Healthy Snack’in with Kindergartener’s

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “1 in 7 children aged 2-5 (nearly 14%) have obesity”, “Young children who are overweight in kindergarten are 4 times more likely to have obesity by 8th grade than those who are not overweight in kindergarten”. These statics show the importance of preventative health measures for our youth. 

The University of Kentucky’s Boone County Nutrition Education Program Assistant partnered with 110 Kindergarten children from New Haven Elementary School in Union Kentucky. 

For six consecutive weeks, the program assistant visited the kindergarten classrooms and taught nutrition lessons from the Literacy, Eating and Activity for Preschool/Primary curriculum (LEAP). The LEAP curriculum incorporates nutrition lessons, story books and activities to encourage nutritious eating practices and promote increased daily physical activity amongst youth.

Kindergarten students looked forward to the “Ootrishion lady’s” arrival each week. They learned about MyPlate and the 5 food groups and tried new and interesting foods. One child exclaimed “I love this mango, I’m going to ask my mom to buy some”. Teachers shared that each day the children bring in a snack to eat from home. Most would bring in prepackaged bags of chips or cookies. Teachers noticed after the students attended the nutrition lessons, they would mimic the healthy snack that they sampled from the Nutrition Program Assistant. Teachers began to see more fruits and vegetables, and healthier snacks than before.

Pictured questionnaires were given before and after the program to all participants. From the student’s data kindergarteners showed an 82% positive change difference in choosing health snacks. 

The data proves the effectiveness of such nutrition programs, which helps educate children when they are young, helping them lead healthier lives in the future.

                                                                             Students gave a thumbs up when they liked snacks that they tried.

                                                    Students pictured questionnaires being administered.