dc hunger-healthy snack curriculum 09

8/13/2019 DC Hunger-Healthy Snack Curriculum 09

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Healthy Snacking at the CoA Healthy Corner Store Program Curriculum

for Middle School-Age Youth

Facilitators Guide

D.C. Hunger Solutions 2009

D.C. Hunger Solutions

The Healthy Corner Store Program is funded bythe District of Columbia, Department of Health,Community Health Administration.Points of view or opinions in this publication are those of D.C. Hunger Solutionsand do not necessarily represent official positions or policies of the Departmentof Health.


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Acknowledgements

The D.C. Healthy Corner Store Program is supported by the District of Columbia Department ofHealth, Community Health Administration. Points of view or opinions in this curriculum are thoseof the authors and do not necessarily represent official positions or policies of the Department ofHealth.

This curriculum was prepared by D.C. Hunger Solutions staff Kristin Roberts, with assistancefrom Alexandra Ashbrook and D.C. Hunger Solutions intern Kendra Tolbert.

D.C. Hunger Solutions thanks the following partners for their contributions to this curriculum: Dr. Dawanna James-Holly, D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education, for

reviewing the curriculum and providing comments; Maurice Hill, Ward 7 Arts Collaborative, for designing the I buy healthy foods postcard; Students and staff of Freedom Youth Academy and Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater

Washington-FBR Branch for piloting the curriculum; Dr. Joel Gittelsohn, Center for Human Nutrition, Bloomberg School of Public Health and

director of the Baltimore Healthy Stores program; and Staff at The Food Trust of Pennsylvania.

Questions about this curriculum may be forwarded to D.C. Hunger Solutions([email protected]).


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Lesson 1: Using the 10% Rule 1

Lesson 1: Using the 10% RuleTime: about 1 hour

Lesson OutlinePreparation: Fill two drinking glasses with sugar in preparation for Whats Hiding in Your Soda?Instructions are listed in Part 2.

Introduction (10 minutes)Whats Hiding in Your Soda? (5-10 minutes)How to Tell If a Snack or Drink is Healthy (15 minutes)Would You Buy That Snack? (15-30 minutes)Summary (5 minutes)

Materials NeededPre-Test Survey

Two 20-ounce soda bottles (1 cola, 1 clear)4 drinking glasses (two empty; one containing 15.5 teaspoons sugar for cola; one containing18.5 teaspoons sugar for clear soda) 1

1 measuring teaspoon

Bag of sugar Apple (or photo of an apple Attachment A)

One bag of butter popcorn (or photo of popcorn Attachment A)Several healthy snack food and drink packages with Nutrition Facts labels visible 1 snack/drink per group of 3 participants (examples: 100% juice; pretzels; granola bars; low-fat milk;raisins)Paper

PencilsCopies of handouts:

Handout 1: The 10% RuleHandout 2: Would You Buy that Snack?

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, participants will be able to:Recognize how much sugar and how many calories a soda contains.Identify three key terms on a Nutrition Facts label and use the label to decide whether a food ishealthy.Compare and contrast different Nutrition Facts labels.

Investigate and analyze the role of advertising in in uencing our food choices.

1 Conversion key for measuring the amount of sugar in the sodas you use: 1 teaspoon of sugar = 4.2 grams of sugar

I.II.III.

IV.V.


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I. Introduction (10 minutes)

A. Overview of the Program (3 min.)Brie y introduce the Healthy Snacking at the Corner Store program to the participants. The introductioncan include the following points, as applicable:

We are beginning a program where you [participants] will learn how to pick the snacks anddrinks that are good for you and help keep you healthy and strong.This program consists of four lessons that we will be teaching this week [or over the next fewweeks].

I / We [the instructors] think this program is important because This program is part of the Healthy Corner Store Program, which we will talk about over the nextfew lessons.Most importantly, we will have fun!

B. Introductory / ice-breaker game (3 min.)Ask participants to complete the following sentence:

If I were a fruit, I would be a _____________ because _________________.

Example: If I were a fruit, I would be a peach because I am sweet.

C. Pre-test survey (3-5 min.)Distribute one survey to each participant. Ask participants to write their rst names on their surveys.Tell the participants that this is not a test, but a survey (which will be repeated at the end of the four

lessons) to nd out what they learned during the Healthy Snacking Program and what they thought ofthe program.

Collect the surveys when participants are nished and keep them until the end of the program.

NOTE: Pre-test survey results will be compared with post-test surveys to measure change in participants knowledge about healthy snacking.

II. What is Hiding in Your Soda? (5-10 minutes)

Bring out one 20-ounce bottle of a cola and one 20-ounce bottle of clear or light-colored soda. Ask

participants if they think the sodas are healthy or unhealthy.TIP: Participants are likely to think that soda is unhealthy but unable to identify exactly why.

Tell participants: We are going to nd out for sure. Whats really inside these soda bottles?

Ask for a participant to come forward. Ask that participant to measure the amount of sugar he/shethinks is in the cola, but by scooping sugar into an empty glass with a teaspoon. Count out loud eachscoop of sugar. Tell the rest of the group to advise the participant when to stop.


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NOTE: 1 teaspoon of sugar = 4.2 grams of sugar

Ask the same participant to scoop into a different glass the amount of sugar he/she thinks is in theclear/light soda. Count out loud each scoop of sugar. Tell the rest of the group to advise the participantwhen to stop.

Participants might believe the cola has more sugar. If that is the case, ask them why they believe onesoda has more sugar than the other.

Next, bring out the glasses with the pre-measured amounts of sugar that accurately represent theamount of sugar in the sodas, and compare the pre- lled glasses to what the participant spooned out.(Typically, 15.5 teaspoons are in cola and 18.5 teaspoons are in clear/light-colored soda.)

If the participants assumed the dark soda had more sugar, explain to them dark and light sodas aresimilar in their ingredients and amounts of ingredients, including sugar. The main difference is theamount of food dye.

Inform participants that this amount of sugar (16 teaspoons) is already more than 3 times therecommended amount that children should consume each day.

Debrief reactions to this activity with the following questions:Did it surprise you that the soda contained this much sugar?

What would happen if you had one 20-ounce soda every day?

Answer: Each 20-ounce bottle of cola contains about 65g of sugar or 15 teaspoons. If youhad one bottle every day, that would be equal to eating 52 pounds of sugar a year! That is threetimes as much sugar as a kid should have in a year.

Why should you avoid consuming excessive sugar?

Answer: Sugar contains calories, which we will learn more about in this program. Too much sugarcan lead us to consume excess calories, which can make us gain weight. Being overweight orobese is unhealthy. It can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Too much sugar cancause cavities, too.

Why else might drinking too much soda be unhealthy?

Answer: For many children, when they drink a lot of soda, they tend to skip healthier drinks.

What are some healthier drinks that you could have instead of a soda?

Answer: Water; 100% juice; low-fat (1%) or skim milk (its okay to have chocolate or strawberrymilk sometimes, too); vegetable juice; sugar-free avored water.

How much money would spend in a year if you had one 20-ounce. soda each day?

Answer: A brand name soda typically costs $1.30 at the corner store. $1.30 a day x 365 daysa year = $474.50. Imagine what else you could spend $475 on

Inform participants that many of these alternatives to soda are available in corner stores, often aboutthe same price as a soda, and that they can pick a different healthier drink when theyre feelingthirsty.

TIP: If participants include sports drinks among the healthier alternatives to soda, explain thatmany people think sports drinks are healthy. However, although these drinks usually contain lesssugar than soda, they rarely contain much fruit juice, and rarely are sugar-free.


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Talking points and answers to other common questions:

It is important not to make any children in the group especially those who are overweight notfeel singled out in any way. This rst talking point is important to set the tone for the discussion :Weighing too much is something that all Americans can struggle with, no matter how old theyare or how much money they have. We all need to be careful to have good nutrition and getenough physical activity.

Compared to other states, Washington, D.C., has the highest rate of overweight children ages10-17 22.8% of children.East of the Anacostia River in D.C.s Wards 7 and 8 overweight and obesity rates are higherthan in most other Wards of the city.Even for children who are not overweight, good nutrition is important for overall good health,feeling good and having lots of energy every day, and doing well in school and other activities.

III. How to Tell if a Drink or Snack is Healthy (15 minutes)

A. Discussion (3-5 min.)Inform participants that although we want to be healthy and make healthy food and drink choices,sometimes its hard to gure out which foods and beverages are healthy or which ones are not sohealthy and why.

Hold up an apple (or photo of an apple Attachment A) and ask if participants think an apple is a healthysnack. Ask them: Why or why not? Answers might include: An apple is healthy snack because weneed to eat fruit each day. Fruit contains vitamins and no preservatives.

Hold up the bag of butter popcorn (or a photo of popcorn Attachment A), and ask students if they thinkit is healthy, and why or why not. Answers might include: Popcorn is unhealthy because it is too salty,

or popcorn is healthy because it is low-fat.Ask participants to share ideas on how you determine a food is healthy and good for you.

Answers might include:

Talk to people you trust Ask a doctor

Learn about it in a school health classResearch it online

Read a label

Ask a health professionalLook at USDAs MyPyramid 2

Tell students (if this answer has not already been volunteered) that one key way to guring out whethera food or drink is good for you is to read the Nutrition Facts label on the package.

Mention that laws require food companies to label Nutrition Facts and Ingredients on all products.

2 More information about MyPyramid (formerly called the Food Guide Pyramid) and MyPyramid for Kids, for children ages6-11, is at www.mypyramid.gov.


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Note: Different laws apply for fresh fruits and vegetables, so you wont always be able to nd alabel to tell you about an apple or banana or other fresh fruits and veggies. Typically, there are nolabeling requirements for food in restaurants. Some cities have requirements for restaurants to

put nutrition information on menus. D.C. is considering a menu-labeling law like that.

Ask participants if they think that having labels on food packages is a good idea. Answers mightinclude:

Ask participants to identify what information on the label would help them determine whether thepopcorn is healthy or unhealthy.

Tell participants: One easy way to judge whether a food or drink is a healthy choice is to use the 10%Rule. To use the 10% Rule, you need to read the Nutrition Facts label and pay special attention to the% Daily Value column on ithe right-hand side.

B. Activity: Practicing the 10% Rule (10 min.)

Distribute Handout: The 10% Rule and use the handout to guide the discussion. 3 (Participants canname a hypothetical product to go with the label.)

Referring to the handout, ask participants which things on the Nutrition Facts label they should eat a lotof, and which things they should avoid eating too much of. (Do this part quickly; participants can callout answers.)

Thank participants for their answers, and tell them they are going to learn The 10% Rule an easy wayto use all that information on the label.

TIP: Make sure not to get too technical. Participants do not need an in-depth understanding ofeach nutrient on the label just enough to understand how to use the different nutrients to decideif a food is healthy or not. Go through the label fairly quickly so participants do not get bored.

3 The 10% Rule was developed by Dr. Joel Gittelsohn, Center for Human Nutrition, Bloomberg School of Public Health,Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Gittelsohn directs the Baltimore Healthy Stores program.

Yes, a good idea No, a bad idea

Helps consumers make good choices Encourages food companies to put in

healthy ingredients Helps protect against false advertising,

since companies cant claim a food islow-fat if the label shows that theproduct is high in fat

Labels are too complicated Most people dont read them anyway Most eating/purchasing decisions are

based on advertising It costs too much money and the

money would be better spentelsewhere


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The 10% RuleExplain how the 10% Rule works. The 10% Rule is a quick and easy way of reading a Nutrition Factslabel especially useful in a corner store, where youre going in and out and making quick decisions.You check the label to see if the food or drink contains 10% or more of your Daily Value of goodnutrients (like ber and vitamins) and 10% or less of your Daily Value of bad nutrients (like fat and

sodium).Tell participants to follow these step-by-step instructions:

Locate the Serving Size and Servings Per Container lines (highlighted in the blue bubble on thehandout.) Ask: How many servings are in this product? Answer: There are two. Ask: Howmany servings does the information on the label refer to? Answer: All of the information on thelabel refers to one serving . This can be tricky all the amounts listed on the Nutrition Factslabel must be multiplied by the number of Servings Per Container if you consume the entirepackage.

Locate the next line on the label: Calories. A good rule of thumb for using calorie content to judge whether a snack or drink is healthy is to look for snacks with 200 cal or fewer per serving. 4

Ask participants how many calories are in one serving of the food whose label is on Using the10% Rule. (Answer: 250.) Ask: Based just on the calorie count, is this a healthy snack?Answer: No.

Locate the % Daily Value column, and put your nger on it. [Go around the class and make sureall participants have located the column.]

Locate the green area on the label handout. This is the Get More category. In this sectionwe want to look for 10% or more. 10% or more is high (good). Less than 10% is low (bad). Thenutrients in this category are dietary ber, vitamins, and minerals. These keep us healthy andstrong. We usually do not eat enough of these.

Now locate the red area on the handout. Everything in the red box is the Look for Lesscategory. In this box, we want 10% or less of Daily Value. 10% or less is low (good). More than10% is high (bad). The nutrients in this category are total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, andsodium (salt). Sometimes a label also includes trans fat. When we eat these too much and toooften, they can put us at risk for obesity or disease.

Since there is not a % Daily Value for how much sugar you should eat each day, an easy guideis to look for 10 grams of sugar or less.

Ask for a volunteer to come to the front and practice using the 10% Rule with the bag of butter popcornor any other food package you have available.

TIP: Quickly remind the participants which nutrients are part of the Get Less (bad) category

(10% or less): total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and trans fat (if listed). Remind themwhich nutrients are part of the Get More (good) category (10% or more): dietary ber, vitaminsand minerals.

Guide the volunteer participant through reading and evaluating each line on the label. Ask the participantto read aloud the % Daily Value for each nutrient. Ask the class if each nutrient meets The 10% Rule.

After the entire label has been completed, ask the class if the snack is overall good or bad.

4 Calorie criteria for healthy snacks based on calorie count criteria developed by The Food Trust for single-serving snacks.

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.


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Tell participants: Most foods dont perfectly t the de nition of healthy or unhealthy. You can useThe 10% Rule to pick the best choice out of the snacks available when youre in the store, or at thevending machine. You might pick the one thats lowest in fat, salt, or sugar or the one thats highest incalcium or ber.

TIP: Background information on the Nutrition Facts label:

Calories the amount of energy in the food. An average adult diet is 2,000 calories per day. A 20-oz. cola has 250 calories.

Serving Size and Servings Per Container This can be tricky because sometimes whatlooks or feels like a single serving of a drink or food is actually two or more servings. (Many99-cent bags of chips, for example, contain two or three servings in one bag that feels like asingle-serving size.) If you consume the whole package, you need to do some math to ndout the amount of calories, fat, etc. you are consuming.

Total fat there are good fats and bad fats. Total fat tells you how many grams of fat arein one serving.

Saturated fat and trans fat These are the bad fats. Too much of these fats can

raise the cholesterol levels in your blood, which can lead to heart disease or stroke.We should limit the amount of these fats that we eat.

Cholesterol This is a substance that your body produces naturally and is also found infoods. Eating too much cholesterol can lead to health problems, including heart disease andstroke. We should limit the amount of cholesterol we eat.

Sodium Sodium is salt. We should stay away from too much sodium in our diets. It canlead to high blood pressure.

Total Carbohydrate This category includes the amount of sugar and dietary ber in afood.

Dietary Fiber Dietary ber is good for us. It lowers cholesterol and keeps usregular.

Sugars As discussed in the soda demonstration, eating too much sugar can bebad for our health for a variety of reasons.

Protein Protein is important for energy and rebuilding our cells. Most people usually getenough protein.

Vitamins and Minerals These are very important to our health. Most people do not getthe amount of vitamins and minerals we need in a day. Make sure to eat foods high invitamins and minerals.

Ingredients : The ingredients in the food or drink are listed in order of weight in the package,starting with the largest amount.

More background about sugar: If participants are interested in knowing more about sugar, point outthat not all foods and drinks with sugar are created equal. Tell participants: you may notice that 100% juice has sugar in it, too. This sugar is different from the sugar found in soda and juice cocktails. Thesugar found in 100% juice is the sugar found naturally in all fruits and vegetables. The sugar found insoda and other drinks is added sugar. It is usually a syrup or processed white sugar. This is the sugarwe want to avoid.

You can tell if a food has added sugar by looking at the Ingredients section on the Nutrition Facts label.If there is added sugar, you will see it in the ingredients list. Added sugar can be called sugar or


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syrup, or it might even have a fancy name, the scienti c name for a sugar. But you can gure out ifit is sugar: if it ends in ose, -o-s-e, then it is an added sugar. One common example is high-fructosecorn syrup.

IV. Would You Buy That Snack? (15-30 minutes)

Ask participants: Besides the Nutrition Facts label, how else do we decide what foods to eat or whatdrinks to drink?

Guide participants toward this answer : Food and drink companies advertise their products to us allthe time, in many places. The purpose of advertising is to persuade customers thats us! to buya product and to make people think it will taste good. Advertising also gives customers informationabout products.

Ask participants: What are some places that you see or hear advertising for foods or drinks?

Answers might include: on billboards, on TV or radio, on food packages, in stores, on the Internet

Ask participants to think of a slogan or an advertisement for a food or beverage. Share about veresponses.

Possible examples :McDonalds: Im lovin it.

Sprite: Image is nothing, taste is everything. Obey your thirst.Lays potato chips: Betcha cant eat just one.

Subway: Eat fresh!Taco Bell: Think outside the bun.

Ask participants to identify common devices used to advertise a product.Answers can include:

A jingle a catchy phrase that is easy to remember and set to a tune A celebrity or cartoon character endorsement

An exaggerated claim about the product. Example: This is the best pizza in the city. (Acompany cannot say something false like this pizza will help you lose weight if the pizzawill not do that. However, you can puff-up your product.)

Use of attractive, happy people. (If use this product, you will be like them.)

Ask participants: What kind of food do you think is advertised most? And to whom? Why or why

not?Guide them toward this answer : most food advertising you encounter is promoting junk food, andmuch of it is directed toward children and teenagers.

TIP: A few stats on food advertising:

Food companies spend about $10 billion per year advertising food to children (Center forScience in the Public Interest)


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80% of foods advertised on commercials during TV shows intended for children are forconvenience/fast foods and sweets (CSPI)In 2004, almost $7 billion was spent on advertising for snacks, beverages, and candy. Alittle less than $5 million was spent advertising the 5 A Day fruit and vegetable campaign(Consumers Union)

Ask participants: Do you think food advertising works?Answers might include:

Yes, I buy foods that I see commercials for.

No, I dont care what the commercials say. I eat what I like.

Tell participants: Were going to test some advertising ourselves.

Explain that in a moment they will be working in pairs (or teams of up to ve participants if you have abig class) to help a company launch a new type of healthy snack for children/teens. They will have anopportunity to create an advertisement for the company and should use some of the advertising devicesthat were just discussed.

Divide participants into pairs or small groups.

Give each team a healthy snack or drink product with Nutrition Facts label visible in preparation for theWould You Buy That Snack? activity. Choose healthy items according to The 10% Rule.

TIP: Examples of healthy products for the advertising activity:

Distribute Handout 2: Would You Buy That Snack? Read the instructions aloud and tell participantsthey will have ve minutes (or longer, depending on the time available) to complete the activity andprepare their advertisement. Tell students to be prepared to present the name of their snack and theadvertisement they create. (The assignment says they need to present to their boss and a group ofkids. This class is the group.)

Circulate around the room as the teams are preparing. After ten minutes, ask each team to present theiradvertisements with the rest of the class.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR: Usually, the snacks and drinks that are least healthy are available frommost corner and convenience stores, while the healthier choices are not typically as available incorner stores.

Snacks Drinks

Fruit (e.g., banana, orange) Vegetables (e.g., baby carrots) Granola bars (low-fat) Pretzels (low-salt and regular) Low-salt chips Baked chips Unsalted nuts No-sugar trail mix Dried fruit

Water 100% juice Low-fat milk (plain and

flavored)


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Using The 10% Rule

Get MORE

Use the Nutrition Facts label to find a healthy choice

10% or MORE is good!

10% or MORE is good!

10g or LESS is good!

10% or LESS is good!

These are good for your health!Look for 10% or MORE Daily Value of:

* Dietary Fiber * Calcium* Vitamin A * Iron* Vitamin C

Too much of these can be bad for your health.Look for 10% or LESS Daily Value of:

* Fats * Sodium * Cholesterol

Look for 10g or LESS of:

* Sugar

Get LESS

C h e c k

t h e n u m

b e r

o f s e r v

i n g s !

Get MORE

Get LESS

The 10% Rule was developed by Dr. Joel Gittelsohn, Center for Human Nutrition, Bloomberg School of PublicHealth, Johns Hopkins University. This illustration is adapted from the USDA Team Nutrition poster Read ItBefore You Eat It.

Handout 1


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Handout 2

Would You Buy That Snack?Directions: You work for an advertising agency. Your teams assignment is to think of a name anddesign an advertisement for a new snack made by a food company. The company has created a newhealthy food/drink and wants to advertise it to children in 4 th to 8 th grade. You will receive a big raise ifyou are successful.

The rst thing you need to do for your boss is to gure out what makes your product healthy. Thesecond thing you need to do is create an advertisement for your product that would encourage childrento buy your product. The advertisement should last for one minute or less.

You must report to your boss and a group of kids in ve minutes with the following information:

1. Why is it the healthy snack?Instructions: Using the 10% Rule and your products Nutrition Facts label, ll in this grid to decideif each snack is healthy or not. If the answer to the question in the grid is yes, write a checkmark

(or any positive symbol, picture, or word) in the box.

2. Using the boxes with checkmarks, list the healthy features of your snack that you are goingto advertise.

Is the snack low in total fat?

Is the snack low in saturated fat?

Is the snack low in cholesterol?

Is the snack low in sodium?

Is the snack low in sugar?

Is the snack high in dietary fiber?

Is the snack high in vitamins?

Is the snack high in minerals?


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Handout 2 cont.

3. What are you going to name your product?

4. Make up a jingle, slogan, song, rap, or skit to advertise your product.Make sure to appeal to your audience 4 th to 8 th-graders. Write the words below, and be readyto perform it for your boss and a group of children. Remember: the advertisement should be oneminute or less.


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apple

Attachment A


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buttered popcorn

Attachment A


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D.C. Healthy Corner Store ProgramHealthy Snacking at the Corner Store

Pre-Program SurveyFirst Name: _________________________________

Please circle or ll in your answers below.

1) How many sodas do you drink in a week?

0 1-2 3-4 5 or more

2) Can you fnd a healthy snack in the corner store?

Yes No I dont know

If you said yes, write one example: _____________________________________________

3) Can you tell if a drink is good for you?

Yes No

If you said yes, how can you tell? ______________________________________________

4) Does advertising (like TV commercials) help you pick what foods to eat?

Yes No I dont know

5) Would the corner store owner sell healthy snacks if you asked for them?

Yes No I dont know6) Is it unhealthy to be overweight?

Yes No I dont know

Why or why not: ___________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

7) Do you think your neighborhood has enough healthy food?

Yes No I dont know

Why or why not: ___________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

Please return this survey to D.C. Hunger Solutions:Mail: 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 540, Washington, DC 20010 Fax: 202-986-2525 Email: [email protected]


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Lesson 2: Snack Attack 1

Lesson 2: Snack Attack!Time: 50 minutes 1 hour

Lesson OutlinePreparation: Before the lesson begins, set up the Healthy Snack Fair, following the instructionson the Go For 100% Juice and Have a Low-Fat Snack Attack Handout. Use one table for thesnack taste-test and one table for the drinks. If participants arrive early, they can help you set up.Preparation takes about ten minutes. (Note: this activity is optional.)

Snack Inventory (10-15 minutes)

Review from Lesson (1 - 5 minutes)

One Step at a Time (5-10 minutes)

Healthy Snack Fair (20 minutes)

Summary (10 - 30 minutes)

Materials NeededSelection of healthy and unhealthy (based on 10% Rule) snack and drink packages [You canuse the same packages used in Lesson 1]

Flip chart paper or chalkboard

HEALTHY sign

100% juice samples (see Handout Go For 100% Juice)

Samples of low-fat snacks baked chips and pretzels (see Handout Have a Low-Fat Snack Attack)

Two tables at least 3 feet longCopies of handouts:

Handout 1: My Snacking Diary

Handout 2: Take a Step Toward Healthier Snacking

Handout 3: Go For 100% Juice (plus supporting materials, listed on handout)

Handout 4: Have a Low-Fat Snack Attack (plus supporting materials, listed onhandout)

Objectives As a result of this lesson, participants will be able to:

Re ect on their snacking habits.

Identify health risks of unhealthy snacking and bene ts of healthy snacking.

Sample healthy snacks and drinks.

Select healthier snacks and drinks at the corner store.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.


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Lesson 2: Snack Attack! 2

I. Snack Inventory (10-15 minutes)

As participants walk into the session, welcome them and distribute Handout 1: My Snacking Diary and encourage them to complete only Part One .

Tell participants to think of their favorite snack food and snack drink.

Ask for a volunteer note-taker to come forward to write two headings, SNACKS and DRINKS on theip chart or chalkboard.

Ask each participant to share his or her favorite snack and drink. (If the group is too big to complete thisin the allotted time, each person could choose either a snack or a drink to share.)

Ask the note-taker to write each persons answer in the appropriate column.

Once the list is complete (or, for a very large group, you have a representative list of snacks), ask for anew volunteer to come place an asterisk (*) next to all of the snacks that he or she thinks are healthy.

NOTE: If few healthy snacks are listed, encourage the participants to add some healthy snacks

to the list.Ask participants to re ect on how many of the snacks listed are healthy versus unhealthy. Askparticipants to share ideas on why people sometimes choose to eat unhealthy snacks instead of healthyones. Some ideas might include:

The in uence of advertising (You may need to guide participants toward this answer by remindingthem of the advertising activity in Lesson One)

Unhealthy snacks are less expensive

Unhealthy snacks are available everywhere you go in corner stores, vending stands, vendingmachines, etc.

Healthy food is hard to nd and can require preparation

Lack of knowledge about what is healthy

Ask several participants to share where they typically get their favorite snacks and drinks (e.g, fromhome, the corner store, an afterschool program, etc.) and whether the place they get their snackdetermines whether the snack is healthy or not. For instance, a snack may be healthier at school, sinceD.C. school vending machines are not allowed to sell soda or candy, or at an afterschool program,where snacks must meet certain U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition guidelines.

II. Review from Lesson One (5 minutes)

Ask participants to stand up for an activity. Give each person an empty snack or drink package and

ask the group to stand in a line (shoulder to shoulder, all facing toward you). Stand a few feet in frontof the students holding the HEALTHY sign in front of you.

Instruct participants to take a look at their packages and then examine the Nutrition Facts label on theback, keeping the 10% Rule in mind.

Ask participants if they need a quick review of the 10% Rule from the last session. If yes, quicklysummarize the 10% Rule from Lesson 1.


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To use the 10% Rule, you check the label to see if the food or drink contains 10% or more of yourDaily Value of good nutrients (like ber and vitamins) and 10% or less of your Daily Value of badnutrients (like fat and sodium).

Explain the activity: Participants should assemble in a horizontal line facing the instructor (like theywould to play Simon Says). Tell participants that you will read one fact from the Nutrition Facts label

at a time. They should take a step forward if their label matches the fact that you read. Each stepthey take represents one step toward healthy snacking. At the end of the activity, the line will look verydifferent, and the group will talk about why. [NOTE: Emphasize that the activity is not meant to be arace toward the healthy sign.]

Ask , one question at a time:

Is your product low in total fat?

Is your product low in sugar?

Is your product low in sodium?

Is your product high in dietary ber?

Is your product low in saturated fat? Is your product high in any vitamins or minerals?

Is your product low in cholesterol?

By the end, some students will have taken more steps forward than others, so the line is no longerstraight.

Ask several students nearest the healthy sign what products they have and for which questions theystepped forward. Do the same with several students in the middle and near the back.

Discuss with participants that often, a food or drink is not 100% healthy or 100% unhealthy it mightt the 10% Rule for some nutrients and not others. The best approach to deciding whether a snack

is a healthy choice is to consider all the information that the label gives you and choose the healthiestoption.

III. One Step at a Time (5-10 minutes)

Inform students that everyone eats things that are unhealthy once in a while but that eating unhealthyfood day after day can negatively impact your health.

Ask students: What are some of the bad things that result from too much unhealthy snacking? Let thembrainstorm, and encourage them to use what theyve already learned.

Guide participants toward the following answers:

An unhealthy diet gives you a low energy level.

Unhealthy snacking can put you at risk for obesity, which puts you at risk for many other problems,including:

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Coronary heart disease

High cholesterol


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Type 2 diabetes

Stroke

Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and bone within a joint)

Gallbladder disease

Sleep apnea and respiratory problems like asthma Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

Eating too many unhealthy snacks can prevent you from getting enough vitamins and minerals.There are all kinds of problems that can happen from not getting enough vitamins and minerals,like:

Calcium and vitamin D de ciency can lead to weakened bones.

Not getting enough vitamin C can lead to a disease called scurvy your teeth fall out andyour gums bleed

Low vitamin A intake can lead to poor eyesight or Night Blindness (cant see as well in thedark)

Zinc and vitamin K de ciency can lead to slower-than-normal healing of cuts, scrapes,and bruises

Low vitamin B or iron intake can lead to anemia (low red blood cell count), which preventsoxygen from getting to your body parts

NOTE: Many of the more extreme problems (like scurvy) that result from vitamin de ciency arenot very common in the U.S. today, because many foods are forti ed with vitamins. Still, there aremany children and adults who do not consume adequate amounts of all the vitamins we need tobe healthy, develop properly, and thrive.

TIP: Depending on participants age, attention span, and level of knowledge about health andhealth problems, you might want to give them only a few examples of the consequences of obesityand vitamin de ciency. You also may need to explain some of the illnesses and conditions. Tohelp the group understand some of the illnesses (especially those related to obesity), you can askwhether they know anyone with diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease.

Ask participants: Now that we know what can go wrong from too much unhealthy snacking, what do youthink are some bene ts of eating lots of healthy snacks?

Guide participants toward the following answers:

Healthy snacks taste good!

Eating lots of healthy snacks helps you feel good, strong, and healthy, and maintain a healthyweight.

For most kids, when youre a healthy weight, it helps you feel good about yourself, too.

Good nutrition lots of healthy snacks even helps you do well on tests and in your classesat school.

Tell participants: Fruits and veggies are great snack choices. Theyve got many bene ts, including:

Theyre high in vitamins and minerals, which keep us strong and healthy.

Theyre high in ber, which keeps us regular and full longer, and also can lower cholesterol.

Theyre naturally low in fat and cholesterol.


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Tell participants: And when we eat healthy foods, we get lots of bene ts, like:

Calcium strengthens bones

Vitamin C and E antioxidants, they protect cells from free radicals, supports a strong immunesystem

Vitamin D strengthens bones

Ask participants who in the group thinks they need to have fewer unhealthy snacks and drinks andmore healthy ones.

Tell participants: Almost everyone can bene t by choosing more healthy snacks and cutting out someof the unhealthy ones. Its ok to make changes one step at a time.

Distribute Handout 2: Take a Step Toward Healthier Snacking. Using the handout, discuss stepsparticipants can take toward healthier snacking.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR: the Steps handout depicts four sets of snacks and drinks. Each steprepresents a set of choices that are healthier than the ones below them. Moving toward a healthydiet takes place one step at a time.

Ask several participants to comment on the handout and think about what steps would be reasonablefor them to take.

IV. Healthy Snack Fair (20 minutes)

Tell participants that theyre going to a Healthy Snack Fair, where they get to taste some healthy snacksand drinks that they might not have seen in the corner store before. They might nd some new healthysnacks that they really like and can ask their corner store to sell.

(A) Ask for four volunteers to serve as Station Managers at the taste-testing stations. Tell the StationManagers that they will be working in pairs to serve snack and drink taste tests and teach their friendsabout healthy snacks and drinks that they could ask their corner store to sell.

Have these four students go to the tables and read the instructions sheet for the snacking fair. [Noteto facilitator: It is helpful to have an adult at each taste-test station to help the Station Managersunderstand their instructions and oversee the activity.] Assign one pair to the juice station ( Handout 3:100% Juice plus accompanying materials) and the other pair to the snack station ( Handout 4: BakedChips & Pretzels plus accompanying materials).

(B) When the snack fair stations are ready, thank the four volunteers, and tell the rest of the groupthat they will have 10 minutes to visit the two snacking stations, where they will taste healthy drinks andsnacks. Tell participants to take just one drink sample, and one of each of the snack samples.

Monitor the activity and once everyone has enjoyed a taste-test, ask participants to return to theirseats. Debrief by asking:

What did you learn from this activity?

Did anything surprise you?

Share a fact you learned about healthy snacking.

Did you like the baked chips? The pretzels? The 100% juice? Would you buy it? Why or whynot?


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TIP: Make sure that the four Station Managers get a chance to visit each others stations beforethe snack fair ends.

V. Summary (10 - 30 minutes)

Conclude this section of the lesson by asking participants to return to My Snacking Diary Part Two (Handout 1).

Ask participants to think about the healthier snack options they have learned about today, and whatsteps they can pledge to take toward healthier snacking.

Inform participants that in the next lesson, they will be using My Snacking Diary to make pledges tosnack healthier.

Choosing for Yourself There are three options for this activity, depending on how much time you have and the proximity of yourprogram site to a corner store.

NOTE: If you are teaching this lesson as a guest instructor at a program site, be sure to ask thesite staff permission before taking participants to a store, or instructing them to visit a store ontheir own.

(A) You will need several adults for this option. To prepare, give each participant a pencil and a sheetof paper. Explain to participants that you will be going to visit a corner store to practice looking forhealthy choices. (Whether participants actually buy the items is up to the individual program.) Theyshould examine Nutrition Facts labels to help identify healthier items, be as quiet as possible in thestore, and be careful to put any items that they take off the shelf back in the same place.

Take the group to a corner store. Introduce yourself to the store owner or cashier and explain that youare just visiting to help the students learn about healthy snacks.

In small groups (2-4 people), take participants into the store, and instruct them to point out three healthysnack food choices and three healthy drink choices. For each item they pick out, they should writedown the name and the reason they chose it. Supervise the activity closely, and assist participants withexamining Nutrition Facts labels to make their choices.

If there are not three healthy choices available in each category, ask participants to keep this in mindfor the next lessons discussion.

When you return to the program site, congratulate the participants for their good investigative work atthe corner store. Tell them that the next lesson will open with a discussion of what they found at thestore.

(B) Set up a mock corner store aisle at the program site. You will need a variety of snack foods anddrinks that are similar to what is found in a typical corner store in your area. Follow the same instructionsas those for option a.

Congratulate the participants for their good investigative work at the mock corner store. Tell them thatthe next lesson will open with a discussion of what they found at the store.

(C) Ask participants to visit a corner store near their home or the program site on their own. Give thesame instructions as those in option a.


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Tell participants to do their best investigative work at the corner store. Tell them that the next lesson willopen with a discussion of what they found at the store.

Sources Lesson Two

Chips vs. Pretzels Handout - developed by Dr. Joel Gittelsohn, Center for Human Nutrition,Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Gittelsohn directs theBaltimore Healthy Stores program.


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Handout 1

My Snacking Diary

Name: _______________________________________

Part One My snacks are

1. My favorite snack food is: ___________________________________________________

2. My favorite snack drink is: ___________________________________________________

3. During the school year, I usually get snacks at (circle):

School Home Afterschool Program

Corner Store Other: ___________________________

4. During the summer, I usually get snacks at (circle):

School Home Afterschool Program

Corner Store Other: ___________________________

Part Two I Pledge to

I pledge to take these steps toward healthier snacking (check as many boxes as you thinkyou can do):

Drink more water

Drink less soda

Eat one fruit each day

Eat baked chips instead of regular chips

Eat pretzels instead of regular chips

Drink 100% juice

Part Three How much do I need If you have access to the Internet, you can nd out exactly what foods you need in day. Go to the website for the Food Pyramid www.mypyramid.gov . After you enter your age, gender, height, weight, andamount of activity you do each day, you will get a MyPyramid Plan.


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Handout 2


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Handout 4

Have a LOW-FAT Snack Attack!

Background Many of us love to eat chips. They are an inexpensive, tasty, crunchy snackand theyre easy to nd.The problem is eating a lot of chips means eating a lot of fat and cholesterol, and that can be bad forus.

The good news is that there are other crunchy snacks that have less fat. Pretzels and baked chips bothtaste great and are about the same price as regular chips.

Set-upSet up a snack-testing station with these supplies:

Sample packages of regular chips, baked chips, and pretzels

Baked Chips vs. Regular Chips vs. Pretzels handout

Small sandwich bags or plates with about six pretzels or six baked chips

Oven-fried french fries recipe cards

Nutrition Facts about regular chips, baked chips, and pretzels place the nutrition info besideeach sample package

Station Managers Job

Help your friends gure out which crunchy snacks are low-fat, and convince them to considerchoosing a healthier (lower-fat) option next time they want chips. You can do this by:

Showing them the nutritional difference between regular chips, baked chips, andpretzels.

Explaining the nutritional bene ts (low-fat) of baked chips and pretzels.

Giving them samples of baked chips and pretzels.

Ready to go! As customers visit your snack-testing station, be ready to:

Show the different types of snacks and ask customers which snack they usually buy.

Show customers the different nutrition information and ask them to guess which ones are

the low-fat options and which is the healthiest. Offer a taste test of both baked chips and pretzels.

Give each person one Baked Chips vs. Regular Chips vs. Pretzels handout and oneoven-fried french fries recipe cards.


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Lesson 3: Curbing Obesity You Decide! 1

Lesson 3: Curbing Obesity You Decide!Time: 50-60 minutes

Lesson OutlineReview Lesson Two (3-5 minutes)Healthy Snack Pledge (5 minutes)

Obesity Whats the Problem? (10 minutes)

Solving the Problem What Do You Think? (20-25 minutes)

Summary (5 minutes)

Materials NeededPaper and pens/pencils

Butcher block or ip chart paperTape

Crayons or markers

Handout 2 (lesson 2): My Snacking Diary (each participant uses same copy from Lesson 2)

Two signs: Great Idea and Bad Idea

Handout 1: All About Obesity

Handout 2: Calories Count

Objectives

As a result of this session, participants will be able to:Discuss the scope of the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and in the District

Identify three possible reasons for and three negative consequences of childhood obesity

Analyze possible policy solutions to childhood obesity

Generate ideas for how to promote healthy eating and active living in D.C.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.


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I. Review Lesson Two (3-5 minutes)

Ask participants to take out their Steps Toward Healthier Snacking handouts from the last lesson. (Or,if the instructor keeps handouts at your program, pass them out to the participants.)

Review the steps and make sure participants understand what each of the steps represents.

II. Healthy Snack Pledge (5 minutes)

Next, ask participants to take out their My Snacking Diary handouts (or pass out the handouts toparticipants) and look at Part Two (the bottom half of the page). Ask participants to think about thehealthier snack and drink options they learned about and tasted in the last session and the steps theycan pledge to take toward healthier snacking.

Ask participants to check as many boxes as they think they can do.

Optional

Ask participants to report back on their visit to corner stores to examine the healthy choices available.

III. Obesity Whats the Problem? (10 minutes)Discuss with participants:

For the rest of this lesson we are going to be talking about overweight and obesity.

Especially if there are overweight children in the group : Overweight and obesity that is, weighingtoo much are problems that all Americans can struggle with, no matter how old they are orhow much money they have. We all need to be careful to have good nutrition and get enoughphysical activity.

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall good health, feeling good, having lots ofenergy every day, doing well in school, and growing up to be a healthy adult.

Everyone has things about themselves and their bodies that they do not like. It is importantwhen we are talking about this sensitive topic of ones weight that no one acts disrespectfully oris mean to anyone else.

TIP: overweight and obese are often used interchangeably in this curriculum, because we aremore interested in participants understanding the overall issues and concepts than in focusingon scienti c details. If participants are interested (and if this level of detail is age-appropriate),explain the distinction: Overweight is de ned as BMI at the 85th to below the 95 th percentilefor children of the same age and gender. The 85 th to below the 95 th percentile also is consideredat risk for obesity. Obesity is de ned as at or above the 95 th percentile. These de nitionsare based on the 2000 CDC Growth Charts for the United States.

Ask participants: What does it mean to be overweight or obese?


People who are fat.

People who eat too much.

People who dont exercise.


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Explain to participants: The most common way doctors determine whether someone is overweight is bymeasuring body mass index, or BMI. BMI is a number calculated from weight and height. If you wantto know your BMI, you should ask a doctor or nurse to help you gure it out.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR: if you are not a medical professional, do not determine participantsBMIs. For adults it is ok to give out a chart so they can gure it out themselves, but do not offer

any interpretation of the result.Give each participant a sheet of paper.

Ask participants: Why do you think children become overweight? Ask them to focus on children, andwrite down on their papers ve reasons why. (Give the group two minutes to write down their answers.)Tell participants that everyone is going to share an answer.

When time is up, ask for a volunteer to record everyones reasons on blackboard or a piece of ip chartpaper. (If you do not have a large piece of ip chart paper, participants could read their answers aloudand the group can raise their hands to indicate agreement with the answer.)


Kids watch too much TV / screen time video games, etc.Kids eat too much junk food.

Kids dont play enough sports or exercise enough.

As each participant shares a reason, write the reasons on the board and ask other participants to raisetheir hands if they had the same reason, count number of hands raised and record next to the reason

EXAMPLE: watch too much TV (5)

Thank participants for their answers and point out that the group has named many of the causes ofobesity that experts have identi ed.

Emphasize : There are many factors that affect whether a person becomes overweight, and it isimportant to understand that different causes affect different people in different ways.Tell participants: The most important thing to remember about preventing obesity is energybalance when you eat more calories than you use, those are extra calories. Extra calories,whether they come from fat or another nutrient, are stored in your body as fat and lead to weightgain.TIP: Researchers identify the following as common causes and risk factors for obesity:

Genetics or family history. P eople with obesity in their families are more likely tobecome obese.

Behavior What you do or dont do.

Energy intake When you eat more calories than you use, those are extra calories.Can you please put it back in? I want it in both places, to make sure the instructorunderstands the info.

Sedentary lifestyle A lack of exercise can cause us to gain weight. Rememberthe energy balance? If you are taking more in than you are using, it will be storedas fat.

Environmental factors

At home: What your parents eat or give you to eat affects your risk for obesity.


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In your community: Whether you have places to run, walk, play, or ride a bikeaffects your risk for obesity. Some people live in neighborhoods that are unsafe forplaying outside or dont have parks or other places to be active.

Next, ask participants where they think D.C. ranks compared to other places in the number of people whoare overweight or obese. Answer: Compared to other states, D.C. has the highest rate of overweight

children ages 10-17 22.8% of children.Tell participants the following information:

Childhood obesity is a big problem all over the country.

Childhood obesity is such a huge problem in the United States that in 2004, the Surgeon Generalsaid, "Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits, and physical inactivity,we may see the rst generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy thantheir parents."

Children who are overweight are more likely to become obese adults.

About 23 million children are overweight or obese. 1

It is a big problem in D.C., too, and it is affecting a lot of children and adults:55% of adults in D.C. are overweight or obese.

East of the River in D.C.s Wards 7 and 8 overweight and obesity rates are higher than inother Wards.TIP: Some children do not know which wards they live in. If that is the case at your program, youcan name some neighborhoods to illustrate what we mean by east of the river or Wards 7 and8.

Remind participants that in the previous two lessons, they learned some of the negative health conse-quences of unhealthy snacking and obesity, and we will quickly review those. Overweight and obesityput you at risk for many other problems, including:

High blood pressure (hypertension)Coronary heart disease

High cholesterol

Type 2 diabetes

IV. Solving the Problem What Do You Think? (20-25 minutes)

Remind participants that energy balance is the key to maintaining a healthy weight and preventingobesity.

Tell participants that just like there are many causes for obesity, there are also many ways to solve theproblem. People like doctors, teachers, parents, ministers, the mayor, the D.C. Health Department, andothers all have ideas for how to reduce obesity and make sure everyone in D.C. is healthy.

TIP: If participants are not familiar with the term policy, explain that a policy is like a law orrule that people have to follow, and a it has a speci c purpose, such as trying to help people behealthier. For example, schools have policies that children must be immunized against diseaseso that infections dont spread.

1 NHANES 2003-2006. Source: American Heart Association.


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Tell participants that one idea that the District government is exploring to help reduce obesity is creatingpolicies that will ensure that everyone has healthy food in their neighborhood and nice, safe places toplay and exercise, no matter what part of the city they live in.

Ask participants: Should all people be able to nd healthy food in their own neighborhood?

Have participants vote yes or no with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.TIP: Guide participants toward the answer yes. You can rephrase the question to ask whetheraccess to healthy food is a right for only certain people (such as wealthy people).

Ask several participants to explain their opinions on this question.

Next, tell participants: In a moment we will start an activity where you can share your opinions abouthow to reduce obesity and help kids be healthy.

Post two signsGreat Idea and Bad Idea at opposite ends of the room.

Explain : I will be reading some different policy ideas for how to reduce obesity. (Note : Remindparticipants that a policy is like a law or rule and has a speci c purpose, such as trying to help peoplebe healthier.) You should consider your opinion about each one whether it is a good idea or a badidea and why. Then you will express your opinion by standing up and moving to a point between thetwo signs that represents your opinion.

Tell participants: For instance, I will state the following policy idea: The government will only allowpeople to eat blue foods. If you strongly agree with that policy, stand under the Great Idea sign. Ifyou strongly disagree, stand under the Bad Idea sign. If you are not sure, stand in the middle.

If you think its kind of a bad idea, stand somewhere near Bad Idea sign, or if you think its kind of agood idea, stand somewhere near the Great Idea sign.

Ask participants if everyone understands the instructions.

Tell participants that in order for the activity to work, they must agree a few ground rules:

You can stand at any point along the continuum and you can move at any time if you changeyour opinion.

There are no right or wrong answers.

Be respectful of each person.

Listen to what each person has to say.

If you want to talk, raise your hand.

Ask if participants can agree to these rules and if they want to add any rules.

Now have the participants stand up in preparation for the rst policy. Begin by reading the rst statementto the participants and ask them to stand under or near the sign that represents their opinion of thepolicy.

Ask participants at various points along the continuum to share their opinions and why. Ask questionsto help them esh out the pros and cons for each idea.

TIP: You do not need to ask all of the questions below. Choose the ones that most interest the participants in your program.


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All trucks that sell ice cream and candy must also sell fruits and healthy drinks (water, juice,etc.).

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR: After participants give their opinions about this idea, share thisinformation with participants: This is not currently the policy in D.C., but some cities are assistingbusinesses to bring fresh produce to neighborhoods that do not have suf cient fresh producethrough green carts, which are like ice cream trucks, but with fruits and vegetables.

Examples of pros and cons:

Pro: Gives exposure to healthy options; kids can access the healthy food where they live;people buy lots of food from these trucks; a way for small businesses to increase sales

Con: food safety concerns; businesses may have to invest in new refrigeration; maybepeople will not buy the food; hard to enforce it

Any foods sold in schools must be healthy.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR : This rule is part of the DCPS Local Wellness Policy (the policy hasspeci c nutrition standards). DCPS high schools vending machines cannot have soda or candy.

Vending machines are not allowed in elementary schools. A la carte options must meet certainnutrition guidelines.


Pro: Children will have more healthy choices at school; children would be forced to pickhealthy foods.

Con: Some schools rely on funding from snack and beverage companies that supply vending,advertising, etc.

Any time a new road is built, it must include a bike lane, so that children can ride bicycles toschool instead of riding in a car or on the bus.

Examples of pros and cons:Pro: Bike lanes make bicycling safer; bicycling is good exercise and helps the environment;biking is less expensive than driving.

Con: Some people dont have bikes; bicycling can still be unsafe, even with bike lanes; youcant ride a bike to school in bad weather.

The District will put a tax on all unhealthy foods and drinks.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR : D.C. currently has taxes on food. Some states/cities have snacktaxes.


Pro: It might discourage people from buying unhealthy items.

Con: It would be hard to determine hard and fast criteria for what is an unhealthy food ordrink; since food companies frequently introduce and discontinue products, the list of taxableunhealthy items would always be changing; and training grocery store employees to knowthe list would be a major task; often junk food is the least expensive food option, so a taxwould make it even harder for some people to afford enough food.

1)

2)

3)

4)


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Schools will measure each students BMI (Body Mass Index) every year.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR : DCPS school nurses will begin measuring and tracking student BMIs inthe 2009-2010 school year.


Pro: regular BMI measurements would help children and their parents know how healthythey are and what they need to improve on. Schools could help the students who are at riskfor obesity.

Con: Students who are overweight could be singled out for special treatment and embarrassed.Some people might think BMI information should be kept private.

Every school, afterschool, and/or summer program will include daily physical activity.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR: The District has physical education and health standards for all schools public and charter. The city is considering creating wellness policies for child care centers, butthere are not yet physical activity policies for summer and afterschool programs.

Examples of pros and cons:Pro: More children would have opportunities to exercise. There would be more games andrecreation at programs.

Con: Some programs dont have sports/recreation equipment and some dont have spacefor physical activity. Some children dont like sports. Physical activity might take time awayfrom academic or other lessons.

All afterschool programs will serve healthy suppers.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR: The District is trying to become part of a federal afterschool supper program that enables afterschool program providers serve healthy suppers (dinners) to childrenup to age 18. If participants are interested in this issue, please contact D.C. Hunger Solutions toget involved in advocacy on this issue.


Pro: Programs would have enough funds to provide a whole meal not just a snack tochildren. Some childrens families do not have enough food at home to make dinner everynight. Some parents work long hours, so their children are at an afterschool program untillate in the evening. The meals would be nutritious and help children eat healthily.

Con: Some children would rather eat dinner at home.

Companies will not be allowed to advertise unhealthy food and drinks to children.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR : You can remind participants of the advertising discussion in Lesson 1 much more money is spent on advertising junk food than healthy food.


Pro: Children would not be encouraged to eat unhealthy foods / drinks. There might bemore advertising for healthier foods.

Con: It would not be fair to censor or limit certain companies advertising.

Thank participants for their input and good analysis.

5)

6)

7)

8)


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VI. Summary (5 minutes)

Pass out the All About Obesity handout and tell participants that the handout summarizes the pointsthat have been covered in this lesson.

Conclude this lesson by:

Asking the group to give several reasons why obesity is a problem for the city of D.C.

Repeating that energy balance is the most simple and important thing to remember aboutpreventing obesity.

Asking each participant what she or he thinks is the best way to reduce obesity in D.C., andwhy.TIP: If necessary, prompt participants to think back to the Good Idea/Bad Idea activity and the

pros and cons of various policy solutions. Encourage participants to be creative if they haveideas that werent listed among the possible policies, thats great!

V. Optional Activity: Calories Count! Using MyPyramid (5-10 minutes)

Preparation: Visit MyPyramid for Kids and enter hypothetical information (representative of the childrenin your program) to get a sample MyPyramid Plan for eating and physical activity. http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx .

TIP: If you do not have internet access, you can use the sample print-out included in the curriculum.The sample was created using the following data: age - 10; female; weight - 80 lbs; height - 4 8;activity less than 30 minutes per day.

Ask participants to take out their Using the 10% Rule handouts from Lesson 2. (Or pass out thehandouts.)

Tell participants that in addition to following the 10% Rule for fat, sugar, etc., reading a food or drinkscalorie content is also important for guring out if a snack is healthy. Calorie values are found on thetop of the Nutrition Facts label.

Remind participants that Nutrition Facts label includes Servings Per Container the blue bubblepoints out that line.

Remind participants that you usually cannot determine whether a food or drink is healthy by lookingat only one line on the Nutrition Facts label. It is important to evaluate the whole item and choose thehealthiest option possible.

Tell participants: To nd out exactly how many calories you need in day, you can go to the web sitefor the Food Pyramid www.mypyramid.gov . After you enter your age, gender, height, weight, and

amount of activity you do each day, you will get a printout similar to this one. Give participants asample printout.

TIP: These instructions also are printed on the handout My Snacking Diary.

Tell participants: Because everyone is a different, each person has different calorie needs.

The important thing to know is that calories consumed above the daily recommended amount will bestored by the body as fat. If we store too much fat on our bodies, we become overweight or obese.

Tell participants: MyPyramid Plan also tells you how much of different types of foods to eat each day


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MyPyramid is a plan for your whole diet. Following these guidelines is another good way besidesthe 10% Rule to plan healthy snacks. However, since this program focuses just on snacks, we willnot discuss the full diet plan.

Sources Lesson 3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov ;http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/healthyweight/calories/index.htm


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Handout 1

All About ObesityObesity means very overweight. Being overweight is something that can happen to anyone adults and

children. We all need to be careful to have good nutrition and get enough physical activity.Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall good health, feeling good and having lots of energyevery day, growing up to be a healthy adult, and doing well in school.

Who is obese?

Childhood obesity is a huge problem in the U.S. In 2004, the Surgeon General warned that the increasingobesity rate, unhealthy eating habits, and physical inactivity may cause this generation to be less healthyand live shorter lives than their parents.Children who are overweight are more likely to become obese adults.

About 23 million children are overweight or obese.145 million American adults are overweight or obese thats about two thirds of adults.

Obesity affects many people in Washington, D.C.Compared to other states, D.C. has the highest rate of overweight children ages 10-17 22.8% ofchildren.55% of adults in D.C. are overweight or obese.East of the River in D.C.s Wards 7 and 8 overweight and obesity rates are higher than in otherWards.

What happens if you are overweight?

Overweight and obesity put you at risk for other problems, including:

High blood pressure (hypertension)Heart diseaseHigh cholesterolType 2 diabetesStrokeSleep apnea and respiratory problems like asthmaSome cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

How do you know if you are overweight?

The most common way to determine whether someone is overweight by measuring body mass index (BMI). BMIis a number calculated from weight and height. If you want to know your BMI, ask a doctor or nurse to help you

gure it out.

How do people become obese?

These are some common causes for overweight and obesity:

Your family history people with obesity in their families are more likely to become obese.

Nutrition and physical activity The Energy Balance when you eat more calories than you use,those are extra calories. Extra calories, whether they come from fat or another nutrient, are stored in yourbody as fat and can lead to gaining weight.

Your environment

At home: What your parents eat or give you to eat affects your risk for obesity.

In your community: Whether you have places to run, walk, play, or ride a bike affects your risk forobesity. Some people live in neighborhoods that are unsafe for playing outside or dont have parksor other places to be active.


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Calories In Calories Out

foodbeverages

body functionsphysical activity

Handout 2

Calories Count!What is a calorie?

Calories are the energy we get from any food.

A calorie is a calorie no matter what food it comes from.

The calories per serving in a food are found at the top of the nutrition label.

Your body uses calories all the time even when you are sleeping. Your body uses the mostcalories when you walk, run, jump, play, dance, and do other kinds of exercise.

Calories in vs. calories outTo maintain your current weight, you need to eat thesame amount of calories your body uses. This called

caloric balance.When you eat fewer calories than you use, you loseweight.

When you eat more calories than you use, you gainweight. Any extra calories you eat are stored by yourbody as fat.

Calorie Q & AQ: Are fat-free and low-fat foods low in calories? A: Not always. Some fat-free and low-fat foods have extrasugars, which push the calorie amount back up.

Q: Ive heard it is more important to worry about carbohydrates than calories. Is this true? A: By focusing only on carbohydrates, you can still eat too many calories. Also, without a variety offoods, you might not get enough of other important nutrients, and you will not be able to sustain thediet over time.

Q: Does it matter how many calories I eat as long as Im active?A: Physical activity is a vital part of weight control, but so is the number of calories you eat. If youconsume more calories than you use through normal daily activities and physical activity, you will stillgain weight.

How many calories do you need?MyPyramid Plan can tell you how many calories you need in a day.

Go to www.mypyramid. gov

Click MyPyramid Plan on the left side of the screen

Answer questions

Click submit

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Lesson 4: The Power to Make a Change 1

Lesson 4: The Power to Make a ChangeTime: 50 minutes

Lesson OutlineSimultaneous Activities: What do you see now? What do you want to see? - 20 minutesThe power to make a change - 5-10 minutes

I like to eat - 5 minutes

Dont see it? Ask for it! - 5 minutes

Closing 10 minutes

Materials NeededFlip chart paper/butcher block paper

PencilsScissors

Markers/colored pencils/crayons

Copies of Handouts:

Handout 1: Postcards (cut the sheet into four postcards)

Handout 2: Examples of Healthy Corner Store Program advertising materials

Handout 3: List of Healthy Corner Store Program member stores

Ball

Post-Test Survey

ObjectivesBy the end of this lesson, participants will be able to:

Identify food sources in their neighborhood.

Use knowledge gained in previous lessons to analyze the health of food sources.

Envision improvements in the food landscape and know how to advocate for them.

Take action toward increasing the availability of healthier food choices in neighborhood cornerstores.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.


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I. Simultaneous Activities: What Do You See Now? What Do You Want to See?(20 minutes)

Tell participants: We are going to start by taking a few minutes so everyone can think about the foodsavailable in our own neighborhoods and what foods we would like to have in our neighborhoods.

Explain: We are going to divide into two groups. The What Do You See Now? group will close theireyes and think about a corner store in their neighborhood. Using words, pictures, or symbols, they willdraw pictures of the store. The What Do You Want To See? group will imagine the perfect corner store

a healthy corner store full of food that tastes good and is good for you.

Divide the participants into two groups. Then, separate the two halves of the group into small groups of3-5 people. Pass out paper and art supplies to the small groups.

Give the groups 5 to 10 minutes to draw their pictures.

TIP: Depending on the size of the group, you can have students do their own drawings.

TIP: As groups nish their pictures, post them around the room.

When the time is up, ask each group of students to stand beside their pictures.

Ask each What Do You See Now group: Please point out three things you included in your drawing.

Ask the whole group to re ect on the pictures of the existing corner stores and on what types of snackfoods and drinks are usually available at the corner store. Sample points of discussion:

What do you see?

Would the food you see available be considered healthy based on what you know about nutrition?Why or why not?

Why do you think most corner stores you drew have unhealthy snacks, like chips, cakes and

soda rather, than healthier choices, like fruits and vegetables?Do you think corner stores should have healthier choices? Why or Why not?

Allow participants to discuss responses and debate (respectfully) if there is disagreement amongparticipants about answers.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR: You can use these questions and re ections to review the nutritioninformation taught in previous lessons.

Next, ask each What Do You Want To See group: Please point out three things you included in yourdrawing.

Ask the whole group to re ect on:

What do you see?In what ways is this store different from the stores that the What Do You See Now groupdrew?

Thank participants for sharing their ideas.


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II. The Power to Make a Change (5-10 minutes)

Ask participants to think about: How do we get from the picture of the current corner store to the picturesof the perfect corner store?

Ask for a volunteer to record notes on a ip chart or chalkboard.

Give participants three minutes to brainstorm what it would take to transform existing corner stores intosources of healthy food. Ask the volunteer recorder to keep notes of everyones ideas. (For youngerchildren, you might need to help take notes.)

Sample answers might include:

Take away all the junk food.

Make stores only sell healthy snacks.

Take away the advertising for cigarettes and alcohol.

Have taste tests.

Fix up the front of the stores.TIP: Be careful not to make store owners look like the bad guy. Participants may say negativethings about merchants supplying only junk food. Discuss with participants that store ownersneed to make a pro t in order to stay in business, and that they will sell what they think peoplewant. Discuss that there can be misconceptions about healthy foods among customers and storeowners, and that both store owners and customers can play a part in making healthier foodsavailable.

Explain that most corner store owners are interested in being good neighbors and serving theircustomers well. They want to know what customers like and dont like and are willing to sell foods thatcustomers ask for. Many corner store owners understand that healthy food is important for your overallhealth, and if they hear from enough customers that people want to buy healthy foods, they will make

healthy foods available.Inform participants that the Healthy Corner Store Program is working to put some of their great ideasinto action.

Tell participants: Im going to share one way that the Healthy Corner Store Program is making a changein corner stores. Ask participants to think back to the advertising activity they did in Lesson 1.

Ask: Is there more advertising out there for unhealthy food, like soda and chips, or healthy food, likefruits and vegetables?

Guide participants toward this answer: there is much more advertising, especially directed at children,for junk food.

Tell the group: To counteract all that junk food advertising, the Healthy Corner Store Program is givingcorner stores advertising for healthy food.

Pass out several shelf labels and refrigerator decals. Ask participants to pass the labels around andpay attention to the words and messages.

Ask for several volunteers to share their reactions to the labels.Would these labels help you nd healthier foods? Why or why not?


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Would they make you want to buy healthier foods or drinks? Why or why not?

Conclude this section by asking the group: Do you all have the power to make a change to our cornerstores?

Tell participants: When I count to three, everyone will have the chance to vote on whether you think wehave the power to make a change and create healthy corner stores.

Instruct participants:

To vote Yes, hold up your hand with a thumbs-up sign.

To vote No, hold up your hand with a thumbs-down sign.

If youre not sure, hold up your hand with your thumb sideways.

Count 1-2-3: Raise your hand and vote!

Call on a few yes, a few no, and a few not sure voters and ask them to explain their answers.

Tell students: You DO have the power to bring about change in your corner store.

III. I Like to Eat (5 minutes)

Tell participants that one of the easiest and most effective ways to get a corner store owner to stocka healthy item they like, is simply to tell the corner store owner they like it and would buy it if it wereoffered. However, just asking for the food is not enough.

Tell participants that they need to follow up and buy the things they ask for, so the store owner willcontinue to stock the products they like.

Explain : It is important to be very speci c when requesting products at the store. For example, if yourmother told you, Buy some vegetables at the store, she would have to give more speci c details so

that you would know whether to buy carrots or greens. The same is true for a store owner. If you askfor juice or fruit, the owner of the store might not stock the kind you want. Instead, for example, ask forbananas and 100% orange juice.

Check for understanding of this point by asking a few participants for examples of requests they wouldmake at the corner store.

Activity : Depending on what is appropriate for your program, choose between the following games.

Game 1 : Have participants sit in a circle. Inform them they are going to play a memory gamethat will also help them practice telling corner store owners what healthy foods they like toeat. The rst person will state one healthy food she likes to eat. The person to her right willstate what the rst person likes to eat and one thing that she likes to eat. The next person will

state what the rst person likes to eat, what the second person likes, and what he likes. Thissequence continues until: 1) someone forgets one of the things a previous person likes; or 2) wecomplete the circle. If it ends because of the rst option, restart at the next person in line. Dothis up to three times. Choose one participant to start.

Game 2: Have participants stand in a circle. Inform them they are going to play a memorygame that will also help them practice telling corner store owners what healthy foods they like toeat. The rst person will state one healthy food she likes to eat, then will toss the ball to anotherperson in the circle. That person will repeat what the rst person said and then state what helikes to eat. This will continue until everyone has had the ball.


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Next, have the students pair up for a role-play exercise.

Explain: one person in the pair is going to play the corner store owner and the other will play a customer.The customers will practice telling the store owners what they like to eat. After everyone has nished,have each pair switch roles and repeat the exercise and practice telling the corner store owner whatthey like to eat.

IV. Dont See It? Ask for It! (5 minutes)

Remind participants that they can play an important role in bringing healthier snacks and drinks to theirlocal corner stores. Store owners will only start to sell healthy foods if they believe that customers wantto buy them. If participants dont see healthy snacks and drinks they like at their corner store, theyshould ask the store owner to sell them. It is important to follow up by buying those healthier foods anddrinks if the store starts selling them.

Explain that if for some reason customers do not feel comfortable speaking with the owners of thestores (for example, if a glass barrier hinders communication), they can write their product requests.

Pass out the I Buy Healthy Foods postcards (1-2 copies per person.) 1

Instruct the participants how to use the postcards:

Fill in the blank line in the sentence Please sell ________ in your store the speci c name, avor, etc.of a healthy snack food or drink product.

Sign the postcard with your rst name.

Ask participants to write on the blank line their favorite healthy drinks or snacks that they have talkedabout today.

If your program site is within two blocks of a corner store, instruct the students to drop off the

postcard the next time they visit or pass by that store.If your site is not within two blocks of a corner store, collect the postcards from the students.You, or another adult at your program, can deliver the postcards to the nearest Healthy CornerStore Program store.

Pass out Handout 3: Healthy Corner Store Program members.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR: If your site is near a Healthy Corner Store Program member store, pleasetell participants that that store is participating in the program. You can call D.C. Hunger Solutions(202-986-2200 or e-mail [email protected]) to nd out the speci c steps that the store hastaken to become healthier.

1 The postcard was designed by Maurice Hill, Ward 7 Arts Collaborative.


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V. Closing (10 m

dc hunger-healthy snack curriculum 09

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