HOW IT CAN WORK FOR YOU

THE EATING GAME

These photos with description, explain the components of The Eating Game and how it works. It is presented in a 3 ring binder with a copy of Canada's Food Guide, very similar to guide recommendations in other countries.In creating The Eating Game I drew on my education (degree in Nutrition and Education, specializing in Special Education) and my 37 years of work experience as a Special Education Teacher, SchoolBoard Autism Consultant and Early interventionist. For more info and to order your copy go to www.theeatinggame.ca Click on each photo for further explanation. Feel free to ask questions. Modifications can be made too.

I invented The Eating Game for a 6 year old friend, named Ethan, who is autistic. At the time he preferred to always eat hot dogs and rice; oh and he liked pizza too! So I set out to create something to help him to continue to be in control of his food choices but to expand them to have a more varied, healthier diet. I knew it would have to be very visual and offer structure and routine to make mealtime very predictable. When I was finished my creation I knew, from experience and my knowledge of autism, that I had created something that could help many more children who have restricted diets. And so it evolved ~ The Eating Game ~ it worked for Ethan and is working for many others (testimonialshttp://on.fb.me/bpwxvA ) Even after several years of using The Eating Game every day, Ethan would still choose to use it to plan his meals – he liked being in control of the food choices and he liked the predictable mealtime environment it created for him. I would encourage you to check it out. I always hope it will help another child.

The United States granted my Patent # 8,333,593 B2 was granted on Dec 18, 2012; the Canadian Patent in January 2014.. This is a unique invention that can be used by a child to plan meals independently. No other patented invention provided a meal planner that could be used by almost any child, verbal or non verbal, gifted or challenged with delays.

To order http://theeatinggame.ca/our-store/

The Eating Game has 5 meal planning charts that are card stock with 5 mil laminating for: 
2 - 3 years
4 - 8 years
9 - 13 years
Females 14 - 18 years
Males 14 - 18 years

NOTE: I also have adult charts available for males & females 19 - 50 and 51+. Please just ask and I will exchange charts for younger age charts that you wouldn't need.

The chart being used can be removed from the binder for easy use and be able to be displayed daily in a prominent place.




Each meal planning chart has six meals:                               

Breakfast
Snack
Lunch
Snack
Supper
Snack
The four colors on the chart refer to the 4 food groups:
Green - Fruit & Vegetables
Yellow - Grains
Red - Meat & Alternatives
Blue - Milk & Alternatives
The number of each color indicates the recommended number of servings for 1 day; the arrangement being the creators choice.
There are also squares to place pictures of water.
Each square has a velcro button.


There are 4 sets of food pictures, over 240 in total.      

They are color coded to match the squares on the
planning charts.
Green - Fruit & Vegetables
Yellow - Grains
Red - Meat & Alternatives
Blue - Milk & Alternatives
Each picture is on 5 mil laminated card stock with a velcro button on the back so that it will adhere to the chart.
Each day you would display only the foods from the 4 groups that your child will choose from to plan their meals for the day. You would begin by presenting any foods they have eaten in their life time that you have on hand that day.

Choosing foods, from those presented by the parent/caregiver, the pictures are placed on the daily planning chart by matching colors to plan each meal/snack for the day. There is now a very visual plan that will make the mealtime environment very predictable. At the end of the day the pictures are removed and the next day can be planned! It is an easy structure for a child to work with and one that remains the same for a lifetime! The routine of planning everyday at the same time will be beneficial to most children and the family. Very quickly, most children will be able to do this independently.

.......................................... Jean Nicol

THE EATING GAME 2007 - 2014

The first copy of The Eating Game was completed on March 1, 2007 for Ethan who was 6 years old and is autistic. At the time he was happiest eating just hot dogs and rice! He was very excited the first day he used The Eating Game because had hot dogs and rice for breakfast! - a story I like to tell to illustrate that a key feature of The Eating Game is that the child is in control of the choices! They like that!

The user needs to have only 2 skills:

• be able to make a choice

• be able to match 4 colors (blue, yellow, green and red)

 (NOTE: verbal or literacy skills not needed)

 There are over 200 food pictures in four different food groups and colors: 1 inch pictures, 5 mil laminated card stock with a hook and loop button that will support alternative choices made by those on CFGF diets or any other dietary restrictions

• Milk and Alternatives - Blue

• Grains - Yellow

• Fruit and Vegetables - Green

• Meat and Alternatives - Red

There are planning charts for each of the age groups in Canada's Food Guide: five are included in the binder: 2-3, 4-8, 9-13, females 14-18, males 14-18 but there are also 4 more that are available if needed: females 19-50 and 51+, males 19-50 and 51+. It is being used in some group homes and by folks in assisted living programs. The charts are also 5 mil laminated card stock with hook & loop buttons to accept the food pictures. There are storage pages to put the pictures on that the parent chooses to present to the child.

Initially the parent chooses the food pictures to present based on:

• foods the child can eat (special dietary considerations)

• foods the child has eaten in their lifetime

• foods available at the time

• foods the parent chooses!

Once the pictures are presented for the child's choice, it has to be totally their choice. They must choose pictures to match the colored squares on their planning chart. Once they have done this they have chosen to eat the foods recommended by Canada's Food Guide for their age group. They can later be exchanged but the new choice must be the same color.

NOTE: The choice Ethan made of hot dogs & rice for breakfast only happened once, because then he realized he couldn't have it for lunch or supper! However, he was pretty excited to be able to make that choice which also convinced him he was in control!

There are some pictures that Canada's Food Guide might not recommend, like chocolate cake with the "grains pics" but I felt they needed to be included. The reality is that these foods will be eaten and perhaps not all that bad a choice when made in moderation (and the parent is really in control of what is presented!) If a child who is a poor eater can start eating most of what Canada's Food Guide recommends then maybe they deserve a treat too! The cake or other choice could also be used as a reinforcer to enhance motivation!

Ethan was eating over 200 new foods in 15 months and he still (after 29 months) uses The Eating Game although is eating almost everything! Being able to make the choices and being in control is important. This makes mealtime very predictable and the visual supports are a great communication tool! Meals are no longer a surprise - pretty significant for a lot of kids with ASD!

Since 2007 other The Eating Game products have been developed and it is now available in English, French and Mi’kmaq. There is a MIY (Make It Yourself) Kit and a Digital Downloadable Edition. The Eater’s Choice Daily Meal Planner offers the user the same convenient reusable meal planner without the pictures.

The Eating Game now has Patent Rights ~

US Patent #8,333,593 B2 granted in Dec 2013

Canadian Patent # 2,612,218 granted in Jan 2014  

HAVE YOU GIVEN THIS GOOD CONSIDERATION?

Have you looked at The Eating Game and wondered if it would be beneficial for your family? Yes, I meant to say "family" as it would be a family commitment if you want your child use it to improve their eating choices. Before your child even sees The Eating Game you as a parent/caregiver, therapist or teacher you must become very familiar with it.

The hope is that The Eating Game will be successful but realize this is likely an investment for the long term. Two year olds can use The Eating Game and use it up until 18 years of age; many will and that can be a good thing! You will play a part in its use everyday but as they use it more independently your time commitment will lessen. Someone has to select the foods (from 200+ pictures) to present to the user for daily choices.

       

These choices will be based on how many servings of foods your child needs for the day, based on the chart for their age group. There are 5 charts to choose from and with request we can supply charts for ages 19 - 51+ instead of the younger ages.

The greatest benefits will be realized if The Eating Game can become a daily routine. Choose a time every day when you can plan all meals and snacks for a full day. A time many families find very convenient is when their child is having a bedtime snack. If you choose this snack time the routine can take place anywhere (home, cottage, Gramma's) and at whatever the appropriate time is for that particular day.

You present the foods your child will use to plan their meals. Start with foods they are eating now or have eaten in their lifetime. Once it is an established routine then you can decide on the best time and strategy to slowly introduce new foods.

Once your child understands how to use The Eating Game, which is very simple, they will be able to use it independently after you present the pictures for choice. The latter can be done at any time, ahead of time.

Many families are finding the whole family can benefit! The "cook" can prepare 1 meal for everyone instead of running a restaurant.
 

If you have specific questions prior to purchasing you Eating Game, consultation with Jean Nicol, the inventor, is part of the package. She is also available for consultation following your purchase. She can be contacted via the website at www.theeatinggame.ca

THE EATING GAME FOR ADULTS

Do you have  an autistic/aspergers adult in your home who restricts what they eat and would benefit from a more varied, healthier diet? At the request of adults who wanted the benefits of The Eating Game but did not need the pictures EYECAN CREATIONS Publications developed the Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planners.

The first set of planners was for ages 14 - 18, 19 - 50 and 50+. Then a friend was interested in one for his 5 year old daughter who was very focused on reading and printing words. She used the food pictures in The Eating Game to find the foods, with words, she was looking for! It was a hit and she benefited from learning to make healthy food choices and expanding on the variety of foods she ate. So planners are now available for 4 - 8 and 9 - 13 year olds too. Some families work at meal planning together with perhaps one person using The Eating Game and others using Eater's Choice Meal Planners.

I believe very many on the spectrum self restrict their diets to a manageable number of foods they can keep track of so they always know what they will be eating - no surprises, less change to remember. This allows them to be in control too, which is something many on the spectrum struggle to do. With this planner they are very much in control and mealtime, planned ahead, becomes very predictable!

It is a dry erase reusable double sided chart.This is a sample picture of the planner that you can purchase from www.theeatinggame.ca either as a ready to use product or you can download a digital copy to print yourself and laminate. Feel free to ask any questions you might have.

If it would help we can offer extra resources: 1) a list of foods in the 4 food groups used in the Eating Game 2) pictures (with words) of the foods in The Eating Game. Just contact with your request via www.theeatinggame.ca after you have made your purchase. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. It is always great to hear about everyone's success! Happy, healthy eating!

A Very Special Visual Support System

As a special education teacher I had created many visual support systems for children but never had the time to prepare more than what was needed. I knew what I had created for this little boy (see http://on.fb.me/gDWmRd ) could help many more children and families and now as a semi retired person I had the time to make more. So I did! It was a very special visual support system that would enable many to plan and eat a healthier diet.


What I had created for this little boy he called his "Canada Food Guide Game" I wasn't sure such a serious issue should be called a game and his response was "Well, it is FUN!" So a "game"it was and I used it as an acronym for Get Awesome Meals Everyday.

The name changed to The Eating Game to accomodate Copyright and the Patent Application and my innovative and actually quite simple solution would continue to help hundreds more children and families deal with helping picky eaters, obsessive eaters, those who are non verbal, those with developmental delays.

Since the launch of the original Eating Game four years ago, I have launched 2 more Eating Game products:

1) Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planners for those who need an eating game to help them have a healthier diet but don't need the 200+ food pictures for their visual planner. This was in response to customer request and is being used by many to eat a healthy diet. It has helped some of us lose weight or battle eating obsessions and has helped some eat more as needed.

2) The MIY Eating Game Kit - it is The Eating Game in a Make It Yourself format; I supply all the materials you need(laminated charts and pictures and velcro type fastener) to make your own Eating Game. This was in response to many folks who said they would love to have an Eating Game but could not afford it; this enabled me to cut 38% off the price of The Eating Game so that more kids could benefit.

And now you know the rest of the story ~ that was four years ago and because The Eating Game has helped so many children and their families it has become my passion to share it with others in the hopes that it will maybe help even one more person! I have to honestly say that each day my passion is enriched as is the health of many children!

A Family Planning Meals Together

I was very pleased this week to get some feedback from a family who has been planning meals together for this past month using Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planners. Here is what mom has to say,

"I purchased three planners so my two younger girls and I could have some fun while learning to eat well. It has taught us that we don't actually eat enough! It's a fun way to start the day before they're off to school and to plan what to have for school lunch."

They are enjoying planning healthy meals and have the opportunity to learn as well! I am hoping we will hear from other families using Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planners, telling us about their experiences.

Overweight Kids

What do you do to help your overweight child to be in control of healthier eating habits. Just a few suggestions:

1) consult your doctor for support

2) be POSITIVE as you support you child in a challenging venture

3) engage in family planning meals together; parents can set an example and everyone can be involved in meal planning; ownership is important

4) try other ways to help your child maintain positive self esteem

5) maybe include your child's friend who may be overweight who might also be interested in a healthy plan

Now you need a plan. Have a look at Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planners for everyone in your family. Then make it a routine family activity to plan healthy meals together. Everyone is supportive and it goes without saying that everyone can win!
Good luck, let us know how it works out for your family.

Dad Bought Meal Planners for Everyone

September 20th was my last day at The Pictou Weekend Market and it was a very good day! I always meet very interesting people at the market and this day was no exception. Today I was to meet a dad with 2 adult sons at home, both with disabilities and both with eating issues. One sometimes didn't eat enough, at least not a variety of healthy foods and the other son ate too much, too frequently between meals.

This dad wanted to know about The Eating Game and The Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planners. The Eating Game caught his eye because one son is autistic, but perhaps too old for this. The Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planners would be a good thing for both boys, one would maybe choose a wider variety of foods and the second would perhaps be able to restrict eating to the identified 6 meals.

Before he left my booth, he had also purchased a planner for himself and his wife. He thought it would be a good family activity to plan healthy meals together. Of course I agreed wholeheartedly that this sounded like a great idea!

Now we have 8 different Eater's Choice Meal Planners for ages 4 to 51+, so the resources are available for any family to decide to make meal planning a whole family activity. Work out a way to do this that suits your family and empower everyone with the tools to plan healthy meals every day!

Come back to this site and let us all know how you do this in your family and how it works out! Periodically we will have a draw from those who send in a comment with an email address. The prize will be a choice of 4 meal planners that you might give as a gift to a family you care about. Would make a nice gift for this December!

Don't forget to go to http://www.theeatinggame.ca/resources/default.asp to get a list of foods a weekly planning sheet you can print for your own use!

A Healthy Fundraising Idea!

Planning on doing some serious fundraising? Think about purchasing Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planners at a wholesale price.

Your organization will be raising funds and supporting healthy meal planning which is a concern today for everyone, a large target market for sure:
children
teens
adults
seniors needing support
adults in supported living programs
families planning meals together
those supporting an overweight child
those supporting an overweight teen
an adult concerned with weight control
Click on the title above to contact us at http://www.theeatinggame.ca/contact.htm for more information.

The Eating Game Story

The Eating Game was invented in March 2007 (patents pending in Canada & USA) for Ethan who was 6 years old and is autistic. At the time he was happiest eating just hot dogs and rice! He was very excited the first day he used The Eating Game because had hot dogs and rice for breakfast! - a story I like to tell to illustrate that a key feature of The Eating Game is that the child is in control of the choices! They like that!

The user needs to have only 2 skills:(NOTE: verbal or literacy skills not needed)

• be able to make a choice
• be able to match 4 colors (blue, yellow, green and red)

There are over 200 food pictures in four different food groups and colors: (1 inch pictures, 5 mil laminated card stock with a hook & loop button)

• Milk & Alternatives* - Blue
• Grains* - Yellow
• Fruit & Vegetables - Green
• Meat & Alternatives - Red

* pictures will support alternative choices made by those on CFGF diets or any other dietary restrictions

There are planning charts for each of the age groups in Canada's Food Guide: five are included in the book (2-3, 4-8, 9-13, females 14-18, males 14-18) but there are also 4 more that are available if needed(females 19-50 & 51+, males 19-5 & 51+). It is being used in some group homes and by folks in assisted living programs. The charts are also 5 mil laminated card stock with hook & loop buttons to accept the food pictures. There are storage pages to put the pictures on that the parent chooses to present to the child.

Initially the parent chooses the food pictures to present based on:

• foods the child can eat (special dietary considerations)
• foods the child has eaten in their lifetime
• foods available at the time
• foods the parent chooses!

Once the pictures are presented for the child's choice, it has to be totally their choice. They must choose pictures to match the colored squares on their planning chart. Once they have done this they have chosen to eat the foods recommended by Canada's Food Guide** for their age group. They can later be exchanged but the new choice must be the same color.
NOTE: The choice Ethan made of hot dogs & rice for breakfast only happened once, because then he realized he couldn't have it for lunch or supper! However, he was pretty excited to be able to make that choice which also convinced him he was in control!

** There are some pictures that Canada's Food Guide might not recommend, like chocolate cake with the "grains pics" but I felt they needed to be included. The reality is that these foods will be eaten and perhaps not all that bad a choice when made in moderation (and the parent is really in control of what is presented!) If a child who is a poor eater can start eating most of what Canada's Food Guide recommends then maybe they deserve a treat too!The cake or other choice could also be used as a reinforcer to enhance motivation!

Ethan was eating over 200 new foods in 15 months and he still (after 29 months) uses The Eating Game although is eating almost everything! Being able to make the choices and being in control is important. This makes mealtime very predictable and the visual supports are a great communication tool! Meals are no longer a surprise - pretty significant for a lot of kids with ASD!

NOTE: The Eating Game now has Patent Rights ~ US Patent #8,333,593 B2
          and Canadian Patent # 2,612,218   

Why Will He Only Eat a Few Foods?

Do you have a child who wants to only eat a few select foods? Can you share in a comment below what you do that helps your child? Maybe it will help another child too.

Many kids with autism, perhaps up to 75%, have issues related to eating. Like children who do not have autism there may be physical/medical reasons or there may be sensory issues(texture, taste, color, temperature, shape) or food allergies. These concerns are real and must be dealt with so as to ensure your child has a reasonably healthy diet.

I believe there is another issue for kids with ASD, and perhaps others. Typically children on the autism spectrum don't like surprises. They are able to manage and respond more positively in a predictable environment, where they know what to expect, what's coming next. Why would this be any different when it comes to eating/meals? Aren't meals very often a surprise, until we sit down to eat and what might your child do if the meal is not what they thought it would be? And would you know what they thought it would be? You probably would know if they will only eat a limited number of foods and that is what you always present to them. What they have done is created a predictable environment for themselves so they always know what they will be eating! Aren't they smart! And when they get tired of this group of foods they switch it up a bit for another undetermined period of time.

As a parent you are very concerned when your child will only eat a few foods and you will often try new foods but.................. in the end you never run out of their desired foods and you provide it on demand often because you are concerned about how little they eat! You are supporting and reinforcing their plan!And they know it and like it.

These observations led me to develop a program that would help kids make a wider variety of food choices, their choice. They would still be in control. They would use pictures, chosen and placed on a chart for 6 meals in a day. Now they have a very predictable meal plan for themselves and everyone else to know what they will be eating. It has created a structure that can become part of their daily routine. They can do this if they are not verbal too. They don't have to be able to read, write or speak. The only skills needed are to be able to make a choice and match 4 colors. Oh, and it is equally successful with children who are verbal, read and write and for children who are not autistic. It is The Eating Game!

Supporting an Overweight Teenager

Being a teenager can be a stressful time for some. Being a teenager who is overweight would no doubt be stressful for many. As with anything else that presents challenges, it is good to identify the cause if we can. If there is an identifyable physical/medical reason for being overweight it needs to be addressed. Having ruled out or dealt with any significant physical/medical reason then it is likely due to past and/or existing eating habits, perhaps along with lack of exercise. Dealing with exercise or lack of exercise can be an issue on its own and may well be related to physical limitations. I am not able to address these concerns but there is no shortage of professionals who can!
With dietary concerns there are basically 2 issues to be addressed: 1) what foods are being eaten and 2) what quantities of foods are being eaten. So the questions are " Are we eating healthy foods and what are they?", "What are our typical serving sizes and what should they be?" . A very good resource to use as a starting point to plan a healthier diet would be Canada's Food Guide (or the USDA Food Guide Pyramid). Canada's Food Guide recommends the number of servings of the four food groups for different age groups and discusses what a serving size is. Of course eating too much healthy food is going to mean consuming too many calories and they do count!
The Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planner for 9 to 13 year olds or females 14 to 18 years and males 14 to 18 years will help teach how many servings of each food group should be eaten. The enclosed Canada's Food Guide will help with understanding what a good serving size would be. This meal planner will not say what foods should be eaten. That is up to the individual planner. The hope was that at least initially the planner would choose foods they like and later add a variety of new foods. A food list and a weekly planning sheet can be found and printed at www.theeatinggame.ca on the 'resources' page.
The meal planner is designed in a dry erasable format that can be reused every day. It provides colored spaces to write down the foods to be eaten for the day, in a six meal format. The colors correspond to the four food groups: fruit & vegetables, milk & alternatives, grains and meat & alternatives.
The design of The Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planner is meant to support the user and put them in control of the food choices and healthy weight management. In the long term it will help establish good eating habits, hopefully for a lifetime! For those who are overweight it will surely lead to a healthy a healthy weight loss too!