families, though the products themselves are likely accessible to all consumers.

Educational Materials and Activity Kits

Numerous organizations provide free educational materials designed to teach children about healthy eating in engaging ways. These resources often combine visual learning with hands-on activities to reinforce nutritional concepts.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) offers a free wildlife fun book that, while focused on wildlife, contains elements that can connect to food education through nature-based activities. The book includes brilliant pictures, things to make and do, games, and information about birds and other wildlife. To receive this book, individuals must download a form from the RSPB website and send it to the organization.

Kids Cook Real Food and Kitchen Stewardship, developed by Katie Kimball, provide a 29-page free ebook featuring 10 healthy snacks that children can prepare. The resource is particularly valuable because it breaks down recipes based on age or skill level, making it accessible to very young children. For example, the ebook indicates that even 2-year-olds can participate in making certain snacks with appropriate guidance. This resource aims to foster independence in children while teaching them about healthy food preparation.

So Delicious offers a free activity book to members who join with two UPC codes from their soy dairy-free dessert products. This approach combines product sampling with educational content, allowing children to learn about dairy-free alternatives while engaging in related activities.

The American Heart Association provides a free red dress pin to individuals who join their Choose To Move program. While not directly a food-related item, this program promotes heart-healthy lifestyles, which include proper nutrition, making it relevant to the broader context of children's health education.

Age-Specific Resources

Different resources are available depending on the age group of the children, recognizing that nutritional education needs to be tailored to developmental stages.

For very young children, including toddlers, the Kids Cook Real Food ebook provides age-appropriate recipes and activities. The creator of this resource, a mother of four children (ages 8 months, 4 years, and 7 years old), developed materials to address the specific capabilities and limitations of different age groups. This allows parents to select activities that match their child's developmental stage.

Elementary school students have access to specialized resources such as the RSPB wildlife fun book and the Choose To Move program materials. Additionally, the Kids Eat Right toolkit from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics includes specific presentations and activities designed for this age group. The elementary school materials in this toolkit consist of PowerPoint presentations with notes pages, optional activities, and a PDF class outline as an alternative to PowerPoint.

For teenagers, Healthy Eating and Nutrition Activities are available as ready-to-go, low-prep resources aligned with National Health Education Standards (NHES). These materials are part of a growing bundle, meaning that additional activities added after purchase will be available at no extra cost to those who have already acquired the resource.

School and Educational Resources

Teachers and educational professionals have access to several free resources to support healthy eating education in classroom settings.

Teachers Pay Teachers offers a variety of healthy eating educational materials, including a healthy snack foods bingo game designed for students in special education who are learning about healthy eating and nutrition. This game requires no preparation and includes 20 unique bingo boards, word calling cards, picture and word calling cards, and square and circle bingo markers. The game is also available as part of larger bundles for additional savings.

Another classroom resource from Teachers Pay Teachers is a free healthy eating and nutrition activity worksheet targeting students in grades 4 through 7, specifically focused on "Snacks." This worksheet can be incorporated into a healthy habits curriculum and helps students learn to shop for healthy snack foods.

The Kids Eat Right toolkit from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides comprehensive classroom resources for educators. This "Healthy Snacking. In a Nutshell Toolkit" contains ready-made presentations, activities, and handouts for ten different audiences, including:

• Adults (General): A 20-minute PowerPoint presentation with notes pages and an optional 10-minute activity covering the benefits of nuts and other healthy snacks.
• Adults (Athletes): Similar presentation focused on snacks for optimally fueling athletic performance.
• Coaches: Presentation explaining how nuts can help maintain energy and nutrients in athletes.
• Elementary School Students: PowerPoint presentation with notes pages, optional activity, and a PDF class outline.

Special Dietary Needs Resources

Children with food allergies or special dietary requirements have access to specialized resources that address their unique nutritional needs.

Enjoy Life Foods provides a free information kit specifically focused on food allergies and intolerances. This resource is particularly valuable as the company specializes in products that are free from common allergens, including nuts, gluten, and animal products. The information kit is available through a survey link on their website.

So Delicious offers a free activity book to members who join with two UPC codes from their soy dairy-free dessert products. This resource is especially relevant for children with dairy allergies or those following a plant-based diet, as it introduces them to dairy-free alternatives while providing educational content.

Conclusion

Families and educators have numerous free resources available to promote healthy eating habits in children. These resources range from physical product samples like Dandy-Lyon bites and Soybutter to comprehensive educational materials like the Kids Cook Real Food ebook and the Kids Eat Right toolkit. The materials are designed for various age groups, from toddlers to teenagers, and address different learning environments, including home and classroom settings. Specialized resources are also available for children with dietary restrictions or special needs. By leveraging these free resources, parents and educators can provide children with engaging, age-appropriate opportunities to learn about and develop healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime.

Sources

1. 8 Great New Freebies for Kid Time
2. Freebies to Raise Healthy Kids
3. Healthy Eating Freebies on Teachers Pay Teachers
4. Kids Eat Right Resources