October Tip of the
Month
Start a Snack Attack!
Recognize added sugar and fat in foods as a step in making choices for healthy balance. Choose foods with added sugar and fat less often or in smaller amounts.
Activity Idea: Kids Create Their Own Snack Bar Menu
| Description: | Kids create their own healthy snack bar; then choose a name for the snack bar and market it. There is even an opportunity to practice math skills. |
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| Grades: | 4-5 | |||
| Supplies: | MyPyramid
poster ( www.mypyramid.gov
), sheets of paper, pencils, flipchart or blackboard |
| Directions: | ||
| 1) | In the classroom, talk about how healthy snacks give energy to think, learn, and grow. They are a part of a healthy diet! | |
| 2) | Let students know that they will be building their own (pretend) healthy snack bar! | |
| 3) | Have the kids decide the most important things they need to think about in making healthy choices for their snack bar. Write the following decision-making factors on the board, discuss their importance, and then have the kids rank order the factors in the order of importance. | |
| a)
What kids like to eat b) Cost c) Sugar and fat content of the snack d) Serving size of the snack |
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| 4) | Have students work in teams or as a class. Using the MyPyramid poster, have the class identify healthy snack choices THEY like in each of the food groups. If they need help getting started, use ideas from your school’s wellness policy healthy snack list or consider the following: fresh fruits, fruit cups, yogurt, low fat popcorn, peanuts, (other nuts), low fat cheese sticks, crackers, bagels, English muffins, graham crackers, pretzels, animal crackers, dry cereal, trail mix, mini waffles or pancakes, ½ sandwiches, mini tortilla roll-ups or wraps, peanut butter and crackers, mini pizzas, salsa and fat free chips, fresh veggies and low fat dressing. | |
| a)
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List their choices on a flipchart or blackboard. Note: Some foods may be perceived as healthy, but are in fact higher in sugar or fat. A field trip to the grocery store might be the next step after this activity! | |
| b) | Talk with students about how all foods can fit with healthy balance. | |
| c) | Discuss how to plan healthy balance, e.g. plan healthy balance with smaller serving sizes and/or fewer choices of higher sugar and fat foods. | |
| 5) | As a group, decide the name for the healthy snack bar and how to market it to the school kids! | |
*As a math enhancement to this activity: |
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| a)
Have students assign prices to their menu items. b) Practice purchases. Have students practice adding prices and giving back change. c) Determine the percentage sales tax. Calculate sales tax for different purchases. |
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This
fun activity is from the HKC A La Cart Snack Fun booklet.
See our order page for descriptors
and to view the Table of Content and a sample page from our booklets!