Does your child eat fast food a lot? Does he have sugary cereal for breakfast every day? Does she have food in front of the television? Do you wish your child knew more about where her food came from? Or that he knew how to cook better? Would you like to change your child’s relationship with food?

In just 1 year, you can guide your child to a healthy, rewarding, relationship with food. This is not about eating “health food”, which can be as processed and unfulfilling as junk food. This is not about a diet, which is taken on to “lose 5 pounds”. This is not about accepting the status quo.

This is about changing the way your child looks at food. This is about teaching valuable life skills from cultures around the world to fractions while instilling knowledge of real food and how to include it in your child’s life.

Through a series of 52 weekly activities, your child will experience new and exciting aspects of food. By the end of the challenge, your child will eat food that is not only healthier, but tastier. Plus, your child will gain skills in the kitchen that apply to all areas of your child’s life, such as planning, budgeting, and organizational skills. Your child will learn how the kitchen can truly be the heart of the house. In addition, you will get the Your Child’s Food Monthly newsletter, with additional information to help you in your challenge.

All you need to do to take the challenge is enter your email below, and the first weekly activity will be sent to your email on May 19th.

The challenges cover 13 themes, with each theme includes 4 weekly activities. Best yet, the fourth activity is always some kind of “reward” activity that lets your child feel good about what he learned about the theme. Below is an overview of what you can expect:

Theme 1: Eating Together
We start off simple, with the act of eating together. Over the four activities, your child will learn how this simple act can bring your family closer together. Your child will learn simple steps that make meal time a special treat every day.

Theme 2: Nutritional Eating
It may seem difficult to go from where your child is to a naturally healthy diet. This doesn’t have to happen overnight. Nutritional Eating will give you a few simple steps to lead you on that path. It will also provide you with simple recipes that you can add to the dinners your child has today. This is a simple first steps theme.

Theme 3: Food Etiquette
Etiquette is about taking in consideration others feelings and needs. Your child will learn to take others into consideration, as well as some of the more complicated rules of etiquette that is needed in a more formal setting.

Theme 4: Buying Food
It can be hard to identify the healthiest options in a grocery store while staying in a budget. The simple tips in this theme will make food shopping easier, and more rewarding.

Theme 5: Kitchen Organization
If your kitchen is not organized in a way that you and your child can easily use it, neither she nor you will use it. Among other things, learn about what to have in your pantry, and how to teach your child to keep a clean kitchen.

Theme 6: Meals and Snacks
Meals and Snacks are part of a healthy diet. Your child will learn what healthy snacks to reach for, and one of the biggest secrets to eating well with food you enjoy – the weekly meal plan. At this point, if you have not already started to, you will be encouraged to start cooking complete meals at home.

Theme 7: Cooking Together
One of the surest ways to have your child like what is cooked is to have him help cook it. Cooking together with age appropriate involvement is a rewarding experience for the whole family.

Theme 8: Whole, Local, and Seasonal Eating
By this point, your child’s has a balance diet. But there is more to learn here. By thinking about whole, local, and seasonal foods, your child can experience food at both its nutritional and favorable best.

Theme 9: Variety in Foods
While a single food, such as blueberries, can be a favorite, a whole diet off of that one food is never the best diet. This will look at adding variety to your child’s food.

Theme 10: Food and Cultures
One of the wonderful things about food is the wide array based on different cultures. This Them takes a look at food origins, and the cultures behind the food.

Theme 11: Special Occasions
With the focus on bad food habits with special occasions today, it can seem like all your work will be undermined. Fear not, special occasions can add significantly to the enrichment of your child through food, as she will get the opportunity to learn.

Theme 12: Gardening
Gardening is a great way to strengthen the bond and knowledge your child has with his food. In just four weeks, and with nothing more than a windowsilll, your child will get to grow their very own food.

Theme 13: Kitchen as the Heart of the House
Just under a year ago, you took the challenge to enrich your child’s life through food. Starting with eating together, your child and you will explore ways the kitchen has become the heart of your house, and how to use the kitchen and dining room with that in mind.

Can’t wait to get started? Take the challenge today!

About Claire

You may be asking who I am, and why I am issuing this challenge to you. My name is Claire, and I was raised by an organic farmer (dad) and a fantastic cook (mom). I was raised with the kitchen at the heart of my house. As a result of this, I have a love of cooking, a good understanding of cultures, and practical experience with chemistry, among other things. I’ve since grown up, got an office job at Microsoft, moved to the suburbs of Seattle, and started to lose touch with the kitchen heart. Last May, my husband and I had a beautiful, smart, strong daughter we named Samantha. I have decided to challenge myself to get back in touch with the kitchen heart for my daughter starting on her one year birthday. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to share this challenge. After all, our children are our future. Let’s make that future a bright and healthy one.

If you are worried that my Samantha is only one, and your child is 15, don’t be. When I decided to share this challenge, I decided that if a single activity was not appropriate for children 6 months to 18 years, I would break it into several sub activities, each targeting a different age group.

What are you waiting for? Take the Your Child’s Food 1 year challenge today!