Timothy Tompkin's Lunch
CONCEPT: Eating with PKU
BRIEF SUMMARY
Read a poem about Timothy's strange food choices for breakfast. Discuss and build confidence in PKU food choices.
OBJECTIVES
After completing this activity, children will be able to:
- suggest ways to prepare new food items
- list foods they could eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
METHODS
Poem:
Read the following poem to the children.
Timothy Tompkins had turnips and tea.
The turnips were tiny.
He ate at least three.
And then, for dessert,
he had onions and ice.
He liked that so much
that he ordered it twice.
He had two cups of ketchup,
a prune, and a pickle.
"Delicious," said Timothy.
"Well worth a nickel."
He folded his napkin
and hastened to add,
"It's one of the loveliest breakfasts I've had!"
From Dogs and Dragons, Trees and Dreams, by Karla Kuskin, Sesame Street, Sept 1984.
Lead a discussion about the poem, with questions such as:
How would you like to eat this for breakfast?
Do you think these are strange things to eat for breakfast?
Emphasize that we don't have to eat standard foods for breakfast. It's okay to eat different foods for breakfast.
Ask the children if they eat any different things for breakfast.
Worksheet
Distribute the worksheet to the children. Allow them time to work through it, assisting as needed. Review their answers together.
MATERIALS
Worksheet- Pencils
HOME ACTIVITIES
- Work together with your child to plan a week's menus of sack lunches that will fit into his/her daily phe prescription.
- Together with your child, create a food list similar to "Joe's List for Lunches" in the activity above. Then, when it is time to pack a lunch it is easy to look at the list for ideas.
- Encourage your child to learn to pack his/her own lunch. A good division of responsibility includes the parent making sure there are low phe food choices appropriate for sack lunches available in the kitchen, and the child then choosing from what is available and making the lunch.