canfit99ways

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ToolkiT including Simple ideaS on How To:

Many of the ideas in this handboo may be appropriate to be adopted as policies for your program.

to Make Your

After-School ProgrAmevenHealtHier

proMote HealtHY eating | provide tiMe or pHYsical activitY | incorporate cultureMake sta developMent a prioritY | provide YoutH witH positive role Models

engage YoutH in leadersHip roles | get aMilY involveduse tHe coMMunitY as a resource | exaMine Media and advertising

proMote a positive BodY iMage | collaBorate witH scHoolswork in coalitions | BecoMe a Bridge to HealtHcare


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t M im l, h o v : .f./99y

get unHealtHY ood out

1. Serve only foods that meet healthynutrition standards (including party foods).

More inforMation:Applying theUSDA Dietary Guidelines to Your AfterSchool Program

2. Make a no outside food policy, so youdont need to make rules about what foodsyouth can and cannot bring to program.Offer the same healthy snack to everyone.

More inforMation:Tips That CANFITinto your After School Program.

3. If there are vending machines at your afterschool site, work with vendors to make

healthier snack alternatives available.4. Develop signs or posters announcing

nutritional information for popular snackitems like chips and soda so that youthbecome aware of what they are eating.

Bring HealtHY ood in

5. Create a list of healthy foods that youwould like parents to donate and a listof foods your organization cannot accept.

More inforMation:Healthy SnacGuide for Your After School Program

6. Choose snacks that are low in fat andsugar and reduced sodium. Include fruitand vegetable snacks.

7. Conduct taste tests of new healthy snackchoices. For example, local fruits andvegetables in season.

More inforMation:Taste Test Activity

concentrate on HealtHY Beverages

8. Have youth and staff drink only water atyour program. (Try adding lemon for taste.)

9. Replace soda vending machines with awater dispenser. A dispenser may be more

appealing to youth than tap water orwater fountains.

10. If you include juice, purchase only100% juice with no added sugar.

More inforMation: How doesyour Drin Measure Up?

send HealtHY ood HoMe

11. Make healthy dinners available for youthand their families to take home for free

or at minimal cost.

proMote HealtHY eating
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htmhttp://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htmhttp://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htmhttp://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htmhttp://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htmhttp://canfit.org/our_work/nutrition/#http://canfit.org/our_work/nutrition/#http://canfit.org/our_work/nutrition/#http://canfit.org/our_work/nutrition/#http://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITAfterSchoolHealthySnackGuide2009.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITAfterSchoolHealthySnackGuide2009.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITAfterSchoolHealthySnackGuide2009.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITAfterSchoolHealthySnackGuide2009.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/Taste%20Test.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/Taste%20Test.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/Taste%20Test.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/Sugar_and_Beverage_Handout.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/Sugar_and_Beverage_Handout.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/Sugar_and_Beverage_Handout.pdfhttp://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htmhttp://canfit.org/pdf/Sugar_and_Beverage_Handout.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITAfterSchoolHealthySnackGuide2009.pdfhttp://canfit.org/our_work/nutrition/#http://canfit.org/pdf/Taste%20Test.pdf


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i Hhy c

12. Institute weekly cooking projectswith easy recipes that will get youthinvolved in helping to prepare foodand learning about nutrition.

13. Teach youth how to prepare foods indifferent ways. Try raw, steamed,sauted or roasted. Use differentsauces, seasonings and dips.

14. Take youth on a food tour of differ-ent neighborhoods or to a local farm-ers market. Get them excited aboutvariety from that you can create asubsequent activity or lesson to makesome of the foods that they tried.

15. Teach serving sizes using easy toremember references.

More inforMation: NationalInstitute of Healths Serving Size Card

16. Stage an Iron Chef-type competitionwhere youth promote healthy cookingthrough creativity. Have them vote onthe healthiest ingredients.

17. Have youth plan, prepare, and serve ahealthy meal to their families be sureto share the recipes and use locally

available ingredients.18. Involve youth in planning and preparing

healthy after school snacks, includingthinking up snacks with low fat andsugar that are tasty and healthy.

grow Your own!

19. Have youth and staff plant, tendand harvest a garden together.

keep oods HealtHY or ieldtrips,HolidaYs, parties, and undraisers

t

20. Serve healthy options like turkeyburgers, turkey dogs and wheat buns

during eld trips and summer BBQs.

21. Bring a picnic on a eld trip. Itscheaper than eating out and youwont give in to getting fast food!

Hy p

22. Serve healthier alternatives (such asfruit, nuts, meringues, festive salads)on traditionally sweet-laden holidayslike Christmas, Halloween, Valentines

Day, birthdays.23. Ask youth in your program to bring in

family recipes. Modify them to makethem healthier. Have youth prepare

the recipes for a holiday party. Purecipes on recipe cards and give thfamilies as a holiday gift.

24. Let youth make their own healthiepizza instead of ordering pizza forpizza party. If you do order pizza, a veggie pizza with half the chees

25. Allow no unhealthy foods at fundrFor example, host a craft fair insta bake sale.

More inforMation: List ofAlternative Fundraisers

26. Include at least one physical activa fundraiser each year (i.e., car wwalkathon, jump rope-a-thon).
http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/servingcard7.pdfhttp://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/servingcard7.pdfhttp://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/servingcard7.pdfhttp://www.tufts.edu/nutrition/childreninbalance/documents/SchoolFundraisers-AlternativestoFoodSales.pdfhttp://www.tufts.edu/nutrition/childreninbalance/documents/SchoolFundraisers-AlternativestoFoodSales.pdfhttp://www.tufts.edu/nutrition/childreninbalance/documents/SchoolFundraisers-AlternativestoFoodSales.pdfhttp://www.tufts.edu/nutrition/childreninbalance/documents/SchoolFundraisers-AlternativestoFoodSales.pdfhttp://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/servingcard7.pdf


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38. Play games where everyone is invoat all times.

39. Choose physical activities that appyouth. For example, relay races rathan running laps around a track.

40. Break youth into small groups that feel comfortable in. They will be m

apt to participate in sports if they they are not being watched or judg

Maintain Your acilities

41. Make sure sports equipment are ingood working order for outdoor pla

42. Assess all places for youth to play othe program site on a regular basis

train sta in pHYsical activitY

43. Train staff in indoor/rainy dayphysical activities.

More inforMation:Rain orShine Activity

44. Make sure staff feel competent indirecting non-competitive gamesand physical activities.

More inforMation: TrainingsPA for Youth Providers

27. Incorporate physical activity in allprogramming. Provide 10 minutes ofphysical activity for every 50 minutesof program.

More inforMation:PhysicalActivity Pyramid

28. Teach youth how to warm up and cooldown properly before and afterphysical activities.

More inforMation: BasicStretching Tips

29. Start each program with a quickphysical activity game.

More inforMation:Active Ice

Breaers30. Play music to encourage dancing.

31. Limit use of video games and chooseactive games, like Dance DanceRevolution.

32. Do not use physical activityas punishment.

teacH new gaMes and activities

33. Show students how they can play avariety of games using simple andinexpensive sports equipment, like a

ball. Challenge them to come up witha physical activity using only two orthree items.

More inforMation:Play YourWay

34. Bring in outside instructors or friendsof the community to give physicalactivity demos (e.g., Capoeira orbreak dancing).

Make it possiBle oreverYone to participate

35. Be sure there are physical activityniches for everyone. Introduce youthto new types of sports and physicalactivity like tai chi, Pilates or yoga.

36. Provide alternatives to competitivesports for non-competitive youth.

More inforMation: CANFITMOVE Guide

37. Dont force recommend! Forcing ayouth to do something is a naturalturnoff. Instead recommend theyexercise regularly.

Build in pHYsical activitY
http://canfit.org/pdf/CANFITRainorShine.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/CANFITRainorShine.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/CANFITRainorShine.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/CANFITRainorShine.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/Trainings_in_PA.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/Trainings_in_PA.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/Trainings_in_PA.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/PAPyramid4AS.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/PAPyramid4AS.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/PAPyramid4AS.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/PAPyramid4AS.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITBasicFlexibilityStretches.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITBasicFlexibilityStretches.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITBasicFlexibilityStretches.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/ActiveIceBreakers.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/ActiveIceBreakers.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/ActiveIceBreakers.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/ActiveIceBreakers.pdfhttp://disney.go.com/playyourway/http://disney.go.com/playyourway/http://disney.go.com/playyourway/http://disney.go.com/playyourway/http://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITBasicFlexibilityStretches.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/ActiveIceBreakers.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/CANFITRainorShine.pdfhttp://disney.go.com/playyourway/http://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://canfit.org/pdf/PAPyramid4AS.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/Trainings_in_PA.pdf


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45. Remember to include foods from a variety of culturesand ethnic groups in snacks, meals, parties, and tastetests. Also integrate ethnic dance and games intophysical activities.

46. Examine the role of culture in the eating and physical

activity habits of youth so they can be improved inculturally appropriate ways. More inforMation:CANFITs Cultural Needs Assessment Guide

47. Take eld trips to places that grow or sell foodsfrom a variety of cultures.

48. Provide resources in the languages spoken by yourfamilies. More inforMation:CANFIT SpanishLanguage Materials.

engage YoutH inleadersHip roles

59. Identify youth with leadership skills and developa train the trainer program for them.

60. Involve youth in making decisions about healthy snacks to serve atthe program as well as brainstorming ideas for physical activity.

61. Let youth be the teachers. Let older youth in your program givefood preparation demonstrations and lead exercises. They willfeel good while learning the information they are presenting.

62. Have youth map healthy eating places and places for physicalactivity around their after school program; use this informationto explain how the community inuences individual choices.

53. Ask after school staff to sign a commitment to good role modeling,review what that means. A strong commitment from youth leaders thold healthy choices will lead to youth making healthier choices as w

54. Send out positive messages about body image, healthy eating and t

55. Model healthy living and physical activity behaviors like taking stairsinstead of riding an elevator.

56. Require that youth leaders participate in games and physical activitwith youth.

57. Try new foods yourself.

58. Decorate your after school facility with appealingposters or projects that promote wellness.

provide YoutH witHpositive role Model

incorporate culture

49. Include nutrition and physical activity training duringnew hire orientation.

More inforMation:CANFIT Trainingsand Worshops

50. Allow adequate time for staff to take breaks anddebrief activities.

51. Provide regular/annual staff training on how toincorporate healthy eating and physical activity intoprogramming and snack preparation.

52. Include healthy choices of snacks and some form ofphysical activity during staff meetings.

Make staffdevelopMent a prioritY
http://canfit.org/pdf/GUIDE.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/GUIDE.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/GUIDE.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/GUIDE.pdfhttp://canfit.org/downloads/#spanish_language_materialshttp://canfit.org/downloads/#spanish_language_materialshttp://canfit.org/downloads/#spanish_language_materialshttp://canfit.org/downloads/#spanish_language_materialshttp://canfit.org/downloads/#spanish_language_materialshttp://canfit.org/downloads/#spanish_language_materialshttp://canfit.org/downloads/#spanish_language_materialshttp://canfit.org/services/workshops/http://canfit.org/services/workshops/http://canfit.org/services/workshops/http://canfit.org/services/workshops/http://canfit.org/services/workshops/http://canfit.org/downloads/#spanish_language_materialshttp://canfit.org/pdf/GUIDE.pdf


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77. Think about the health messages you want to promoteconsidering donations of food, educational materials, products from the food/beverage industry. The industrusually trying to build brand loyalty.

78. Discuss with youth why less healthy food is low priced

More inforMation: What Are You Really Paying

79. Examine and critique TV commercials and magazine adpromote fast food and other junk foods with the youthyour program. More inforMation:Media-Smart Eat, Thin, and Be Active!

80. Have a contest to create your own healthy food jinglecounter fast food jingles.

get faMilY involved63. Orient parents on healthy

food choices.

64. Have parents agree not tosend their child to yourprogram with junk food

such as chips and soda.

65. Provide a take-home listof healthy alternativeideas for lunches andsnacks for parents.

More inforMation:

Healthy Snac Guide forYour After School Program

66. Create a monthly newsletter

for parents in their nativelanguage. Include a simple,healthy recipe and a funfamily activity.

More inforMation:CANFIT Newsletter

67. Host a multi-cultural pot-luck and encourage youthand their families to cooktogether. Send home the

recipes with the families.68. Hold a cultural event and

ask parents to demonstratea cultural activity or game.

69. Create activities aroundcultural holidays andcelebrations.

More inforMation:CANFITs 2008 Multi-cultural

Calendar

70. Provide translations of allhandouts and resources forparents. Ask parents forfeedback and input fornewsletters and activities.

71. Post helpful and healthyeating and physical activitytips on the bulletin boardnext to where parents sign

out their children.

72. Have information availablefor parents by the sign outsheetin appropriatelanguagesthat reinforcesyour wellness policies.

73. Map your community to see what is advertised to youtencourage local convenience and liquor stores to take unhealthy food and beverage ads.

More inforMation:CANFIT Snac and Move Gui

74. Work with local vendors to change what is offered to yin the local environment (such as at corner stores, farmarkets, tness facilities).

75. Bring in a local celebrity to speak on the importancehealthy eating and regular physical activity.

76. Have a local chef give a healthy cooking demonstratio

use tHe coMMunitYas a resource

exaMine Media & advertis
http://canfit.org/pdf/What%20Are%20You%20Really%20Paying%20For.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/What%20Are%20You%20Really%20Paying%20For.pdfhttp://www.nichd.nih.gov/msy/http://www.nichd.nih.gov/msy/http://www.nichd.nih.gov/msy/http://www.nichd.nih.gov/msy/http://www.nichd.nih.gov/msy/http://www.nichd.nih.gov/msy/http://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITAfterSchoolHealthySnackGuide2009.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITAfterSchoolHealthySnackGuide2009.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITAfterSchoolHealthySnackGuide2009.pdfhttp://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITAfterSchoolHealthySnackGuide2009.pdfhttp://canfit.org/news/newsletter/http://canfit.org/news/newsletter/http://canfit.org/pdf/CANFit08Calendar-FINAL.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/CANFit08Calendar-FINAL.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/CANFit08Calendar-FINAL.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/CANFit08Calendar-FINAL.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/CANFit08Calendar-FINAL.pdfhttp://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://canfit.org/pdf/CANFit08Calendar-FINAL.pdfhttp://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://www.canfit.org/pdf/CANFITAfterSchoolHealthySnackGuide2009.pdfhttp://canfit.org/news/newsletter/http://canfit.org/pdf/What%20Are%20You%20Really%20Paying%20For.pdfhttp://www.nichd.nih.gov/msy/


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work in coalit93. Network with directors of other after sc

programs for support and new ideas, anadvocate for changes.

94. Become involved in community issues thaffect your program, such as safety, par

availability and street vendors. Joint-usagreements with schools and local govecan open up these facilities for use by aschool programs. More inforMatRoad Map to Changing Food and PhysicaActivity Environments for Better Health

95. Hold joint events such as softball gameseld day tournaments with health-relatyouth organizations.

96. Create projects around health and tne

other organizations with one shared mis

collaBoratewitH scHoolsor scHool-Based prograMs:

89. Make sure after school isrepresented on your local

School Wellness PolicyCommittee and included inSchool Wellness Policies.

More inforMation:Resources for IncorporatingAfter School Nutrition andPhysical Activity into YourSchool Wellness Policies

90. Work with the schoolsnutrition services department

to provide healthyafter school snacks.

or all prograMs:

91. Be aware of school cafeteriamenus, and teach children toidentify healthier choices.

92. Work with schools toeliminate unhealthy foodsand include more freshveggies and fruits.(Encourage the older youthin your program to beinvolved in this movement.)

proMote apositive BodY iMage

81.Promote health at every size and combatmyths and stereotypes about size and health.

More inforMation: The Body Positive

82. Never use the words fat, obese oroverweight.

83. Emphasize inner qualities of youth ratherthan appearance.

84. Teach respect, create a positive atmosphereand do not tolerate size discrimination.

85. Be conscious of unintended subtle discrimina-tion toward heavier children from both staff andstudents. If witnessed, pull the person aside to

help them become aware of the negative effectstheir actions can have on a young person.

86. Role-play how staff can effectively respond tonegative comments about body image.

87. Do not allow teen magazines that promotean unhealthy body image. Replace them withalternative magazines that focus less onoutside beauty. Check out Yo! Youth Outloo,New Moon, Teen Voices and Sierra magazines.

88. Talk with the youth in your program aboutbody image and the issues they face. Createactivities or subsequent discussions that workon tackling unhealthy body image and low self-condence. More inforMation:BodyImage Activity from CANFIT Super Manual

BecoMe a Bridgeto HealtH care97. Use local health care providers and

ofcials as guest speakers and workshofacilitators. For example, a nutritioniscan discuss recommended daily diets.

98. Use information from health-related weMore inforMation: CANFIT LINkS

99. Be aware of your childrens health carstatus and provide resources for theirfamilies in need of health care.
http://www.healthyeatingactivecommunities.org/downloads/HEAC_Roadmap.pdfhttp://www.healthyeatingactivecommunities.org/downloads/HEAC_Roadmap.pdfhttp://www.healthyeatingactivecommunities.org/downloads/HEAC_Roadmap.pdfhttp://www.healthyeatingactivecommunities.org/downloads/HEAC_Roadmap.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/ASinWellnessPolicies.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/ASinWellnessPolicies.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/ASinWellnessPolicies.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/ASinWellnessPolicies.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/ASinWellnessPolicies.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/ASinWellnessPolicies.pdfhttp://thebodypositive.org/http://thebodypositive.org/http://canfit.org/pdf/BodyImage-WhatMakesMe.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/BodyImage-WhatMakesMe.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/BodyImage-WhatMakesMe.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/BodyImage-WhatMakesMe.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/BodyImage-WhatMakesMe.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/BodyImage-WhatMakesMe.pdfhttp://canfit.org/pdf/BodyImage-WhatMakesMe.pdfhttp://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://canfit.org/pdf/BodyImage-WhatMakesMe.pdfhttp://thebodypositive.org/http://canfit.org/our_work/physical_activity/http://canfit.org/pdf/ASinWellnessPolicies.pdfhttp://www.healthyeatingactivecommunities.org/downloads/HEAC_Roadmap.pdf


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by th c em h Hhy e, a cmm (Heac) m.

printed on recycled paper

Phone: 510-644-1533 E-mail:[email protected] Website: www.CANFIT.org www.twitter.com/CANFIT www.facebook.com/ca

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