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Jazzy Food and Nutrition Bulletin Board Ideas

Division of Nutrition Assistance

Make Time for Healthy Snacks

Directions for Design
A montage of snacks is centered on the face of a large clock. The clock hands, which can be moveable, are attached at the middle of the clock.

Suggested Materials

Various colors of construction paper
White paper for tracing foods
Poster board for making the hands of the clock to give the clock added support
A brad to attach the hands

Learning Activities
Note to teachers: Well-planned snacks can help students achieve their daily intakes of the required servings from the various food groups. This routine is especially true for small children who have small stomachs and cannot eat lots of food at one time. Older students need to be reminded that there are fast, easy-to-prepare snacks that can fit into the five main food groups of the Pyramid. Additionally, older students need to be reminded that skipping meals generally results in overeating between meals and eating snack foods that are higher in calories, fat, and sodium. Encourage students to eat school breakfast and lunch to avoid excessive snacking. Water breaks should be included with the discussion on snacks.

1. Snack collage
Ask younger students to cut out pictures of foods that they think would be healthy snacks. Discuss in which food group the snacks fit. Note that some foods are higher in fat and salt than other foods. Ask students to make a collage in the middle of the clock using their pictures.

2. Time for snacks
Use the hands on the clock to teach how to tell time. Usually, breakfast is eaten between 6 and 7 a.m., lunch between 11 a.m. and noon, and supper between 6 and 7 p.m. Eating a well-planned, small snack about two hours before a meal can help a student meet the minimum number of servings from all of the food groups.

3. Fast and easy snacks
Divide students in three teams. Ask them to make a list of fast and easy snacks that fit into the five basic groups of the Food Guide Pyramid. One team should make a list of snacks for mid-morning, one for mid-afternoon, and one after supper. Assemble back in class and share the lists from each team. Some examples include the following:

Mid-morning – bananas, peaches, raisins, melons, canned fruit, fruit juices, mini-muffins, bagels, cinnamon-flavored applesauce, cheese cubes, English muffin pizzas, or fruit kabobs made from grapes, pineapple, bananas and strawberries
Mid-afternoon – fruit, fruit smoothie, 100% fruit juice popsicle, bean dip or salsa with fresh vegetable sticks or oven-baked tortilla chips, trail mix, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin cookie, peanuts, cup of vegetable soup, reduced-fat milk
Evening – pineapple chunks, carrot or celery sticks, broccoli, pepper strips, yogurt, turkey cubes, boiled egg, cereal and fat-free milk, graham crackers and skim (fat-free) milk

Be sure to have plenty of easily accessible snack foods prepared and ready to eat. For example, using a clean cutting board or counter top, cut up three or four carrots or celery ribs into small bite-sized sticks. Place them in water to chill for a few hours for maximum crispness. Carrot and celery sticks will keep in the refrigerator three to four days. Have lower fat deli meat, such as turkey, cut into cubes and placed in an airtight container. Fully cooked meats will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days.

4. Snack safety
Do students make or serve themselves their own snacks at home? Review these careful snack preparation tips. Wash hands before preparing food or eating a snack. Clean up spills and wipe off the countertops. Keep cold foods below 40ºF. This temperature safety precaution is especially important for protein foods such as yogurt, deli meat, milk and eggs. Learn how to use the microwave and toaster oven safely. Wash fruits and vegetables before eating them.

5. High fat alert!
Although all foods can fit in the students’ diets, many of the snack foods they choose are high in fat. Examples include French fries, onion rings, fried fruit pies, lots of cheese, high-fat crackers, too much peanut butter, chips, cake with icing, cookies, ice cream, candy bars, doughnuts.

Help students to prepare a list of lower fat substitutions for some of their favorite snacks: for example, pretzels for potato chips, bagels for doughnuts, and sherbet or yogurt for ice cream.

6. Water breaks
Are you hungry or thirsty? Sometimes a water break is all students need. Breaking for water, juice, or skim (fat-free) milk between meals is a good habit to develop. Students should reach for water, 100% fruit juice, or fat-free milk rather than a soda or diet soda.

For more bulletin board ideas:
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