Bloomington Graduation School Healthy Snack Campaign Grant Report: March-May, 2015
By Sam Wilson, Title I Reading Teacher and Student Council Advisor
Contents
- Project Goals2
- At a Glance2
- Campaign Kickoff3
- Results and Impact4
- Budget Review5
- Challenges 5
- Looking Ahead6
Healthy Snack Campaign Grant Report
Student Council serving snacks during the Healthy Snack Campaign kickoff event
I. Project Goals
- Provide a healthy snack for student who might not otherwise have access to them
- Ensure that students don’t go hungry during the day
- Introduce students to new, healthy food options
- Educate students about the value of a healthy diet
- Engage the student council in the planning and implementation of a meaningful school project
- Create a school-wide conversation about what it means to be healthy
II. At a Glance
25—Average number of students served per day
58 Cents—Cost of one snack serving
Chips & Salsa—Most popular snack
Hummus—Students’ favorite snack they had never tried before
“This is way better than normal Ranch!”—One student’s reaction to ranch made with Greek Yogurt
III. Campaign Kickoff
The Bloomington Graduation School healthy snack campaign kicked off April 3rd with a school-wide presentation from Samantha Schaefer, a registered dietician with IU Health Bloomington. This event gave students an opportunity to learn about the importance of fueling their metabolism with healthy foods and beverages, while providing tips for balanced meal planning. Ms. Schaefer’s presentation was followed by a snack tasting where students tried a variety of healthy foods and voted on which they would like to see served regularly. Members of the student council, who played a significant role in planning the event, helped introduce the speaker and serve the snacks. One student also offered a testimonial about her efforts to make healthier food, beverage, and exercise choices.
In addition to giving students the information to make healthy choices outside of school, this event also generated excitement for our snack campaign, which provided an immediate chance for students to eat healthy food on a daily basis. The success of the event was evident in students’ engagement and participation throughout. When it came time to sample the snacks, students filled their plates with food. Although some students stuck with the food they knew, many picked unfamiliar options such as, baby bell peppers, hummus, and a healthy ranch dressing substitute made with Greek Yogurt. In a pattern that I have seen repeated many times since, several students encouraged their peers to try something new. Several weeks after Ms. Schaefer’s presentation, one of my students told me that he had followed a tip she gave for adding protein to his breakfast. By scrambling eggs in a mug and heating them in a microwave, my student started his day with a quick, but healthy meal. “You know what,” he said, “it was actually really good.” Hearing this story brought home the success of the event.
Like many successful school efforts, the healthy snack campaign worked because students were involved at every step. Ms. Schaefer’s fun, informative presentation provided an essential background to what will be a part of our daily schedule for the rest of the year.I have included in this report are pictures from the event, as well as copies of Ms. Schaefer’s outline and the ballot that students filled out after sampling the snacks.
Dietician Samantha Schaefer discusses healthy meal planning
IV. Results and Impact
After our Healthy Snacks Campaign kickoff event, the student council counted the ballots to determine which foods students preferred. Balancing the students’ interests with the price and availability of bulk foods at Sam’s Club, we created a daily menu.
Snack Menu
- Tortilla Chips
- Salsa
- Baby Carrots
- Hummus
- Healthy Ranch Dip (made with Greek yogurt and ranch seasoning)
- Orange Slices
- Granola Bars
Student council members serve healthy snacks to their peers
Students line up to fill their plates with healthy snacks
Using volunteers from student council (two per week on a rotating basis) we set up a table in the cafeteria to serve our snack during the break between the last two periods of the day. The response was immediate. Although students were required to stay in the cafeteria while eating their snack, and had only five minutes to do so, many came to sample the foods we offered. Admittedly, the chips and salsa were the most popular items, but with encouragement from their peers, students ate things they had never tried before and we easily used up all of the allotted food during the week.
Because the students have discovered that they like the healthy ranch dip, they are more inclined to eat carrots. In addition, the hummus has been a good salsa alternative for those willing to branch out and try something new. For some of our students who face food insecurity at home, the snack offers an important nutritional supplement to their afternoon. I know at least one student who usually saves his granola bar knowing he may be hungry later.
One unexpected benefit of the daily snack has been social. During break time students usually gathered in small circles with their friends in the hall. Serving snack in the cafeteria has created a common space for students and staff to enjoy food and a brief conversation before returning to their academic work. Lunch is served in two separate shifts, but snack offers a time where all students can gather in one place. Several teachers regularly join in as well. Although many students still gravitate to their group during this time, there is more of a communal feel. Food has a way of bringing people together and in its small way, I feel that our snack tie has provided that opportunity.
V. Budget Review
With one week remaining in the year, we have spent 464 of the 500 dollars we initially received. This cost has been used to fund the purchase of food items, as well as some paper plates for serving. Food for the campaign kickoff event was more expensive than subsequent weeks because we bought a wider variety of food in smaller portions to allow students to sample different options. Sam’s Club has provided bulk items at a budget, which has helped serve over 100 students per week at the cost of 58 cents per snack serving. I have included photocopies of receipts from our six shopping trips in this report.
VI. Challenges
The biggest challenge in this effort has been financial. Serving 25 snack portions per day over the course of ten weeks on a 500 dollar budget is a difficult task. While it’s possible to save a significant amount of money by buying in bulk, serving fresh, healthy food is expensive. While I would like to serve a wider variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, it simply isn’t possible to do on such a tight budget. The snack has been even more popular than I would have expected and, as a result, I have been running through the portions I buy more quickly than I originally planned. In addition, the project has unaccounted costs, which include time and money spent by staff. The weekly cost of gas required to drive to Sam’s Club adds up. Furthermore, the whole snack process, including setup and cleanup, takes 35 to 40 minutes per day. Along with weekly food shopping, providing healthy snack requires about four and a half hours per week that is carved out of a prep period and a seminar class.
VII. Looking Ahead
This grant opportunity has been hugely beneficial to our students. Not only has it opened students eyes to the value of healthy snacks and started a conversation about nutritious food, it has also created a positive social space for all students and staff to gather. Nevertheless, I see a lot of potential for this project to expand its reach. Students have new ideas each week about what could be served. As they try and enjoy new foods, they are more curious to know how to incorporate healthy eating into their home lives.
In the future, I think the student council, or a school club, could take the healthy snack campaign to another level. There is real interest amongst student, in learning how to make their own healthy snacks. Many students asked me what hummus was made of, and they were surprised to learn that they could make their own. If students could serve one homemade healthy snack each week, it would create a unique opportunity for them to learn about food in a hands-on way.
Originally, the goal was to adjust the foods offered each week according to student feedback. Although we did make some small adjustments over time, the budget constraints made it difficult to experiment as much as would have liked. For instance, it was only possible to serve strawberries two days a week, while still being able to afford our other normal items. It would be great in the future to have enough flexibility to serve a wider variety of foods.
Some of the snacks offered at the kickoff eventA student holds a 5-pound fat model
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