Regie's Rainbow Adventure®: National Kidney Foundation of Michigan's nutrition education program for disease prevention in the early childcare setting

These days, millions of kids—and adults—love superheroes. Regie’s Rainbow Adventure® tells the truly amazing story of how a creative team at the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan invented a broccoli-shaped superhero and sent him into classrooms to help young children learn the importance of eating fruits and vegetables while also being more physically active. While fun and fanciful, this is serious stuff. For more than half a century, the National Kidney Foundation has fought against the leading causes of kidney disease, including obesity, hypertension and diabetes. In recent years, however, nationwide research has revealed an increase in these diseases in early childhood. So, the Foundation turned to a colorful, creative campaign featuring this green-haired, broccoli-shaped superhero named Regie. In the pages of this book, you’ll get an insider’s view of how this team created Regie. You’ll learn about the serious issues they are confronting in early childhood. Then, you’ll hear from the creative people who continue to develop Regie’s story, his image and his classroom activities. You’ll also visit a classroom with the team and see how the Regie program interacts with these young children. It’s an exciting adventure and this unique book provides lots of ideas readers can use to consider bringing such a program to their communities. These days, millions of kids—and adults—love superheroes. Regie’s Rainbow Adventure® tells the truly amazing story of how a creative team at the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan invented a broccoli-shaped superhero and sent him into classrooms to help young children learn the importance of eating fruits and vegetables as they also more physically active.