Increasing Food Literacy as a Means of Increasing Preschool Children’s Food Acceptance and Reducing Obesity Risk

USDA #2023-68015-39416
Administered in: College of Health and Human Development

Abstract:

The Healthy Bodies Project Plus is a child health and wellness research study funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and housed within the Department of Biobehavioral Health. The project is designed to increase children’s food literacy, nutrition knowledge, and promote healthy eating habits. We partner with early childhood education centers across Pennsylvania to train teachers to deliver our research-based curricula to preschool-aged children.

The Healthy Bodies Project Plus builds upon the pre-existing Healthy Bodies Project. All participating classrooms in the “Plus” study receive the core curriculum offered in the Healthy Bodies Project. This curriculum exposes children to different fruits and vegetables through weekly food tastings and teaches children where and how each food grows. Select classrooms also receive an additional curriculum that provides children with the skills needed to identify healthy foods and develop healthy eating habits. Additionally, parents from these classrooms are offered online nutrition education lessons focused on healthy eating.