Holiday Food and Nutrition Resources

This publication has been prepared for nutrition educators interested in materials on food and nutrition during the holidays. These materials were gathered in an effort to provide ideas or a starting point for preparing nutrition education theme events during holidays or celebrations. A concerted effort was made to find materials addressing diverse food-related celebrations such as African, Asian, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Mexican, Muslim and Native American.

There are very few resources on holidays exclusively dedicated to food and nutrition topics; most often they are mingled in with non-food related celebratory activities. Due to scarcity of existing materials, such resources were included in the list.

The resource list is divided into three parts. Part One lists electronic resources, such as full text online items, relevant websites or organizations with an online representation. Part Two covers journals articles. Part Three lists more tradition a l library resources such as books, curricula, and videotapes. Most of the following subheadings are used throughout: Calendars, Curricula/Teaching Aids/Games/Quizzes, Food Safety, Food Traditions, Healthy Eating, Holiday Cooking and Weight Control.

The resources listed contain accurate nutrition information and are available nationwide. Opinions expressed in the publications do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Your local library or bookstore can help you locate these resources. Contact information is provided for web sites and organizations.

Resources that are part of the National Agricultural Library (NAL) collection have an NAL call number listed. Lending and copy service information can be found at http://www.nal.usda.gov/services/request.shtml. Materials cannot be purchased from the Library. Please contact the publisher/producer if you wish to purchase any materials on this list.

1. Internet Resources

Calendars

Commercial Educational Resources

Food & Health Communications, Inc.
Compare the Plates - 2 color overheads
Healthy, Happy Holidays - A SHOW FOR WEIGHT CONTROL
Holiday 2001 Presentation Kit
Holiday Pyramid - 1 color overhead
Holiday Pyramid Poster/Handout Set
Lighten Up for the Holidays
Modify it Well for the Holidays - 3 color overheads
Pierre the Holiday Pear Puppet
Web site: http://www.foodandhealth.com/holiday.shtml

Food Safety

Playing It Safe With Eggs
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, February 2001
Web site: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fs-eggs.html

Home for the Holidays: Preventing Foodborne Illness at Family Gatherings
Paula Kurtzweil Walter
FDA Consumer Magazine, November/December 2000
Web Site: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2000/600_food.html

Turkey Anytime: Recipes for Turning Leftovers into Planned-Overs
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County, October 2001
Web site: http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/turkey.htm

Food Traditions

Games/Activities/Databases/Quizzes/Instructional Materials

Chill Out Over the Holidays: Bake Ahead & Freeze!
Food Science Institute, Department of Animal Science and Industry, Kansas State University
Web site: http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftnvdc99.htm

EvaluTech
EvaluTech is a searchable database that contains more than 7000 reviews of instructional materials recommended for classroom use in kindergarten through grade 12. Materials for the following holidays might be found: Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Hanukkah, Passover, Purim, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Thanksgiving, and Valentine's Day.
Key in "holidays" on the search index page's keyword field.
Web site: http://www.evalutech.sreb.org/

General Resources

Holidays & Special Occasions: Easter, Passover, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah,
Christmas, etc.
Provides holiday information including food-related topics.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service
Web site: http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/FieldOps/Cgs/holidays.htm

Holiday Cooking

Cooking Ahead For Holiday Meals
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County, November/December 2001
Web site: http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftn-d01.htm

Handling Holiday Leftovers When Dining Out
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County, November/December 2001
Web site: http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftdec00.htm

Seasonal Features of Special Interest to Writers and Food Handlers: Holiday
Food Safety and Inspection Service, December 2001
Web site: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/hotpacks.htm

Images/Art/Photos

Organizations/Institutions

United States Department of Agriculture
USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555
E-mail: mphotline.fsis.usda.gov
Web site http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ click on Food Safety Education and Consumer Information

Video Clips/Lesson Plans/Thematic Units/Quizzes

Food Safety Advice On Cooking For Groups (1:52.5), April 2001
Food Safety For Holiday Buffets (2:06), December 2001
Sending Perishable Food by Mail (2:00), November 2000
Turkey Basics from USDA Hotline (2:06), November 2001
USDA Says Use "Thermy" For Turkey Safety & Quality (2:00), November 2001
Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA
Web site: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/vnrmenu.htm

Weight Control

Controlling Holiday Weight Gain
Contents:
Agent information sheet: Holiday Weight Gain
Consumer Fact Sheet: Maintaining Your Weight During the Holiday Season
News release: Sound nutrition can help control holiday weight gain
Texas Cooperative Extension, November 2001
Web site: http://fcs.tamu.edu/food_and_nutrition/nutrifacts/issue14.PDF

2. Journal Articles

Curricula/Lesson Plans/Thematic Units

Celebrating the Season
Kay Winters, et al.
Learning, 21 (4 ):30-33. November/December 1992.
Summary: Presents a collection of holiday-related winter activities for elementary students. November activities celebrate the Great American Smokeout, National Children's Book Week, National Geography Awareness Week, and Thanksgiving. December ac t ivities celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the coming of snow. Hands-on activities include cooking, crafts, time capsules, bulletin boards, and writing.

Holiday Videos Media Corner
Joseph A. Braun and Wayne Benenson
Social Studies and the Young Learner, 6 (2): 27-28. November/December 1993.
Summary: Reviews recommendations from the National Council for the Social Studies which state that teaching about holidays can motivate students as well as teach about cultures. Reviews three videotapes (among them "The Jewish Holidays Video Guide " designed for use in elementary schools. Includes a content summary and a discussion of strengths and concerns about each video.
Accompanying material: The Jewish Holidays Video Guide, 75 min, 1987, Tapeworm Distributors, http://www.tapeworm.com/, 1-800-367-8437.

Sharing Hanukkah with Young Students
F. Honroe Gitelman
Social Studies ; 88 (1): 39-41. January/February 1997.
ISSN: 0037-7996
Summary: Describes a Jewish teacher's presentation on Hanukkah for a group of Gentile elementary students. The presentation covers the history of the holiday as well as activities involving toys, food, and memorabilia. Includes a list of resources for teaching about Hanukkah.

Diabetes

Game Plan for the Holidays
Jill West
Diabetes Forecast, Alexandria, VA: American Diabetes Association, December 1992, 45 (12): 36-39.
NAL Call Number: RC660.A1D5
Summary: This article gives suggestions for how to keep control of blood sugar and diabetes during holiday periods. Careful eating patterns and exercise are the best approach.

Situational Obstacles to Adherence for Adolescents with Diabetes
David G. Schlundt
The Diabetes Educator, 20 (3): 207-211. May/June 1994.
NAL Call Number: RC660.A1D522
Summary: Twenty adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were interviewed to obtain samples of problem situations that create obstacles to dietary adherence. The resulting 57 situations were analyzed using a reliable coding system to d e termine the presence or absence of 28 stimulus features. A hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify 10 relatively homogeneous categories of obstacles to dietary adherence: being tempted to stop trying; negative emotional eating; facing forbidde n foods; peer interpersonal conflict; competing priorities; eating at school; social events and holidays; food cravings; snacking when home, alone, or bored; and social pressure to eat. Diabetes educators should consider an individual's ability to cope wi t h this array of obstacles to adherence when individualizing treatment. Dietary intervention then can be personalized to address specific situational obstacles.

Food Preparation

Brunching Through the Holidays
Patricia Cobe
Forecast for Home Economics, 24 (3): 56,81-82. November 1978.
Summary: When the hectic holidays leave little time for cooking and entertaining, an informal brunch can be a welcome change of pace. An easy and elegant fare which can be prepared ahead of time with just a tiny bit of last-minute preparation and r eheating is pictured. Recipes are provided for each item: carrot-yogurt soup, winter fruit salad, crustless quiche, sugar and spice puffs, cranberry-citrus nectar, and blender cappuccino. Planning and preparing a holiday brunch are suggested as activitie s for home economics classes.

Happy holidays
Jeanne Johnson Perriseau
Vegetarian Times, (196): 34-38, 40, 42. December 1993.
NAL Call Number: TX392.A1V44
Summary: This article describes a festive, elegant vegetarian buffet for a holiday party crowd.

Healthy Hints for the Holidays
Colleen Farley and C. W. Post
Living Better, Plainview, N.Y.: Home Economics Division, Cooperative Extension Association, Nassau County, 3-4. November/December 1991.
NAL Call Number: TX24.N7L58
Summary: This article addresses the following issues: holiday party hints, hints for when you are the host, hints for eating at a restaurant, and holiday cooking substitutions.

Holiday Celebrations
Weight-Watchers, 25 (4):32-45. April 1992
NAL Call Number: RC628.W4
Summary: Easter and Passover menu planning and recipes with nutrient content and food exchanges are included in this article.

Holidays Make Lunch a Meal Worth Celebrating
Pam Williams
School Foodservice Journal, 40 (9): 43. November 1986.
NAL Call Number: 389.8-SCH6
Summary: To enhance the value of school lunches, a school district in Richfield, Utah dresses staff, cafeteria and menus according to holidays. Students on both elementary and secondary levels become involved planning and preparing such delicacies as Witch's Broomsticks, Spook Juice, or heart-shaped cakes as a holiday dictates. Other days, such as National Goof Off Day or Albert Einstein's birthday provide students with an additional opportunity for special meals sharing.

The Wonder of Cookies
Miyoko Nishimoto.
Vegetarian Times, (172): 38-42, 44-45. December 1991.
NAL Call Number: TX392.A1V44
Summary: The author describes Christmas food traditions in Japan and the pleasure of discovering new traditions in America. Holiday cookie recipes with nutrient content are included.

Food Traditions

Celebrating Rosh Hashanah
Lillian Kayte
Vegetarian Times, (193): 58-65. September 1993.
NAL Call Number: TX392.A1V44
Summary: This article presents a traditional Rosh Hashanah meal, including nutrient analysis.

Japanese Festival Foods
Julia Y. Wada, Barbara Pogosian, Yumi Sato, and Louis E. Grivetti
Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 38 (4): 307-350. 1999.
Summary: More than 100 foods associated with 21 Japanese festivals were examined in 2 populations: elderly Japanese living in Yamaguchi and Hiroshima (n=154) and elderly Japanese-Americans born in Yamaguchi or Hiroshima, currently residents of Los Angeles, California (n=54). More Japanese-Americans than Japanese respondents considered rice cakes, sushi, and vegetables mixed with meat/chicken as foods traditionally associated with New Years Day, Adult Day, Girl's Day, and Cherry Blossom Festival. I n contrast, significantly more Japanese than Japanese-Americans reported no foods were associated with these holidays, or with Star Festival, Festival of Joy (Obon), weddings, or for the 60th birthday (Kanreki). Japanese respondents regularly associated 6 foods with New Years Eve, spring equinox, and celebrations for 3, 5, and 7 year olds: buckwheat noodles, candy, devil's tongue herb, sardines, whale meat, and glutinous rice coated with sweet red-bean paste. While Japanese-American respondents continued t o eat traditional foods on most Japanese festival days, they evolved in the United States a mixed cuisine pattern that blended Japanese, Western, and Chinese ethnic foods when celebrating Christmas, Thanksgiving, and weddings.

Traditional Food East and West of the Pennines
Peter C.D. Brears and Anne C. Wilson
Leeds Symposium on Food History and Traditions (3rd:1988).
Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, 1991.
NAL Call Number: GT2853.G7T73--1991
Pages: 93 - 114 (Calendar Customs)
ISBN: 074860118X
Summary: Discusses the history of food in the northern part of England. Regional cooking and dishes are discussed, including the effects of outside contacts, printed cookbooks, changes in customs and cooking facilities, holidays, and renewed inter e st in traditional dishes.

Weight Control

Changes in Nutritional Status in Adults over Christmas 1998
Reid-R; Hackett-AF
Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 12: 6, 513-516. 1999.
Summary: Anecdotal evidence suggests that Christmas often leads to positive energy balance and a deterioration in nutritional status but there have been few studies. 26 adults (17-59 years old) completed anthropometric, blood pressure and total bl o od cholesterol measurements before and after the Christmas holiday. An increase in mean weight occurred (0.93 kg) despite 5 subjects being ill. Diastolic blood pressure increased most (8%) with 6 subjects being classified as mildly hypertensive after Chr i stmas vs. 2 before. This might be explained by alcohol intake and/or changes in insulin secretion/resistance.

The "Christmas Factor" Doesn't Impair Weight Loss in Well Motivated Obese Patients
S. Bertoli, et al.
Clinica Dietologica, 27: 1-2, 13-14. 1999.
Summary: Weight loss induced by a low calorie diet in 2 different periods of the year, one of which included Christmas time were compared. Two groups of 21 obese adults were selected, group A began their diet therapy in September/October and group B in January/February. Therapy consisted of a diet with a energy deficit of 1000 kcal with respect to maintenance energy requirements. All patients underwent a 5 month dieting period with monthly control visits and telephone contact. At the end of the tr e atment there was no significant difference between the absolute weight change of the 2 groups (A=9.4±-5 kg; B=8.1±-5.4 kg). Mean weekly weight loss showed a tendency towards a progressive reduction with time in both groups without a significant differenc e between the Christmas period and the analogous time period of group B (_3 months after the start). It is concluded that weight loss is not affected by the Christmas period. This is probably due to the fact that the personalized diets are well accepted a n d good compliance is encouraged by the constant support of the nutrition team.

The Christmas Factor in Obesity Therapy
Ingalena Andersson and Stephan Roessner.
International Journal of Obesity, 16(12): 1013-5. December 1992.
Summary: The effect of Christmas time on body weight development was measured in 46 obese patients in maintenance therapy at the Obesity Unit of the Karolinska Hospital and in 76 hospital staff controls of similar sex and age distribution. In cont r ols a statistically significant weight increase of 0.4 +/- 0.8 (s.d.) kg (P < 0.001) was found, whereas the mean increase in the obese patients of 0.6 +/- 2.4 kg was not statistically significant. Little variation in weight development over Christmas w as found in controls, whereas the weight change in the obese group ranged from +6.1 to -8.8 kg over the 2-3 weeks. Seasonal variation in body weight has been attributed to circadian rhythms. Cultural food habits may also play a role.

Coping with Calories at Christmas
Marilynn Burger and Connie Auran.
Journal of Nutrition Education, 18 (6) p. 264A. December 1986.
NAL Call Number: FNC TX341.J6
Summary: Christmas holidays are a time of mixed emotions: anticipation of the happy time, and apprehension over the abundance of food with inevitable weight gain. To help cope with this dilemma, this article reviews available handouts that give ti p s on going through buffet lines, reducing alcohol consumption, and other weight-control measures. A sample section from a handout is included, as well as ordering information.

Happy Holidays (Without Weight Gain)
Melinda Hemmelgarn.
Small Farm Today, 12 (6): 47-48. December 1995.
NAL Call Number: S1.M57
Summary: Several holiday health strategies are being addressed in this article including adapting traditional recipes, controlling portions painlessly, going easy on booze, exercising, and giving yourself a break. The article also includes recipe s for a healthy and festive holiday party such as crab-stuffed mini pitas, fresh fruit with honey lime dip etc.

Holiday celebrations
Weight Watchers, 25 (4): 32 - 45. April 1992.
NAL Call Number: RC628.W4
Summary: Easter and Passover menu planning and recipes with nutrient content and food exchanges are included in this article.

Holiday Weight Gain: Fact or Fiction?
Susan B. Roberts and Jean Mayer.
Nutrition Reviews, 58 (12): 378-9. December 2000.
Summary: The prevalence of obesity continues to rise and controversy remains regarding the underlying specific causes of this trend. Recently, the magnitude of holiday weight gain and its contribution to annual weight gain were examined in a conve n ience sample of 195 adults. On average, weight gain during the 6-week winter period from Thanksgiving through New Year averaged only 0.37 kg. However, weight gain was greater among individuals who were overweight or obese, and 14% gained >2.3 kg (5 lb ) . In addition, among the entire population, weight gain during the 6-week holiday season explained 51% of annual weight gain. These results suggest that holiday weight gain may be an important contributor to the rising prevalence of obesity, even though a bsolute values for weight gain in this study were less than anticipated. Further studies using representative populations are needed to confirm these findings.

How Can Obese Weight Controllers Minimize Weight Gain During the High Risk Holiday Season? By Self-monitoring Very Consistently
Kerri N. Boutelle, Daniel S. Kirschenbaum, Raymond C. Baker, M. Ellen Mitchell.
Health-Psychology, 18 (4): 364-8. July 1999.
Summary: This study examined the efficacy of augmenting standard weekly cognitive-behavioral treatment for obesity with a self-monitoring intervention during the high risk holiday season. Fifty-seven participants in a long-term cognitive-behaviora l treatment program were randomly assigned to self-monitoring intervention or comparison groups. During 2 holiday weeks (Christmas-New Years), the intervention group's treatment was supplemented with additional phone calls and daily mailings, all focused o n self-monitoring. As hypothesized, the intervention group self-monitored more consistently and managed their weight better than the comparison group during the holidays. However, both groups struggled with weight management throughout the holidays. Thes e findings support the critical role of self-monitoring in weight control and demonstrate the benefits of a low-cost intervention for assisting weight controllers during the holidays.

Just How Nutritious Is Your Christmas Dinner?
Claire Ridley
Hexham General Hospital, Northumberland.
Community Nurse, 4(11): 11-12. December 1998.
Summary: The author explains the nutritional content of the traditional Christmas meal and ways in which excessive indulgence can be avoided during the festive period.

A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain
Jack A. Yanovski et al.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 342 (12): 861-867. March 2000.
Summary: Background : It is commonly asserted that the average American gains 5 lb (2.3 kg) or more over the holiday period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, yet few data support this statement. Methods: To estimate actual holiday-related weight variation, we measured body weight in a convenience sample of 195 adults. The subjects were weighed four times at intervals of six to eight weeks, so that weight change was determined for three periods: preholiday (from late Septem b er or early October to mid-November), holiday (from mid-November to early or mid-January), and postholiday (from early or mid-January to late February or early March). A final measurement of body weight was obtained in 165 subjects the following Septembe r or October. Data on other vital signs and self-reported health measures were obtained from the patients in order to mask the main outcome of interest. Results: The mean (±SD) weight increased significantly during the holiday period (gain, 0.37± 1 .52 kg; P<0.001), but not during the preholiday period (gain, 0.18±1.49 kg; P=0.09) or the postholiday period (loss, 0.07±1.14 kg; P=0.36). As compared with their weight in late September or early October, the study subjects had an average net weight g ain of 0.48±2.22 kg in late February or March (P=0.003). Between February or March and the next September or early October, there was no significant additional change in weight (gain, 0.21 kg±2.3 kg; P=0.13) for the 165 participants who returned for foll o w-up. Conclusions: The average holiday weight gain is less than commonly asserted. Since this gain is not reversed during the spring or summer months, the net 0.48-kg weight gain in the fall and winter probably contributes to the increase in bod y weight that frequently occurs during adulthood.

Weight Control During the Holidays: Highly Consistent Self-monitoring as a Potentially Useful Coping Mechanism
Raymond C. Baker and Daniel S. Kirschenbaum.
Health Psycholology, 17(4): 367-70. July 1998.
Summary: The study examined the extent to which trait self-monitoring (the systematic observation and recording of target behaviors) was related to weight control during the high-risk holiday season. The participants (32 women, 6 men) averaged 223 . 1 lbs (101.41 kg), 57.2% overweight, 50.2 weeks of participation, and 21.3 lbs (9.68 kg) lost at the beginning of the study. Consistency of self-monitoring and weight changes were assessed for 3 holiday versus 7 non-holiday weeks. Analyses of variance (C o nsistency of Self-Monitoring Groups x Holiday/Nonholiday Weeks) revealed that participants gained 500% more weight per week during holiday compared with nonholiday weeks. Only participants in the most consistent self-monitoring quartile averaged any weig h t loss over the 10 weeks of the study and during the holiday weeks.

3. Books, Curricula, Videotapes

Curricula/Childrens' Books/Teaching Aids

Multicultural Projects Index: Things To Make and Do To Celebrate Festivals, Cultures, and Holidays around the World
Mary Anne Pilger
Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 2001.
Summary: This book is designed to help educators introduce students to the diversity of people around the world through creative, hands-on activities based on cultural traditions. It offers teachers, librarians, and parents access to 28,000 lear n ing projects from 1,736 sources commonly found in most public and school libraries. Costumes, decorations, foods, handicrafts, songs, dance, and festival and holiday customs are some of the projects than can be used to extend learning across the curricul u m. The activities are intended for elementary and middle school children. See order information at Web site: http://www.lu.com/showbook.cfm?userid=70736684&titleid=674

Celebrating Mexico
Erin Myers
U.S. District of Columbia: Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad Program, 2000.
Summary: This curriculum unit introduces students in grades K-8 to the Day of the Dead (November 2), one of the Mexican holidays. The unit lesson of most interest to the nutrition educator is the first one entitled "Classroom Altar". It contains f ood preparation activities with step-by-step instructions. See ERIC Database Web site: http://ericir.syr.edu/plweb-cgi/fastweb?getdoc+ericdb2+ericdb+1061839+0+wAAA+%28celebrating%26Mexico%29

Adventures with Mighty Egg: An Integrated Curriculum Unit Designed for Grades K-3
Park Ridge, IL: American Egg Board, 1993.
Curriculum guide, 1 wall chart, 8 activity sheets, 2 sheets stickers, 1 evaluation form
NAL Call Number: Kit No. 276
Summary: One of the 8 lesson plans in this curriculum for grades K-3 features eggs as part of international holiday celebrations. Content skills include those related to art, social studies, multicultural studies, language arts, writing and litera t ure. Other lesson plans deal with egg production, simple science experiments using eggs, egg cookery and math skills, nutrition and story writing with an egg theme.

International Holidays and Observances: A Resource Guide for English as a Second
Language Teachers
Martha L. Berg
Harrisburg, PA: Catholic Charities, Diocese of Harrisburg, Immigration and Refugee Services,
1992.
Summary: This booklet describes holidays and traditional observances in five countries: Eritrea (Orthodox Christmas (Leddat), Freedom Day, Maskal), India (Independence Day, Krishna's Birthday, Divali), Mexico (El Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, D a y of the Dead, Our Lady of Guadelupe, Christmas), Russia (New Year's Day, Women's Day, Victory Day), and Vietnam (Lunar New Year, Wandering Souls Day, Mid-Autumn Festival.) Each section begins with a fact sheet and map, and description of the major holid a ys including a typical holiday recipe. Originally intended for ESL students, the recipes contained in this resource can be used in nutrition education activities. The project was funded by The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Adult Basic a n d Literacy Education.
The document is available from the PDE Resource Center, PA Department of Education, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333, Phone: 1-800-992-2283.

FUNSHEET 6: A Goblins' Gathering
p. 33-38, in Foods for Special Occasions in Food and Nutrition Projects, Special Series Year 3
Karen Glyde, University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University, Cooperative Extension Service, May 1985.
NAL Call Number: TX364.F625--1985
Summary: This lesson unit contains recipes for popcorn treats, a ghostburger, and a pumpkin bread with jack-o-lantern spread, as well as a nutrient word scramble and a hidden word puzzle.
Note: Includes the old dietary guidelines. It is geared to elementary school children. For the 2000, 5^th edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, see Web site: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=1&tax_subject=256.

Mexican Celebrations: Latin American Culture Studies Project
Maria Garza-Lubeck and Ana Maria Salinas
Austin, TX: Texas University, Austin Institute of Latin American Studies, 1986.
Summary: Developed for elementary school children, this unit is designed to teach about Mexican American culture through the study of holidays celebrated throughout much of Latin America and the southwestern United States. Two units include recipe s for holiday food specialities: January 6, El Dia de los Reyes (Day of the Kings) (p.1-8) and El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) (p.23-26).

Sharing Holidays with Children: Leader Guide
Elaine Wilson
Stillwater, OK: Oklahoma State University, Cooperative Extension Service, [198-?].
1 leader's guide, 1 handout, 1 newsletter
NAL Call Number: GT3930.W5
Summary: This guide was developed to help parents and grandparents understand the importance of sharing holidays with children and to suggest ideas for passing down holiday traditions, including food traditions.

Cranberry Thanksgiving
Wende Devlin, Harry Delvin, and Harry Devlin
New York, NY: Four Winds Press, 1971.
ISBN: 0027299309
Summary: In this children's story about Thanksgiving, the character, Maggie, is spending the holiday with her grandmother, whose secret recipe for cranberry bread was famous all over the countryside. After serving their holiday guests, one of the g uests is caught trying to steal the recipe. He is scolded as a recipe robber and asked to leave. However, the punishment is reconsidered and he is offered a piece of pumpkin pie anyway in the spirit of the holiday. This book is appropriate for Kindergart e n students.

Food Safety

Barbecues, Picnics and Potlucks
Tami Holyk and Jack Crane
Vancouver, WA: Pug Dog Enterprises, 1996.
Videocassette (34 min.), brochures, t-strip thermometers
NAL Call Number: Videocassette No. 2406
Summary: Consumers journey to a family barbecue to learn the principles of planning, packing, transporting, cooking, and serving. Disposable T-strip thermometers for measuring hamburger temperature and a safety handbook are included.
See ordering information: http://www.homefoodsafety.com/

Happy, Healthy Holidays!
("Hi, I'm your health inspector!" home food safety video series; vol. 3.)
Lisa Richter, Tami Holyk, and Allen Holman
Vancouver, WA: Pug Dog Enterprises, 1996.
Videocassette (41 min.) , 1 meal planning form + 1 information sheet.
NAL Call Number: Videocassette No. 2475
Summary: Shows how to prepare a turkey dinner and other holiday main courses safely.
See ordering information: http://www.homefoodsafety.com/

Food Traditions

A Halloween Brunch: The Affirmation of Group in a Temporary Community (Nancy Klavans)
Theodore Carl Humphrey and Lin Tufts in We Gather Together: Food and Festival in American Life
Logan, UT: Utah State University Press, 1991.
NAL Call Number: GT4803.W4--1991
ISBN: 0874211557
Summary: This book is about gatherings and food and about how people come together to create meaningful bonds. The chapter on Halloween Brunch discusses a community's tradition of putting on an annual Halloween Brunch. It describes the changes ov e r the years affecting the set-up of this annual event

Alaska Native Food Practices, Customs, and Holidays
Karen Halderson
Diabetes Care and Education Dietetic Practice Group of the American Diabetes Association
Chicago IL: American Dietetic, 1998.
NAL Call Number: E99.E7 H219--1998
Summary: Part of the Ethnic and Regional Food Practices Series, this booklet provides a look at the foods and food practices of Alaska natives to allow the professional to offer clients effective, culturally appropriate counseling and nutrition ed u cation. Special emphasis is given to the dietary management of diabetes. Includes modified popular and traditional recipes.

Cajun & Creole Food Practices, Customs, and Holidays
Colette Guidry Leistner
Diabetes Care and Education Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association
Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association; Alexandria, VA : American Diabetes Association, 1996.
NAL Call Number: RC662.L45--1996
Summary: Part of the Ethnic and Regional Food Practices Series, this booklet provides information on Cajun and Creole food habits and health beliefs that will help dietitians provide culturally appropriate nutrition counseling and diabetes edu cat i on to clients and their families from southern Louisiana. Includes popular and traditional recipes.

Chinese-American Food Practices, Customs, and Holidays
Grace Lau, Kee Maggie Ma, Alice Ng
Diabetes Care and Education Dietetic Practice Group of the American Diabetes Association
Chicago, IL: The American Dietetic Assoc., 1998.
NAL Call Number: RC662.C465--1998
Summary: Part of the Ethnic and Regional Food Practices Series, this booklet covers traditional food and health beliefs, food practices and customs, the influence of American food habits, implications of current dietary practices, and culturally a p propriate nutrition counseling practices with special emphasis on the dietary management diabetes. Includes modified popular and traditional recipes.

Chinese Festivals and Customs
Sandra Aili Green
Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan University, Project on East Asian Studies in Education, 1980.
24 slides with accompanying text
Summary: Traditional festivals and customs of the Chinese people are described in this publication which can be used with secondary level students. The following festivals are described: Chinese New Year; Lion Dances and Roasted Pork; Ching Ming o r Remembrance of Ancestors Day; Dragon Boat Festival; Hungry Ghosts Festival; Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival; Double Tenth; May Day; October First. Includes information on celebrating foods, tea, and meal customs. This slide set is intended for children from 7-12 grades.

Filipino-American Food Practices, Customs, and Holidays
Virginia S. Claudio
Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association; Alexandria, VA: American Diabetes Association, 1994.
NAL Call Number: RC662.C53--1994
Description: Part of the Ethnic and Regional Food Practices Series, this booklet gives a brief historical background on the Philippines. Discusses regional influences on cooking, traditional food practices and customs, traditional beliefs about fo o d and health, diabetes among Filipino Americans, and the nutritional implications of current dietary practices. Designed for use by dietitians and other health professionals who provide diet counseling to individuals with diabetes and their families.

Hmong American Food Practices, Customs, and Holidays
Joanne P. Ikeda
Chicago, IL: The American Dietetic Association; Alexandria, VA: American Diabetes Association, 1999.
NAL Call Number: RC662.I34--1999
Description: Part of the Ethnic and Regional Food Practices Series, this booklet discusses traditional Hmong food and health beliefs, traditional and current food practices, holiday food customs, and the implications of current dietary practices. S ummarizes recommendations for the dietary management of diabetes. Includes modified popular and traditional recipes.

Indian & Pakistani Food Practices, Customs, and Holidays
Padmini Balagopal, et al.
Diabetes Care and Education Dietetic Practice Group of The American Dietetic Association, Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association, 2000.
NAL Call Number: RC662.I53--2000
Summary: Part of the Ethnic and Regional Food Practices Series, this booklet discusses traditional foods and health beliefs of people from India and Pakistan, as well as current food practices by religion and region of origin. Special emphasis is g iven to the dietary management of diabetes. Includes modified popular and traditional recipes.

Jewish Food Practices, Customs, and Holidays
Catherine Higgins
Diabetes Care and Education Dietetic Practice Group of The American Dietetic Association, Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association, 1998.
NAL Call Number: RC662.J48--1998
Summary: Discusses Jewish dietary laws in relation to holidays and other celebrations, with special emphasis on the diabetic patient.

Mexican American Food Practices, Customs, and Holidays, 2nd ed.
Diabetes Care and Education Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association Chicago IL.: The Association, 1998.
NAL Call Number: In process
Description: Part of the Ethnic and Regional Food Practices Series, this booklet discusses traditional food and health beliefs, traditional and current food practices, holiday food customs, and the implications of current dietary practices. Summar i zes recommendations for the dietary management of diabetes.

Navajo Food Practices, Customs, and Holidays. 2nd ed.
Karen Bachman-Carter, Roberta M. Duncan and Suzanne Pelican
Diabetes Care and Education Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association Chicago IL: American Dietetic Association.; Alexandria, VA: American Diabetes Association, 1998.
NAL Call Number: RC662.P45--1998
Summary: Part of the Ethnic and Regional Food Practices Series, this booklet provides information on culture, diet among the Navajo Indians who live on or near the Navajo reservation encompassing a 25,000-square-mile area that extends into New Mex i co, Arizona, and Utah. Special emphasis is given to the dietary management of diabetes. Includes modified popular and traditional recipes.

Soul and Traditional Southern Food Practices, Customs, and Holidays
Cathryn Boyd Burke, Susan P. Raia
Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association; Alexandria, VA: American Diabetes Association, 1995.
NAL Call Number: RC662.B87--1995
Description: Part of the Ethnic and Regional Food Practices Series, this booklet discusses traditional practices, beliefs, and customs as well as current food practices and customs. Special emphasis is given to the dietary management of diabetes. I ncludes modified popular and traditional recipes.

Holiday Cooking

The Children's Jewish Holiday Kitchen: Seventy Ways to Have Fun With Your Kids and Make Your Familys Celebrations Special
Joan Nathan
Schocken Books, 2000.
ISBN: 0805210563
Summary: This cookbook covers 10 holidays and includes menus and recipes for each. It teaches cooking skills to children such as separating eggs, using knives, rolling out pie crust, etc. Recipes are broken down in steps and each step is labelled w ith either of the following categories: child, adult, and child with adult. The book also contains some step-by-step illustrations.

Mr. Food Cooking by the Calendar: Fifty-two Weeks of Year Round Favorites
Art Ginsburg
William Morrow & Co, 1999.
ISBN: 0688156789
Summary: This book includes the following chapters: New Year's Brunch, a Valentine's Day Dinner, a St. Patrick's Day Dinner, Passover Seder, Easter Traditions, Cinco de Mayo, Halloween Treats, Turkey Time, Hannukah's Tradition, Christmas Dinner an d a Chinese New Year's Celebration.

Ideas for Entertaining from the African-American Kitchen: Recipes and Traditions for Holidays Throughout the Year
Angela Shelf Medearis
Plume, Reprint 1998.
ISBN: 0452275377
Summary: This book gives home cooks menu suggestion on holidays and special occasions such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Kwanzaa which are celebrated in the African-American community.

The Jewish Gardening Cookbook: Growing Plants and Cooking for Holidays and Festivals
Michael P. Brown
Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1998.
NAL Call Number: SB320.9-.B76-1998
ISBN: 1580230040
Summary: This book gives historical and cultural information, as well as instructions for raising foods that have been harvested since ancient times, such as grapes, figs, dates, and pomegranates. It also provides items for holidays, festivals, an d life cycle events, including Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot , Hanukkah, Tu Bishevat, Purim, Passover, Shavuot etc. All recipes are vegetarian.

Chapter 22: Holidays
p. 336-350 in 365 Foods Kids Love to Eat: Fun, Nutritious and Kid-tested
Sheila Ellison and Judith Anne Gray
Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc., 1995.
Pages: 336 - 350 (Chapter 22: Holidays)
NAL Call Number: TX714.E45--1995
ISBN: 1570710309 (pbk.)
Summary: Intended to be a practical, comprehensive, easy-to-follow cookbook designed with kids' palates and appetites in mind. The goal is to provide a wide range and variety of recipes for children to like and to try. In addition to recipes for f o reign dishes, holidays and party foods, this book also includes a variety of other recipes. Also contains healthful food substitutions and suggestions and table management ideas and recommendations. All recipes have been kitchen-tested and child-tested. < /p>

Children's Choices, a Cookbook for Family Child Care Providers
Karen Ross, Doris Fredericks and Lynette Brown
Sacramento, CA: California Dept. of Education, Child Nutrition and Food Distribution Division, California Nutrition Education & Training Program, 1995.
NAL Call Number: TX714.C484--1995
Pages: 137 - 139 (Ideas for Parties and Special Occasions)
ISBN: 0801111439
Summary: Developed to assist family child care providers in feeding the young children in their care. This recipe collection was designed to provide variety and good nutrition, and to meet the Child Care Food Program requirements. Many of these r e cipes were submitted and all have been tested by providers and children in family child care homes. A four-week menu cycle is included as a model. The recipes are divided into sections of breakfast, lunch and supper, snack foods, and ideas for parties an d special occasions.

Super Smart Snacks: Fun Recipes for Children to Help Promote a Balanced Diet and Healthy Teeth
Olympia, WA: The Washington State Department of Health, Nutrition and Dental Health
Consortium, 1993.
NAL Call Number: TX740.S86--1993
Summary: Provides recipes for children's snacks designed to break away from the traditional special occasion fare of sweet, sticky foods. Recipes are offered both in quantity size (12-16 servings) and in family size or individual size (1-4 serving s ). All recipes are named by season or by common holidays that celebrated in the United States, such as birthdays, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, December holidays, etc.

Reduced Calorie Recipes: Desserts and Holiday Fare
Ruth Hembekides
Oklahoma City, OK: Indian Health Service, Nutrition Branch, 1990.
NAL Call Number: RM222.2.R43
Summary: Contains recipes for desserts and other holiday treats in which calories have been reduced by using less fat and less table and other refined sugars.

Healthy Holidays: No-cholesterol Vegetarian Recipes
Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Vegetarians, 1984.
NAL Call Number: TX739.S72
Summary: This book contains vegetarian recipes for special occasions. Over 100 recipes are provided for such ocassions as New Year's Day, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Recipes for Jewish holiday s (Purim, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Chanukah) are included. Substitutes for egg and dairy ingredients are discussed.

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Acknowledgment is given to the following FNIC reviewers:

Denise Jacobs, BS, Nutrition Information Specialist
Karen Regan, MS, RD, Nutrition Information Specialist
Cindy Roberts, MS, Food Safety Information Specialist
Lora Wilder, ScD, RD Nutrition Information Specialist

This resource list was compiled by:
Doris Kuehn, MS, RD, Nutrition Information Specialist

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Table of Contents

1. Internet Resources

Calendars

Commercial Educational Resources

Food Safety

Food Traditions

Games/Activities/Databases/Quizzes/Instructional Materials

General Resources

Holiday Cooking

Images/Art/Photos

Organizations/Institutions

Video Clips/Lesson Plans/Thematic Units/Quizzes

Weight Control

2. Journal Articles

Curricula/Lesson Plans/Thematic Units

Diabetes

Food Preparation

Food Traditions

Weight Control

3. Books, Curricula, Videotapes

Curricula/Childrens' Books/Teaching Aids

Food Safety

Food Traditions

Holiday Cooking