SUPER-SIZED Snacks
Discuss how recognizing serving sizes—as well as amounts of fat and sugar per serving—are key steps in making healthy choices. In this activity, your group will set up a snack display for individual review and group discussion. *
Materials
- Super-sized snack items: chips, candy bars, sugared beverages
- Two plates to place by each snack item
- Sugar cubes
- Pats of margarine (one tablespoon each)
Instructions
- Make a display card for the table or just ask the participant to guess the number of servings, the number of sugar cubes per serving, and the amount of fat per serving for each snack item on display.
- Participants can look at each snack item and then write down their answers individually.
- Leader can have some youth share their answers by coming to the display table and placing the number of sugar cubes and number of margarine pats on the plates beside that snack item. Use this as the start for discussion about servings, sugar and fat in each of the snack items. Then, read the nutrition label and "check it out"!
- Remember to review with older youth:
- 4 grams of sugar = 1 sugar cube
- 4 grams of fat (margarine) = 1 margarine pat
- Remind the kids that you're discussing sugar and fat per serving, NOT per package. Talk about how sugar and fat really add up if you supersize and eat the WHOLE THING yourself!
- Discuss alternatives to super-sizing.
- Split super-sized snacks with a friend
- Purchase smaller-size snacks
- Choose other snacks that are lower in fat and sugar, such as fruits, veggies, low-fat dairy, whole grains
- Plan ahead and carry healthy snacks along
- Select one personal goal to help decrease the super-sizing of snacks in your daily life.
* Used with permission of Healthy Kids Challenge.