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Type of Play: Healthy Eating
Subcategory: Making Nutritious Foods Fun
Student Interest Areas: Culinary, Marketing
Grade Level: Elementary & Secondary
Level of Involvement: Going Further
Work with your School Nutrition Director to create some fun healthy eating promotions designed to expose students to nutrient-rich foods they might not otherwise try.
Everyone Can:
- Help plan Raise the [Food] Bar offerings
- Obtain food donations from local stores
- Create and conduct polls
- Share nutrition information with students
- Share poll results with the school
- Work with school nutrition personnel to get popular choices added to the menu
Keep It Going:
- Conduct polls after each monthly promotion to find out which bars are most popular. Then work with the school nutrition staff to see about making one or more of them a permanent option on the school menu.
- Feature a different promotional “bar” once every month, and highlight the nutritional value of the foods offered.
- Use the Polling & Survey Tools at FuelUpToPlay60.com to find out what foods students have or haven’t tried that could be offered in one of the promotional bars.
- Hold a meeting of students and Program Advisor(s) with the school nutrition staff to find out which of the foods could be featured.
- Work with your local community organizations or businesses to get donations of different foods to try.
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Here are some fun ideas to feature:
- Pizza Bar—offer toppings for cheese pizza, with whole grain crust and low-fat or fat-free cheese, that students can add, such as jalapenos, black olives, extra low-fat or fat-free cheese, hot sauce, peppers, fresh tomatoes, pineapple or cooked chicken, etc. Investigate and offer fresh prepared and/or delivered pizza options and have students vote for their favorites; based on success, include as a meal item with the potential for increased meal participation. Offer pizza with low-fat and fat-free cheese as a breakfast item. Kids love pizza at any meal!
- Super Salad Bar—offer cherry tomatoes, broccoli, a variety of low-fat and fat-free cheese types and forms (cubed, shredded), jalapenos, nuts, etc.
- Pro Potato Bar—offer a variety of low-fat and fat-free cheeses, broccoli, chives, nuts, low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt mixed with spices, etc.
- Tasty Taco Bar—offer lettuce, tomato, low-fat and fat-free cheese, hot sauce, salsa, low-fat sour cream, jalapenos, etc. Try mixing plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt with salsa for a new type of topping!
- Yogurt Bar—set up a bar with a few flavors of low-fat and fat-free yogurt with toppings like fruit, whole grain granola, nuts, raisins, etc.
This Play may help you meet the goals of the USDA's HealthierUS School Challenge!
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ideas for getting your entire community involved in Fuel Up to Play 60!
Learn about funding opportunities to help you implement your program successfully.
Raise the [Food] Bar!