Story by Jan Wolterman, Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D., and J.W. Wolterman
This is a great resource for developing healthy eating habits in children. The storyline uses a young boy, Rudi, as the main character. After gulping a breakfast loaded with sugary treats, Rudi ventures out with his mother to a grocery store. The sleepy-headed boy is awakened by an ‘All-Star Apple’ who introduces Rudi to the world of Munch Crunch Bunch Organic Garden. It’s a fantasy land where fruits and vegetables inform Rudi about the benefits of produce consumption and the ever-important lesson that fruits and veggies are not produced in factories but grow on trees or under or above the ground.
A quick lesson on the ill effects of junk food and simple ways to get physically active make this book a complete tool for learning about nutrition.
To help reinforce good eating habits and physical activity, it’s a great book for parents and teachers to use as an interactive and educational tool. The easy-to-assemble food riddle card activities (foodles) and the Munch Crunch Bunch™ board game are innovative ways to help children recognize different fruits and veggies, as it takes the boredom out of instruction.
Reading the book and having fun with the activities will help children:
- cultivate love for fresh fruits and vegetables
- make intelligent decisions about their food habits
- get off their couches and participate in outdoor sports
- educate adults in their families to make wise choices on a grocery trip!
After reading this book with your child:
- Ask your child the questions noted by the author in the storyline or modify them. For example: What would you like to eat for breakfast over the weekend? On the next grocery trip you can ask your child, “Do you see any junk foods in this aisle?”
- At the local farmers’ market, ask your child if he would like to try any new fruit or vegetable that he might not have tasted before.
- Ask your child to identify one fruit or vegetable for each color. You can use this All the Colors of the Super Market.
- Carry the foodles on a grocery store trip and ask your child to quiz you. Then quiz your child on any one fruit and a vegetable. If available, pick up that fruit/vegetable.
Treasure Hunt with the Munch Crunch Bunch
by Jan Wolterman, Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D., and J.W. Wolterman. Kid Well Enterprise. Ohio: 2006
