Amazing Athletes introduces new Power Foods section in its 2014-2015 curriculum

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Sept. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- “Power Foods” is a brand new topic that is being incorporated into Amazing Athletes’ 2014-16 preschool enrichment curriculum to teach preschool children the nutritional benefits and “secret powers” of fruits and vegetables.

Setting a goal of helping young children recognize and try a greater variety of healthy foods at a young age, Amazing Athletes owners and coaches will utilize creative, research-driven strategies to help preschool-aged students learn about new foods and establish healthy eating habits at an early age.

“The Ellyn Satter Institute found that children may need exposure to a new food 12 or more times before they will try it,” said Dr. Janee Henderson, co-founder and vice president of Amazing Athletes. “We hope that by giving children knowledge on these foods, they will be more tempted to try them when the opportunity arises.”

Each week, Amazing Athletes coaches will introduce a new power food using colorful, kid-friendly foam props of various fruits and vegetables. During the power foods section, children will learn how to identify each food item by name, color and type. The preschool students will then unlock knowledge about each fruit or vegetable even further when coaches help students identity which power -- whether it be an essential vitamin or a nutrient-rich mineral -- each food contains.

The new power foods component will be incorporated into Amazing Athletes’ existing active, sports-based classroom curriculum, which has been endorsed by leading childhood development experts at Chancy & Bruce just this year.

“We are not prescribing or endorsing any particular diet,” said Kristen Coultes, Amazing Athletes’ franchise development director. “What we want to do is to expose young children to the idea that nutritious food provides power to their bodies and that different foods provide different benefits, making variety important.”

The goal with the new nutrition component is multi-faceted. In addition to learning about healthy fruits and vegetables, coaches will also reinforce classroom learning in other areas, such as colors, vocabulary and numbers, through the interactive power foods lesson.

The enhanced Amazing Athletes curriculum brings a new level of exposure to nutrition that is essential to a child’s willingness to try new good-for-you foods that power up little bodies in a healthy way.

For more information about Amazing Athletes and its 2014-16 curriculum updates, visit www.amazingathletes.com or contact a provider near you.