Snack Routine

The overwhelming majority of parents last year LOVED the snack system we had. Therefore, I think we should try it again this year!

Each week, a family will be responsible for providing snack for the entire classroom. We usually have a morning and afternoon snack and there will be between 13 and 14 students in the class. You will end up having about 3 turns as snack provider throughout the year.

Lila's parents have already requested that they take the first week of school. Thank you so much! I will make up a list and will let you know the schedule soon.

With our increased emphasis on becoming a healthier school, it is more important than ever to educate our children about the importance of putting good things in their bodies. A great way to do this is to have your children be more involved in the planning, shopping and simple preparation of the snacks they bring in to share.

A wise parent told me of how their child wrote down the snacks he would like to bring, and then looked at serving size information on the packaging (if applicable) or just figured out how much of each non-packaged food (like fruit) would be a typical serving. Then he needed to figure out how much to purchase of each snack item by multiplying by the class size. After shopping, he portioned everything out, and wrote up a menu for us to use. What a wonderful, real-life learning experience!

Here are some suggestions of healthy foods to bring in:

Fruit - strawberries,bananas, apples, grapes, raisins, applesauce
Vegetables - mini carrots, celery, cucumbers
Cheese and whole wheat crackers
Nutragrain Bars
Pretzels
Pre-popped plain popcorn
Yogurt
Bagels

Please remember to check for peanuts and tree nuts, including snacks made in a shared facility. Check labels for transfat and high fructose corn syrup and avoid those foods whenever possible.