Creative Cafeteria

Everyone wins with HKC’s creative cafeteria tips. Tasty, likable and healthy meals are a key component of a healthy environment and provide a great backdrop for learning by example.

		Cafeteria Impact! Simple actions reinforce HKC's 6 healthy messages and help kids on the road to academic success Fruits & Veggies – Every Day the Tasty Way  Snack Attack Active Play, Balance My Day Breakfast GO Power Smart Servings Drink Think

*KidLinks™

Take Action for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity!

1. Show off! 
Look at how fast foods market and give their techniques a healthy twist. Kick-off  HKC's 6 healthy messages by letting fruits and veggies shine. Ideas:
2. • Have a class create fruit and veggie wall art.
   • Or instead of a class, make the fruit and veggie wall art an organization-wide contest with the winner’s art framed and prominently displayed during an upcoming event.
   • Label the art to help make people aware of the healthy changes you are making.
To receive a simple action idea such as this each week of the school year, sign-up for
3. 
   
   Set up a display!
   Help people SEE how healthy message #5, Smart Servings, can make a difference.
   • Show the difference between choosing the small rather than large size fries.
   • Assuming the choice is made about once a week, the average fat savings for a year would be around 3 lbs. (three 1-lb. cans shortening)
   More ideas like this can be found in the HKC idea booklet Setting Up for Success.
    
4. Role model.
   My Healthy Challenge
   Each month, receive a simple challenge and tips for healthy habits.
   • Challenge co-workers to join your challenge. 
   • Create teams to see who can come up with the most fun, creative ideas. 
   • Track team results and post your ideas for meeting the challenge in the cafeteria. 
   
   E-Challenge example sends the Active Play, Balance My Day message:
   • My Healthy Challenge:  Add 5 more minutes of physical activity play to each day this month. Come up with 30 different 5 minute ways to MOVE for FUN, one for each day.
   • What are your ideas to meet the challenge?  5 minute walk around the building?  5 minutes of Frisbee?  5 minute hopscotch game?
      
5. Connect with kids.
   To help make healthy changes, surveys, tastings, and student advisory groups are great ways to connect.  Build your Breakfast GO Power message.  Example:
   • Try out a couple of new breakfast menu ideas such as a yogurt parfait or a breakfast frittata.
   • Have a student group
     • taste and choose the items to include on the menu
     • come up with a plan to “market” the items to other students
     • after several offerings of the new items, survey other students to determine other items or changes that would increase the number of times they choose breakfast at school
   Healthy Kids Challenge can help your school with ideas that work best with your wants, needs and resources.
    
6. Help people be aware of your “Creative Cafeteria”.
   • Post changes you are making (with pictures) on your school or organization’s Web site.
   • Include short “healthy tips” for families. HKC’s WOWS E-Newsletter has a simple cut-and- paste family tip in every issue

HKC uses evidenced based information and best practices to help school-based initiatives and youth organizations nationwide. HKC works with you to implement simple healthy eating-physical solutions adapted for your needs, resources, and recipients.

*KidLink™:  A HKC term used to describe people who can help kids make healthy eating and physical activity choices a habit.