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Overview
Deal Me In ... food and fitness is a self-contained program designed for
children in grades kindergarten through sixth children in the after-school setting.
This out-of-school time program seeks to build a knowledge base on the importance
of good nutrition and physical activity and to encourage students to make healthier
choices.
Specific outcomes include: students are able to recognize and choose healthy food
options according to USDA’s MyPyramid, students are able to choose individual physical
activities that contribute to their health and students are able to select healthy
breakfast and snack-food options. A formative evaluation with 13 sites was conducted
to identify whether students in after-school programs are meeting the student outcomes
for the Deal Me In program and to assess the range of implementation strategies.
This evaluation found that, overall, children in the after-school setting met the
Deal Me In student outcomes as identified by the program goals. As a result of the
program, children were able to recognize and choose healthy food options according
to the food grouping system and select healthy breakfast and snack-food options.
Children and program leaders rated the program well. Adjustments were made to activities
based on program leader feedback and to reflect the changes of USDA’s MyPyramid.
With increasing pressure for classroom time, offering nutrition education programs
during after-school programs provides another opportunity to teach healthy behaviors.
Deal Me In ... food and fitness can be an effective self-contained nutrition and
physical-activity program for elementary-aged children in the after-school setting.
Program Leader Comments on Nutrition and Activity
Program
"We try to teach the children about good nutrition and sometimes I have a hard
time coming up with new ideas. Your program made it soooo much easier for me."
"Thank you for sharing this program with us. Although we cannot dictate what
the children eat at home, we can hopefully teach them the value of healthy food
and activity."
"The children had a great time with this activity. They really like the activity
books. After the activity we had several children suggest that we use their ideas
for our own breakfast in the center. I think we may do that."
For the complete report on the evaluation of Deal Me In . . . food and
fitness in an after-school program,
read the results here.
View Deal Me In ... food and
fitness
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