Eat Wise - Exercise!™
Snack Attack Sacks

Children grow and develop rapidly. Active children especially have an increased need for energy. Children can become grouchy or have difficulty concentrating when they are hungry. Healthy snacks can fill their small stomachs and provide additional daily nutrients. Healthy snacks keep children's brains and bodies moving.

Fresh fruit and vegetables, granola bars, low fat cheese, yogurt, plain popcorn and raisins are good snacks. They provide nutrients for today and healthy bodies for tomorrow. Kids can learn how to eat healthy snacks by assembling Eat Wise - Exercise!™ Snack Attack Sacks for other children and families in shelters, low-income day care or community centers, or places such as Ronald McDonald Houses and soup kitchens.

Materials Needed:

• Lunch bags and markers, crayons, stickers
• Healthy snack food such as:
  • Fresh fruit
  • Canned fruit or fruit packs
  • Raisins, dried fruit
  • Granola bars
  • Graham crackers
  • Rice cake or popcorn cakes
  • Small jars of peanut butter
  • Whole grain cereal 

Steps Involved:

1. Distribute the Healthy Eating -- Facts for Kids fact sheet.
2. Ask them what foods they think are healthy and what foods are not healthy or "junk" foods and why.
3. Discuss with your club members why they should eat nutritious snacks on a regular basis.  Facilitators can read the Issues Education Malnutrition and Poverty sheet or read through the Eat Wise Exercise! Food Rules project for more information.
4. Determine who your recipients will be and contact the organization. Tell them you would like to prepare healthy snack sacks for them. Ask if they have any specific needs or requirements. Ask how many snack sacks they could use.
5. Ask if someone from the agency can come to your club to talk about the people you will be helping.
6. Decide how you will collect your snacks - through your club members, school, organization and/or community. Will you involve local merchants to help you collect snacks? (See local merchant letter in Eat Wise - Exercise!™ Tool Kit.)
7. Collect your items and call a meeting to decorate and assemble the Snack Attack Sacks™.

Don't forget to enclose an Eat Wise - Exercise!™ Brochure in the sack and a hand written note from "A kid who cares."