December 4, 2008

Dear Parents and Families

My name is Urooj Afzal-Uddin, and I have just completed my practicum in the OAM Classroom. I have truly enjoyed my experience. I have created this book as a gift of appreciation to the staff and families who have all made this a valuable learning experience for me.

I got the idea for this project from my passion for food and health, which I decided to merge with my interest in working with families and children. I wanted to create something that would be beneficial and wholesome to the families and staff (pun intended). I have taken several Nutrition courses here at UT which have cultivated my interest in health and food science.

I was born in Dallas, Texas, and have been living in Houston for the past 7 years. Having lived overseas for most of my life I am fortunate to have diverse social experiences. Although I am the youngest in my immediate family, I have 12 younger cousins, who have greatly contributed to my experience with children. The School of Human Ecology here at UT has offered me a highly valuable education to further my interests in both nutrition and child development. My interests/hobbies include cooking, swimming, painting, reading articles online, and spending time with my family and friends.

During my head teaching in the OAM classroom, I incorporated my interest of healthy eating in some of the activities I planned. With the help of the families contributing food advertisement cutouts, I was able to create a fun food group sorting game for the class on a large Food Pyramid I made. Through this game I introduced the children to vitamins and what they do for our bodies. Later in the semester, I had a healthy vs. unhealthy food game where the children made their decisions about which foods we should eat a small amount of (the unhealthy with less vitamins) and which foods we should eat a large amount of ( the healthy food with more vitamins). I hope that this book will not only be appealing for parents but for the children also. I believe that learning and interest go hand in hand, and when children enjoy what they’re doing, the experience is all the more significant. Not only does this go for learning objectively, but I believe it also applies to social and emotional aspects of development. When I was growing up, the kitchen was a place that harbored some of the best memories with my family.

I have arranged the recipes by food group, and some are chosen particularly because I know the children enjoy those ingredients. I have also included a section on tips on hygiene in the kitchen, incorporating children in the kitchen, and local restaurants in Austin that are healthy and children friendly.

It has been an honor for me to work at this lab school and I hope that this compilation will bring fun and priceless memories to you and your families. I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.

Sincerely,

Urooj Afzal-Uddin