Common Sense Media Review
Smashing videos hook kids, but background info missing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Smash Your Food
What's It About?
Users begin by creating a profile, which includes entering a name and an age and selecting a personal activity level and avatar. The information entered allows the app to show the maximum amount of sugar, salt, and fat the user should consume in a day. After creating a profile, kids choose foods from one of 12 "themed" refrigerators. Themes include Mushy Lunch, Healthy, Halloween, and more. Once they choose a food, they can tap to read the nutrition label or take a guess at the amount of sugar, salt, and oil (fat) in the food. Next, they tap the Smash button to view a video of the food being smashed -- probably the most engaging part for kids. They earn points, awards, and gold carrots for accurate guesses. Once the smashing is over, a healthy-eating tip pops up on the screen. A parents' section offers an option to sign up for a free newsletter and includes links to other "coming soon" products from the developer.
Is It Any Good?
SMASH YOUR FOOD is a fun way to get kids to think about their food choices. The smashing videos are engaging and will get kids talking about nutrition, and the tips provide good suggestions for making healthy food choices. However, the game does not provide much in the way of actual content. To fully benefit from the presented information, kids should have some background knowledge of nutrition labels and the components of a well-balanced diet. It would be great to see a nutrition chart or pyramid and some brief lessons about protein, saturated and unsaturated fats, cholesterol, and different kinds of carbohydrates.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of healthy eating and the dangers of eating foods that are high in sugar, fat, and cholesterol. What are the healthiest types of food? Which types of food should we limit in our diets? Why?
Talk about foods your kid likes best and the health value of each. If your kid loves cookies, is there a way to make them healthier (add oatmeal, reduce the sugar)?
Read nutrition labels together, talking about what each piece of information means and how it relates to healthy eating.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Science : biology
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : applying information , prediction , Health & Fitness : balanced diet
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : December 13, 2012
- Genre : Education
- Publisher : Food N' Me
- Version : 1.3
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 4.3 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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