Rainbow In My Tummy® wants to provide parents with the tools to sustain a healthy food culture at home. We believe that parents are their child’s first teacher and we want to provide resources to make it easy for parents to encourage healthy eating. Visit our resources page or blog for activity ideas and tools.
We encourage centers to introduce center-based activities designed to promote family and community wellness, as well as economic and environmental stability.
We provide teachers and staff with training that includes activities and ideas to engage their families and the community.
We provide families with healthy, family-size recipes, tips and research updates. Additionally, we train centers on how to engage parents in the creation of their new food culture.
To learn more about the Rainbow In My Tummy® program contact info@vernerearlylearning.org.
We encourage centers to introduce center-based activities designed to promote family and community wellness, as well as economic and environmental stability.
We provide teachers and staff with training that includes activities and ideas to engage their families and the community.
We provide families with healthy, family-size recipes, tips and research updates. Additionally, we train centers on how to engage parents in the creation of their new food culture.
To learn more about the Rainbow In My Tummy® program contact info@vernerearlylearning.org.
Simple Ways To Change the Food Culture at Home:
1. Involve children in the preparation of healthy meals and snacks. Children can help you set the table or wash fruits and vegetables.
2. Visit the grocery store or farmer’s market and encourage your child to pick out healthy foods they would like to try.
3. Hold a taste test! Pick out several different types of apples for example, and have your child try them all. Talk about the color, taste and size of each one.
4. Provide toys that reflect healthy choices – puzzles and books with real foods, healthy play foods, etc.
5. Sing songs about healthy foods. Have fun with it and make one up!
2. Visit the grocery store or farmer’s market and encourage your child to pick out healthy foods they would like to try.
3. Hold a taste test! Pick out several different types of apples for example, and have your child try them all. Talk about the color, taste and size of each one.
4. Provide toys that reflect healthy choices – puzzles and books with real foods, healthy play foods, etc.
5. Sing songs about healthy foods. Have fun with it and make one up!
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Working within a budget
Working within a budget doesn’t mean that you can’t eat healthfully. In fact, many centers that have implemented Rainbow In My Tummy® report that their food costs have remained flat or have even decreased. There are a number of reasons for this, including strategic meal planning. Both the children and teachers that have implemented the program report that children are eating better and they are wasting less food than before. In a childcare center or in your own household, there are a number of ways that you can eat smart and save money.
Menu planning is key to saving money on your grocery budget. When you plan a menu, you can enter the store with a specific grocery list to avoid those extra items from falling into your cart. Take a look at a Sample Menu.
Go Meatless one or two days a week. Use alternative proteins such as beans or eggs for your main dish. Both beans and eggs are packed with protein and are much cheaper than meat. Try black beans and rice, egg salad or bean based stews. Our White Bean and Spinach Stew recipe is hearty, delicious and easy on your wallet.
Buy bulk items that have a long shelf life such as sugar, flour, rice and dried or canned beans. You can even buy larger family sized packs of meat and freeze individual portions. Having these staples on hand will make it easier to put together a meal instead of ordering take out.
Shop In Season. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often slightly more expensive than their canned counterparts, but shopping seasonally can reduce these costs. With a quick online search, you can find charts to identify fruits and vegetables that are in season in your area. If they are on sale, pick up a few extra pieces that aren’t ripe and store them for later use. Visit the USDA’s website for a list of seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Menu planning is key to saving money on your grocery budget. When you plan a menu, you can enter the store with a specific grocery list to avoid those extra items from falling into your cart. Take a look at a Sample Menu.
Go Meatless one or two days a week. Use alternative proteins such as beans or eggs for your main dish. Both beans and eggs are packed with protein and are much cheaper than meat. Try black beans and rice, egg salad or bean based stews. Our White Bean and Spinach Stew recipe is hearty, delicious and easy on your wallet.
Buy bulk items that have a long shelf life such as sugar, flour, rice and dried or canned beans. You can even buy larger family sized packs of meat and freeze individual portions. Having these staples on hand will make it easier to put together a meal instead of ordering take out.
Shop In Season. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often slightly more expensive than their canned counterparts, but shopping seasonally can reduce these costs. With a quick online search, you can find charts to identify fruits and vegetables that are in season in your area. If they are on sale, pick up a few extra pieces that aren’t ripe and store them for later use. Visit the USDA’s website for a list of seasonal fruits and vegetables.