Tavelli’s teachers are asking all parents to help us reach our healthy school goals by encouraging families to participate in our snack policy.  If your classroom has a snack time, please bring foods that will help us reinforce healthy eating habits.  Please avoid foods high in processed sugar and hydrogenated fats. Following is a list of snack ideas you can use at home or school!

The Department of Health requires anything served to other children besides your own, needs to be bought from a store.   If you are serving fresh fruit and vegetables, please ask your teacher how they would like it brought to class.

· Combine foods from different food groups, like protein, breads and cereals, milk, with fruits and vegetables.  This will help the snack have
        staying power!

· Breads:
        oWhole grain crackers, mini bagels, crunchy bread sticks, fortified low sugar breakfast cereals, mini toaster waffles and tortillas.
 

· Fruit:  One serving is approximately ½ cup fresh, or one small whole fruit
        o Any fresh fruit in season, cut into small portions kids like, individual applesauce or fruit cups packed in fruit juice, single serving 100% juice containers, dried cherries, apricots, bananas, apple rings, cranberries, raisins, fruit snacks made with 100% fruit and fruit juice or ½ cup frozen berries (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry)
 

· Vegetables:  One serving is approximately ½ cup.
        o Baby carrots, cut broccoli, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, cold or frozen peas, cold crisp asparagus, pickles, olives.  Try new and different vegetables each week.  Have your children pick out the produce from the store, and try new dipping sauces made with yogurt, hummis, nut butters or cheese spreads.
 

· Protein:
o  Nut butters; try almond, peanut and cashew. Try sliced turkey, ham and cheese or hard boiled eggs. Milk, yogurt, bottled yogurt smoothies, cottage cheese, Nuts and seeds; like pumpkin and sunflower. Also, hummus dips and bean dips ( look for the ones without added fats).  Single serving Jell-o and frozen Gogurts can be a fun treat that has protein!

Fun Combinations:  Banana with peanut butter and raisins rolled on top, frozen berries with yogurt, oatmeal cookies made with fruit juices and low in sugar.  Bread sticks or pretzels dipped in hummus or nut butters then dipped in granola, mini bagel with cream cheese and fresh peaches or berries on top.

Classroom Quick guide:  Pretzels, cheese sticks, fruit cups, popcorn, small yogurt cups.  We ask that you avoid cookies, cupcakes, soda, high sugar drinks and candy bars.  As you shop for healthy treats read labels and avoid items that list sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, especially if it is the first ingredient.  Look for food products that list fruit juices instead of sugar as the sweetener.