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City of Hamilton - Public Health Services
All Star Snacks Playbook - Healthy Snack Policies
Setting a clear healthy snack policy can help to create a healthy snack culture in children's community sports.
What is a Healthy Snack Policy?
A healthy snack policy is a clearly written standard that addresses when and what foods and beverages are offered or sold at a community sporting event.
Benefits of a Healthy Snack PolicyFor Coaches/Sport Administrators
- Shows parents and the local community that the team/league values the health of its members
- Clearly states your team/league's position about healthy eating
- Presents healthy eating messages that support physical activity and enhance health and sport performances
- Takes the guesswork out of choosing food and beverages for sporting events
- Creates consistency from year to year
- Clarifies expectations of sports administrators/coaches, players, and parents
For Parents
- Ensures healthy food choices will be offered on a regular basis
- Offers parents consistent messages about what to send for sporting events
- Helps parents learn about healthy eating through the team/league and their own children
- Supports families who value making healthy choices
- Supports healthy behaviours individuals may find difficult to enforce
For Children
- Increases availability of nutritious foods
- Exposes children to positive role models for healthy eating
- Delivers consistent messages that reinforce school learning
- Provides children with the opportunity to develop skills in making healthy food choices
- Makes the healthy food choice the easier choice
Creating the Healthy Snack PolicyWhen developing your healthy snack policy, consider:
- What you want to achieve from your policy
- How to maximize adherence to the policy
- Who will monitor the policy
- What action to take when the policy is not adhered to
- How to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy
- How feedback on the policy might be given to the team/league
- How to prepare the team/league for implementation (including start date)
What to Include
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What? |
Provide a summary and elaborate on the details of the healthy snack policy. |
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Why? |
Insert the background information and reasons for requesting healthy snacks. Include a statement that clearly explains your team/league’s position. |
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Who? |
List who will be affected by the healthy snack policy (e.g., members, administrators, officials, coaches, leaders, participants, family, visitors, volunteers). |
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Where? |
List the locations where the healthy snack policy will and will not apply? (e.g., groups snacks/concession stands, field/gym/ice, practice/games/tournaments, home/away games). |
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When? |
Specify the date when the healthy snack policy will come into effect. |
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How? |
Specify how members and participants will be informed of the policy.
Specify how the policy will be enforced (e.g., verbal reminders, voluntary compliance). |
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Questions? |
Provide your contact information. |
Make it a Priority
People involved in your organization are busy. Many community sports teams and leagues are run by volunteers. You will need to get, and keep, healthy eating on your organization's "to do" list to make it happen. Here are some suggestions on how to do this:
- Add "healthy snack policy" to your organization's board meeting agenda
- Provide information to committee members about healthy snacks
- Invite a guest speaker to discuss the importance of healthy snacks at community sporting events
- Contact your local public health unit to request a consultation with a Registered Dietitian
- Get support from leaders and members by sharing healthy snack policies from other organizations
Keys to Success
- Involve stakeholders from the start. Increase support for the policy by involving coaches, parents, children, and others when developing it.
- Highlight the benefits. Emphasize the benefits of a healthy snack policy for children, parents, coaches, and the organization.
- Allow time for discussion when creating the policy. Provide time for discussion and debate of the first draft withe everyone who will be affected (youth, parents, volunteers, and coaches/leaders). Take time to listen to concerns.
- Keep it simple. Make sure your policy is clear and easy to read.
- Communicate the policy. Be sure to inform all stakeholders, using clear and consistent promotion.
- Be a champion or find one. Encourage voluntary compliance by setting an example for players and others.
- Persevere. Remember that people can and do change their minds.
Return to Team Play: Healthy Snacks webpage
Last update: November 4, 2010.
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