Snack on

Nature

a program for: children ages 5-10 years

Alex Lundquist, Ria Thakur, Niesha Ballard, Lauren Reed, Melissa Meador

Needs Assessment
Key Nutrients/supplement needs for this population:

It is important children are receiving adequate energy,

protein, vitamins, and minerals in order to grow.
Some children do not meet the requirements for iron,
zinc, and calcium.
If children are consuming a healthy diet with a variety of
foods they should not need to take vitamin and mineral
supplements as the foods they are consuming should
provide them with the required nutrients.
Children at risk for developing nutrient deficiencies are
recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics
to take vitamin and mineral supplementation under the
supervision of a pediatrician or dietitian.

Needs Assessment
Food and Nutrition habits and health concerns related to target population:

The most common nutritional problem for middle childhood is excess nutrition in
regards to energy, fat, and salt
Children are exceeding the recommendations of total calories from fat and saturated
fat, however they are not eating the recommended amounts of fiber in their diet
Snacks contribute significantly to a childs daily caloric intake
Low nutrient processed foods
Advertised snack foods high in fat and carbohydrates which leads to weight
gain in children
Added calories coming from snacks

Program Series Design

design: explore, experience, and engage with healthy foods

target: after school snacking
goals:

inspire children to try new fresh fruits & veg

relate ways in which children can make eating fresh f&v as snacks
fun and delicious
help children gain confidence in making healthy snack choices for
themselves through knowledge and creativity

implementation: 30 min classroom sessions, hands-on

Week 1: Fun with Flavor:

Experience fresh herbs!

obj: Recognize, by sight, smell, or taste, common (available in most or

local grocery stores) fresh herbs; identify a way to incorporate herbs into a
snack for flavor.

obj:

activity:

fresh herbs show & tell, sampling, discussion

Express information about own potted herb of choice and how to care
for it.

activity:

children plant their favorite herb!

Week 2:
Fill up with Fruit & Know Your Plate
1

obj: Identify common/seasonal fruits, where and how they grow.

activity: in season/common to area stores fruits show & tell, guess
where and how fruit grows, sampling

obj:

Explain, in words, what a balanced plate/snack should look like and

identify that fruit makes a healthy snack.

activity:

paper plate MyPlates, where does fruit fit?

Week 3: Vegetable Voyage:

Explore new pairings

obj: Discover new fresh vegetables; identify that fresh vegetables are a
healthy snack.

activity: in season/common to area stores vegetables show & tell,

discussion of how these vegetables might be incorporated into a snack

2

obj:

Create a simple, healthy dip (with some help from an adult for a
younger audience).

activity:

make healthy hummus

Week 4:
Natures Snacks: Energize your tastebuds
1

obj: Create an example of natures ready-made snacks.

activity: taste test/explore trail mix ingredients, followed by make your
own trail mix

obj:

Discover natural snack foods that are healthy and energizing.

activity:

show & tell of trail mix ingredients

Week 1 Ed Materials
Experimenting with herbs

When to pick or purchase herbs

Close to the time you plan to use them
Ideal picking time - in the morning after dew
has dried and before sun gets hot
How to store fresh herbs
In open or perforated plastic bags in the fridge
for a few days
Chopping/shredding herbs technique
Small leafed herbs can be picked by running
fingers down stem
Chiffonade technique - large leafy herbs are
stacked and rolled tightly then cut crosswise to
get narrow ribbons
Popular herb & food combinations (depicted on next
slide)

Week 1 Ed Materials (contd)

Chiffonade Technique (Parental assistance required)

Week 2 Ed Materials

Filling up with Fruit

Week 3 Ed Materials
Voyaging with Vegetables

Week 4 Ed Materials
Healthy Snack Suggestions

Evaluation Tool

Created a Questionnaire for students as a Pre/Post Test format

Test it on our target audience to see if is a viable questionnaire, make

adjustments if needed before program begins

It will be validated before commencement of the program

Evaluation Tool
Pre and post test given to participants on the first day of the program and again 1 month after the last session
1.

What do you eat after school?

9. Match the picture with the name of fruit

Soda, chips, candy, fruit, nuts, fresh vegetables (carrots, celery), yogurt
2.

How often do you like to try new foods?

3.

Do you know how to make a healthy snack?

4.

How often do you make your own snacks in the kitchen?

5.

Do you have fun preparing after school snacks

6.

After snack time I feel

Tired, full, still hungry, energized, happy, ready to begin my homework or play outside
7.

Cherries
Pear
Pineapple
Blueberries
Bananas
10. Match the picture with the name of the vegetable

Circle which foods would be on a healthy plate:

Dairy (eggs, milk)

Cake
Protein (meat, beans, tofu, veggie burger)
Chips

Peppers
Carrots
Spinach
Zucchini
Broccoli

Soda
Grain (bread, rice, oatmeal)
Vegetables
Fruit
Candy
8.

Do you know what basil looks like? If yes, draw a picture below

Either draw or find pictures of food to fill in the empty sections of

the plate

Marketing plan
Schools
Community centers
Television
Flyers
Social media

Program Implementation
Sell the program:

Presentations at local
schools and community centers

Prospective funding from:

NSLP and
CACFP, donations, local farmers markets, local
Lowes

Future plans:

a national program at all

elementary schools; train program specialists

Sample flyer for

a local school

References

Abriendo Caminos- Community-Based Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Among Latino
Immigrant Families. Family Resiliency Center. http://familyresiliency.illinois.edu/research/abriendo_caminos.html
Accessed March 10, 2015.

Branscum P, Sharma M. Predictors of Snack Food Consumption Among Upper Elementary Children Using Social
Cognitive Theory. J Soc Behav Health Sci. 2011; 5(1): 23-27. Doi: 10.5590/JSBHS.2011.05.1.03

CDC Staff. Nutrition and the Health of Young People. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.
gov/healthyyouth/nutrition/facts.htm. Updated October 6, 2014. Accessed March 11, 2015.

Coordinated Approach to Child Health. Champaign Urbana Public Health District. http://www.c-uphd.org/schooland-community-initiatives.html Accessed March 10, 2015.

Jones S, Watkins F. Reducing adult obesity in childhood: Parental influence on the food
choices of children. Health Education Journal. August 19, 2014.
doi:10.1177/0017896914544987.

References

Kids in the kitchen. Junior League of Champaign-Urbana. https://www.juniorleaguecu.org/?nd=kidsinkitchen

Accessed March 10, 2015.

Letona P, Chacon V, Roberto C. A qualitative study of childrens snack food packaging perceptions and
preferences. BMC Public Health. 2014; 14: 2-8. Doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-1274

Medical Content Reviewed by the Faculty of The Harvard Medical School. Middle Childhood Nutrition.
Intelihealth. http://www.intelihealth.com/article/middle-childhood-nutrition. Updated September 8, 2014. Accessed
March 11, 2015.

Roblin L. Childhood obesity: food, nutrient, and eating-habit trends and influences. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab.
2008; 32(1): 635-645. Doi: 10.1139/H07-046

Wooldridge N. Child and Preadolescent Nutrition. In: Brown J. Nutrition Through

the Life Cycle. Cengage Learning; 2013: 318-342

Questions