Pick Chow Review and Giveaway

Pick Chow was chosen as the 1st place winner by Michelle Obama's Healthy Apps for Kids competition. What can it help your child learn about making healthy meals? At the end of the review will be details on how to win a Zisboombah reusable canvas bag full of Zisboombah goodies for kids!

Even Astronauts Should Learn How to Cook
I was at a play date once when the mother of a preschooler remarked while her daughter was busily playing in the kitchen playset, "I wish she wasn't so fascinated with the kitchen, I'd like for her to be an astronaut." I scratched my head.

Is there a rule that says professions that require advanced degrees and high intellect are hindered by learning to cook? What happens when that astronaut or brain surgeon never learns how to A) prepare nourishing food or B) determine what a nourishing meal is? Then you have brilliant accomplished professional who may be stuck eating convenience food for a life time. If that happens, the brilliant accomplished professional will suffer from ill health, early onset disease and have her career (ahem, life) cut short.

Much better, in my opinion, to teach even those with fine minds destined for important careers to identify and prepare nourishing meals. The next generation's survival depends on it.

Here's a tool that teaches kids the elements of nourishing meals and how to put them together.

Pick Chow, the Review

The Plate
75% (roughly) of the plate is about even portions of fruit, vegetables, and grains/starchy vegetables.
25% (roughly) of the plate is divided between meat and beans and dairy, the latter a smaller slice.

This makes sense. It highlights fruit and veg, and lumps starchy veg with grains. I kind of like that because I think the food pyramid is a little top heavy on grains and we could all benefit from swapping some grain servings for starchy veg. The Standard American Diet is generally animal protein heavy, so it makes sense to have a smaller allotment of meat and for meat to share a spot with beans. I'm all for anything that helps people eat more beans. Those super duper beans; we all need more of 'em.

The "Add it Up" Meters
This is the cause and effect part of the activity. Kids drag a food from the food panel on the left onto the plate and watch indicators on the protein, carbs, fat and fiber meters move from red (meaning too little or too much) to green (meaning just right). I like this. Not too much importance is placed on fiber in school food guidelines or on product labels. Fiber is an important part of carbohydrates kids need to know about.

The Three S's
Sugar, salt and saturated fat are also measured and metered from red to green. Sugar is hidden in so many things this gives kids a chance to see whether or not a banana muffin really is a good breakfast. Put a hot dog and some chips on the plate and the sodium meter heads to red.

This is a 5 Star Meal
Your kid's meal will get an overall star rating. I put our normal taco meal together. It only got 2 stars, so I didn't get to add a desert to my plate.

My Dislikes
There isn't too much junk food on the food list. I see the rationale behind that. It suggests by what is not available what should be eaten. But, how powerful would it be for the parent of the junk food addicted kid to put a 20oz soda, triple bologna sandwich, huge bag of Cheetos, and a snack pack of Oreos on the plate to see what the "Add it Up" meters say about that meal?

As far as age goes, this site was not very engaging for my 4 and 6 year old kids. The food list is comprehensive which also makes it a lot to take in for a beginning reader. Because there wasn't much sound or motion graphics involved it didn't keep their interest for very long. I expect the experience would be different for readers grade 2 and up.

Pick Chow - The Giveaway.
Enter a comment for a chance to win a reusable bag from Zisboombah including a wristband and temporary tattoos. Good Luck!

In your comment:

1) leave your email address in this format so I can contact you when you win jenna AT foodwithkidappeal DOT com.

2) Answer this question: What benefit will your kid get from learning how to put together a wholesome meal?

You can get extra entries to win if you:

• "like" me on Facebook and tell me you did so/already do in the comment section.
• Suggest my page on Facebook to Friends (use the link under the profile pic) and tell me you did in the comment section.
  
• subscribe to my email or become a reader and tell me you did so/already do in the comment section.
• follow me on twitter and tell me you did so/already do in the comments.
  

The fine print
I am a contributor to the Zisboombah blog. I was not compensated in any way to write this review. The opinions I expressed here are my own. Only separate comment entries will be counted multiple times. If you want more than one chance, leave more than one comment. The contest closes at midnight October 27th, 2010. I will draw a winner and notify the winner via email. Thanks for entering!