• Provide snacks and goodies in line with the suggestions on this page for classroom parties.
• Provide a healthy breakfast for your student (school food service breakfasts will adhere to wellness and
nutritional guidelines, for your convenience).
• Provide a healthy lunch (school food service lunches adhere to nutritional guidelines also).
• Provide healthy snacks for school as well as at home.
• Encourage sixty minutes of physical activity a day.

Snacks are important in providing children with nutrients to support growth and learning. Parties are an opportunity to celebrate. With a little imagination, snacks and parties can be fun and still provide healthy, nutrient-rich foods. Food allergies and special dietary needs, including diabetes, are becoming increasingly common in the general population and should be considered when planning food at school. Check with the school nurse for guidance.

Give healthy partying and snacking a try with the following foods:

Hydration
Water (flavored)

Fruits and Vegetables
Fruit wedges – cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, pineapple, oranges
Sliced fruit – nectarines, peaches, kiwi, star fruit, plums, pears and apples
Fruit salad or fruit added to gelatin
Fresh Fruit with yogurt dipping sauce
Apples with caramel dip
Fruit and cheese kabobs
Fruit with whipped topping – strawberries with whipped cream
100% fruit snacks (packaged gels)
Dried fruit – raisins, cranberries, apples, and apricots
100% vegetable or fruit juice -orange, apple, grape, cranberry or applesauce singles
Fruit smoothies
Berry parfaits with vanilla yogurt
Vegetable tray with low fat dip
Celery & peanut butter, celery & squeeze cheese
Carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers with dip
Salsa & low fat chips
Angel food cake with fruit toppings

Grains
Trail mix or cereal mixes
Granola bars, graham crackers
Banana, carrot or zucchini bread
Bagels & cream cheese
Pasta salad
Bread sticks with marinara
Low-fat pretzels or popcorn
Graham or animal crackers

Dairy
String cheese or small packets of cheese
Yogurts in a cup or in a tube, smoothies
Low-fat pudding cups
Cottage cheese singles
Low-fat milk (plain or flavored) – plain, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla
Cheese quesadillas

Protein
Low fat beef jerky
Nut assortments/trail mix
Peanut butter w/ apples or celery
Salami, cheese and whole grain crackers
Pizza with low-fat toppings – veggies, lean ham

What about Birthday Cake?
Once in awhile a piece of birthday cake can fit into a healthy diet. However, if each student brings cake for his or her birthday, eating cake becomes a regular occurrence. An idea to keep cake a “sometimes” food is by coordinating with other parents and having all students with birthdays in the same month celebrate on one day. Another idea is to limit parties with cake and other sugary or high fat foods to once a month or less, and/or provide alternative foods for children with special dietary needs, including allergies and diabetes.