Healthier Children - Better Nutrition

Better Nutrition | Obesity & Inactivity | Wellness Policies & Programs

What’s Different today?
In many households the home-cooked meal has been replaced by processed and prepackaged food. This food in many cases is high in fat, additives and sugars. Plus, lots of high-calorie snacks are easily available in vending machines in schools and other places.

In some neighborhoods, grocers carrying fresh fruits and vegetables are scarce while fast food outlets and convenience stores are everywhere.

How can your community create a healthier lifestyle for today's youth? Several organizations offer advice on how to create a healthier lifestyle for kids:

- The US Department of Agriculture has developed a Home Nutrition Team website stocked with information and resources on healthy eating. The information offered, plus links to other resources, make this a good place to start.

- The National Education Association promotes fitness and healthier food choice programs for kids.

- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) encourages communities to create opportunities for physical activities that promote confidence in kids. Their VERB Campaign offers resources and information to make regular physical activity "cool" for tweens – and a fun thing to do.

Some schools have removed vending machines or replaced traditional snack foods with healthy offerings. Some states have passed legislation regarding vending machines in schools. In the Resources box below you'll find a link to an excellent CDC report with summaries of successful programs in six schools across the country.

For use with older students, the Policy Game was developed by California Project LEAN. This training guide leads groups through the four stages of policy-making, with the goal of helping them to eat healthier and become more physically active while developing leadership skills.

- School Nutrition Success Stories (from the CDC) | OnLine Resource
- The Policy Game (Project LEAN) | PDF File 335 KB

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