Curriculum

CHIFAN’s nutrition education lessons are developed based on the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior, a framework for understanding and predicting human behavior. While the original TPB emphasizes attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control as key predictors of intentions and actions, the extended version has also been shown to be appropriate and effective for children.

Curricula are tailored to different age groups based on their cognitive development, language skills, and comprehension levels. At CHIFAN, we believe behavior change goes beyond intention; it requires understanding children’s current eating behaviors and helping them overcome barriers.

Nutrition education at CHIFAN is also culturally focused. Genetically, Asian Americans tend to be at higher risk for metabolic diseases even at lower body weight or BMI, and other minority groups similarly face increased metabolic risks. Food choices are influenced by interpersonal and environmental factors, such as who is responsible for grocery shopping and cooking, who you eat with, and the food preferences and availability in your environment. For children of first-generation immigrant parents, maintaining traditional cooking and food preferences makes culturally relevant nutrition education especially meaningful and effective. For the younger generation, this approach helps build confidence in their cultural identity and the foods they grew up with.