After-school: Nutrition Explorations

It's essential for kids to nutritionally recharge at the end of the school day and bridge the gap before dinner with a snack to fuel growing bodies and minds. With the number of after-school programs increasing and more children attending them, after-school snacks should be viewed as an integral part of school wellness policies. Research shows it is often the snacks that entice children to participate in after-school programs!

Be the Snack Expert!

Your expertise in administering the child nutrition program positions you to provide children with delicious, nutritious snacks, save the after-school program money, and even generate revenue for your nutrition program. Every program that meets basic standards is eligible to benefit from federal funding through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Explore the information below to find out the benefits of an after-school snack program and the steps to implement one.

Get the Healthy After-school Snack Guide to Help You "ReCharge" Kids!

The ReCharge! Healthy After-school Snack Guide for School Nutrition Directors is a great resource to get you started serving snacks. Download the guide to learn about after-school snack benefits, funding snacks through the National School Lunch Program, sample menus and more.

The ReCharge! Energizing After-School Snack Guide is part of an after-school program, designed for students to learn about and practice good nutrition and physical activity. Click here to find out about the program and order it.

The FRAC Afterschool Guide

Food Research & Action Center's (FRAC) comprehensive guide, provides step-by-step information on the process of setting up an after-school snack program. The 32-page guide covers everything from the importance of afterschool programs and nutrition to how to participate using federal child nutrition programs. Click here to download .

After-School Snack Tools

School Nutrition has the Knack...

The Knack for After-school Snacks, that is! Download a two-page color handout on the synergy school nutrition brings to the after-school snack program. Sample menus included!

Sample Snacks

Want to know what after-school snacks other programs are serving? Download Sample Snacks From Menus Around The Country.

After-School Program Research

If your school is considering adding an After-School program, or you would like to encourage having one, here is a compilation of research that shows the numerous benefits of After-School Programs. Click here.

After-School Case Histories

Get inspired with these After-School case histories where snacks and nutrition were highlighted.

After-School Program Links

A wealth of after-school program information can be found on the internet. To view a list of "must see" sites, click here.