HEALTHY EATING TOOLKIT FOR SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM

Meghan OstranderRegistered Dietitian, Community ServingsFebruary 15th, 2011

Toolkit Created by Project Bread and Community Servings

Created in response to: Feedback and observations from

summer food sites: Children may take the food but do not always eat

it They may be unfamiliar with the food, and the

food is not always identified to them There is peer pressure not to eat the meals The children are not encouraged to try new foods

Goals of The Toolkit

To provide an easy-to-follow guide to sites, so that they can:-encourage staff and participants of Summer Food Sites to try a broad variety of foods

-increase the appeal of healthy foods and the meals served at Summer Food Sites to staff and participants-reduce food waste at Summer Food Sites

What is in the toolkit?

Tip sheets for group leaders (have a copy in your packet)

Introduction letters for summer food staff, participants, and their caregivers

Activities for children and teens Ideas and resources to create a nutrition-themed

bulletin board or display Ideas and resources for food-related field trips,

books, and themed weeks

Hello!

Welcome to the Summer Meals Program.

We are ready to have fun. Some of what we will be learning this summer is about trying new foods and making healthy eating choices. These activities may include:

Taste-testing different foods Reading books about food Taking a field trip to a farm or farmers’ market Playing fun games about food, like Food Bingo We hope you enjoy the meals through the Summer Food

Program.

Bulletin Board and Display ideas….

What’s for Breakfast? ¿Que hay para desayuno?

Our FavoriteFruit is…

Nuestra vegetal favorite es…

Field Trip Ideas

Verrill Farm: Bring your own containers and pick fruit, go for a hayride, enjoy lunch under a tent, and even tour the farm. $2.75/lb. of fruit, $50 for a group hayride, prices for tours vary. 11 Wheeler RoadConcord, MA

Tel. 978-369-4494

Field Trip Ideas

Community Servings (no cost)-This organization is dedicated to feeding critically ill individuals and their families in the community. The children can see an industrial sized kitchen, learn about large quantity food production, and visit the summer farmer’s market.

18 Marbury Terrace, Jamaica Plain, MA

Contact Meghan Ostrander at Mostrander@servings.org or (617)-522-777, ext. 221

Volunteer opportunities available for children and adults; please contact Ashley Boyd at Aboyd@servings.org or (617)-522-7777, ext.288

Try a themed week or day Garden Theme-explore how things grow while having fun. Paint flower pots or paper cups on Monday, plant seeds on

Tuesday, and let the children take them home. Read books about gardening and fruits and vegetables (see book

list for ideas) Make tissue paper flowers as a craft. Try eating snacks that grow in a garden like fruits and vegetables. Contact organizations like Growing Connection to come to your

program and help you start your very own garden. Please see Field Trip Contact Sheet for Growing Connection’s contact information.

Take a field trip to a farmer’s market or a local farm to end the week.

Let’s Try an Activity….

Nutrition True or False Game For Teens

TRUE OR FALSE?

Drinking milk will make me fat.

TRUE OR FALSE?

FALSE

Drinking skim or 1% milk, like the ones served here is great way to get nutrients

and calcium you need for strength and energy and can help you control your hunger.

TRUE OR FALSE

If I drink fruit juice, I still need to eat fruits and vegetables too.

TRUE OR FALSE TRUE

Eat more fruit than you drink. Juice can have tons of sugar that can lead to weight gain and cavities and lacks nutrients that you

would get by eating the actual fruit. The fruit given to you with your meals will give you

nutrients that you need to be healthy. Limit juice to one 8-ounce glass a day.

TRUE OR FALSE?

What I eat affects my skin.

 

TRUE OR FALSE?

. TRUE

Your skin needs nutrients to help it grow. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables each day as well as drinking and eating dairy products like milk and yogurt will give your skin the vitamins and minerals it needs to be healthy. The meals here all have the vitamins and minerals that are great for your skin.

TRUE OR FALSE?Skipping meals is a good way to lose

weight.

TRUE OR FALSE?

Eating three well-balanced meals a day like the ones you eat here is a better way to

control calories. If you skip meals, you will get very hungry and be more likely to over

eat.

FALSE

TRUE OR FALSEReplacing meals with protein shakes and energy bars will help me be a better athlete.

 

 

TRUE OR FALSEReplacing meals with protein shakes

and energy bars will help me be a better athlete.

 

FALSE 

To succeed at sports, your body needs all food groups for energy and strength. Our meals give you the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat to play at your best.

Thank you!

Have a healthy, happy, summer!