Resources under snacks
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Three Ring Food Circus
Twenty one super-fun activities for preschoolers and young children. Topics covered include MyPlate, recognizing and trying news foods, the senses, and eating lots of different kind and colors of foods. Healthy recipes and snack ideas, with colorful photos included.
Call the United Dairy Industry of Michigan at 800-241-MILK to order print copies (available while supplies last).
Available at: http://www.milkmeansmore.org/3-ring-food-circus
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The Two Bite Club
A storybook to introduce MyPlate to young children. Children are encouraged to try foods from each food group by eating just two bites, just like the characters in the story. The back of the book contains a MyPlate coloring page, a blank certificate for the Two Bite Club, fun activity pages for kids, and Tips for Growing Healthy Eaters. The Two Bite Club is available in English and Spanish
Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/two-bite-club
Or upon request from Team Nutrition - Team Nutrition offers materials for free to schools and child care centers that participate in Federal Child Nutrition Programs.
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Game On!
Game On challenges America’s schools, staff, students, and the families they serve to get healthy, inside and out. Game On provides all the information and resources you need to host a successful school wellness program in your school, including an interactive school blueprint that allows you to search for fun Eat Better and Move More Challenges for every aspect of your school building.
Explore the Game On website and the 6 steps they offer to help you improve student health, while reaching your schools needs. Don't forget to check out step 4: Find Activities to engage everyone on the team, including students!
Available at: http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/tools-for-schools/game-on
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Dig In! Standards based Nutrition Education from the Ground Up
CHFFF is a nutrition and physical activity curriculum that is experiential and research-based, and is intended for use by Cooperative Extension educators and others with a background in nutrition and experience working with youth. A unique and exciting characteristic of CHFFF is that it was also designed to be co-taught, after in-depth training, by teens participating in the partner program Choose Health Action Teens (CHAT).
Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/dig-standards-based-nutrition-education-ground
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USDA-funded Child Nutrition Programs
Learn more about Child Nutrition Programs offered through the United States Department of Agriculture.
Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/child-nutrition-programs
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Michigan Nutrition Standards Toolkit
Find ideas and tips for building and effective school health team.
The link below will take you to the Michigan Nutrition Standards Toolkit which provides you with the resources needed to implement the Michigan Nutrition Standards, including many team resources.
Available at: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,4612,7-132-2940_2955_2959_58773-261516--,00.html
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Smart Snacks in Schools
The new Smart Snacks in School standards provide minimum standards which allow schools to offer healthier snack foods for our children, while limiting junk food served to students. The intent is not to limit popular snack items, but instead to provide snack foods for students that are healthier. Learn more.
Available at: http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-43092_50144-327975--,00.html
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Alliance for a Healthier Generation Production Calculator
This USDA-approved online tool allows you to plug in a few details about a food or beverage and will give you an immediate response as to whether or not it is allowable as a Smart Snack in School and, if so, for which age group.
Available at: https://www.healthiergeneration.org/take_action/schools/snacks_and_beverages/smart_snacks/alliance_product_calculator/
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Alliance for a Healthier Generation – Production Navigator
This USDA-approved database offers a list, by category, of items that have already been approved as meeting Smart Snacks guidelines. Check out the notes to see which age groups these products are approved for. Information includes a visual of what products look like and their detailed product names.
Available at: https://www.healthiergeneration.org/live_healthier/eat_healthier/alliance_product_navigator/
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Smart Snacks USDA
Starting in school year 2014-15, all foods sold at school during the school day will need to meet nutrition standards. The Smart Snacks in School regulation applies to foods sold a la carte, in the school store, and vending machines. A number of tools and resources are available to help schools identify food items that meet Smart Snacks criteria. Find them on this page.
Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/healthierschoolday/tools-schools-focusing-smart-snacks
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Healthy Concessions Guide
Concession stands often carry very few healthy options. This 7-page PDF offers ideas on healthy foods for school concession stands. It offers suggestions based on "Go", "Slow", and "Whoa" guidelines. It provides healthy serving size guides and substitution ideas for "whoa" foods.
Available at: https://www.nemours.org/content/dam/nemours/wwwv2/filebox/service/healthy-living/growuphealthy/healthyconcession.pdf
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Healthy Non-Food Rewards
A 2-page PDF that includes creative, free and low-cost ideas for health-promoting non-food rewards. It offers specific ideas by grade level- elementary school, middle school, and high school and also offers ideas for Parent/Teacher Organizations (PTOs).
Available at: http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/storage/documents/parent-toolkit/rewardsf3a.pdf
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Let's Party- School Party Ideas
This PDF give you ideas for creating a healthy party at school. It provides ideas to make your party healthy, safe, fun, and simple! This document includes student friendly recipes and also recipes for the cafeteria that are in the USDA Recipes for Schools with numerical code. There are also 10 party theme ideas available for you to try for your next school party!
Available at: http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/hsmrs/WestVirginia/LetsParty.pdf
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Healthy Non-Food Rewards
A 2-page PDF that includes creative, free and low-cost ideas for health-promoting non-food rewards. It offers specific ideas by grade level- elementary school, middle school, and high school and also offers ideas for Parent/Teacher Organizations (PTOs).
Available at: http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/storage/documents/parent-toolkit/rewardsf3a.pdf
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Catch (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) After School/Summer Program
A physical activity and nutrition education program designed for elementary and middle school aged children in an after-school/summer setting. It is composed of nutrition education materials (including snack activities) and a physical activity component. The program offers an easy-to-use format that both children and staff enjoy and is ready to implement in the after-school and summer settings.
Available at: http://catchinfo.org
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Grow it, Try It, Like It!
A garden-themed nutrition education kit for child care center staff that introduces children to: three fruits - peaches, strawberries, and cantaloupe, and three vegetables - spinach, sweet potatoes, and crookneck squash.
Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/grow-it-try-it-it
Or upon request from Team Nutrition- Team Nutrition offers materials for free to schools and child care centers that participate in Federal Child Nutrition Programs.
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Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools
Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools helps teachers transform first their classroom, and ultimately, their school into environments promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools includes two sets of supplemental lessons, one for Kindergarten through second grades and one for third through fifth grades.
Available at: http://www.michiganfitness.org/healthy-classrooms-healthy-schools
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The We Like to Eat Book Series
The We Like to Eat!TM book series engage children and their families to learn about the food groups with a focus on fruits and vegetables that include tips for gardening, harvesting, preparing, and eating fruits and vegetables. Two of the books are bilingual with English and Spanish text and contain recipes, recipe cards, and activities.
Available at: Review a sample or order at www.michiganfitness.org.
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Let's Party- School Party Ideas
This PDF give you ideas for creating a healthy party at school. It provides ideas to make your party healthy, safe, fun, and simple! This document includes student friendly recipes and also recipes for the cafeteria that are in the USDA Recipes for Schools with numerical code. There are also 10 party theme ideas available for you to try for your next school party!
Available at: http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/hsmrs/WestVirginia/LetsParty.pdf
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Michigan Harvest of the Month
Michigan Harvest of the MonthTM materials are hands-on to allow for exploration, tasting, and learning regarding the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and being physically active every day. Michigan Harvest of the MonthTM features ready-to-go nutrition education materials that can be used in diverse applications within the community and school environment. The materials can easily be integrated into the core curriculum and are based on the most current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Materials for families are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic.
Available at: http://www.michiganfitness.org/harvest-month - Download a copy to review or order at resources@michiganfitness.org
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Steps to a Healthy Teen
The National 4-H Curriculum, STEPS to a Healthy Teen: Segments To Emphasize Physical activity and nutrition Steps, consists of 10 activities that target youth ages 14 to 19.
The purpose of the curriculum is to help youth develop skills and knowledge in physical education and nutrition. Participants experience a variety of learning methods and tools such as games, case scenarios, computer software programs, cooking demonstrations, and fitness challenges. Most activities range from 45 to 60 minutes and include accompanying handouts. Each activity includes a Teen Research (TR) Challenge take-home task. The TR Challenge encourages healthier lifestyles through thought-provoking activities for teens to solve themselves or with their families.
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Catch (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) After School/Summer Program
A physical activity and nutrition education program designed for elementary and middle school aged children in an after-school/summer setting. It is composed of nutrition education materials (including snack activities) and a physical activity component. The program offers an easy-to-use format that both children and staff enjoy and is ready to implement in the after-school and summer settings.
Available at: http://catchinfo.org
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Power Up! Curriculum
Power Up is an 8-week health education program for middle school students in grades 6-8. This program encourages students to make healthier food choices, be physically active and to take an active role in their schools’ wellness policies. It also provides students with an opportunity to taste new, healthy foods and encourage positive self-esteem.
Available at: http://www.kansasteamnutrition.org/TN_Menus/TN_Power_Up.htm
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MyPlate Materials (young child focused)
Helps preschoolers eat well, be active, and be healthy. This section of the MyPlate website is for parents and caregivers of children 2 through 5 years of age. It contains fact sheets, recipes, sample food plans and more.
Available at: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers.html
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We Like to Eat Book Series
The We Like to Eat!TM book series engage children and their families to learn about the food groups with a focus on fruits and vegetables that include tips for gardening, harvesting, preparing, and eating fruits and vegetables. Two of the books are bilingual with English and Spanish text and contain recipes, recipe cards, and activities.
Available at: Review a sample or order at www.michiganfitness.org.
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Snack Stars
Blast off to healthy snacking! Six “snactivities” that teach and encourage young children to choose and eat healthy snacks. Healthy snack recipes and a chart that connects the snactivities to the Common core are included.
Call the United Dairy Industry of Michigan at 800-241-MILK to order print copies (available while supplies last).
Available at: www.milkmeansmore.org/schools
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Snack Sleuths
Introduce students to the exciting world of healthy snacking! Six “discoveries” that teach students why snacks are important; what a healthy snack is; new ideas for healthy snacking; and how to accept responsibility for their own snack choices. Healthy snack recipes and a chart that connects the discoveries to the Common core are included.
Call the United Dairy Industry of Michigan at 800-241-MILK to order print copies (available while supplies last).
Available at: www.milkmeansmore.org/schools
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Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Child care providers can create healthier environments for the children in their care with this collection of 15 tip sheets that are packed with practical nutrition information, serving suggestions, food safety tips, ideas to get kids moving, and more!
Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/nutrition-wellness-tips-young-children
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Smarter Lunchroom Training Materials
A collection of training materials in multiple formats including Webinars, lesson plans, “No Time to Train” PowerPoints and more.
Available at: http://smarterlunchrooms.org/training-materials
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Healthy School Snacks Promote Student Nutrition
An April 2016 update from Pew Charitable Trusts on school snacks policies. The good news: a decrease in the amount of fat, sugar, and calories that students consume.