Preparing Healthy Snacks with Third

Grade Students to Improve Knowledge

of Nutrition
Samantha McCall and Abigail Tempel

Research Question
Would four weeks of weekly
preparation of healthy snacks with a
small group of Chapin area third
grade students improve their
knowledge of nutrition?

Hypothesis
If healthy snacks are prepared with
third grade students, then their
knowledge of nutrition will improve.

Statistics
18% of US children are obese 1
21.5% of SC children are obese2
Recommended daily calorie intake for children ages 413:
Female: 1600
Male: 22003
37% of elementary aged students are kinesthetic
learners4

Similar Studies

Effects of a Nutrition Education

Program on the Dietary Behavior and
Nutrition Knowledge of Second Grade
and Third Grade Students5
Conducted in Alabama at Auburn
University
Evaluated how cooking with children
could improve knowledge of nutrition

Similar Studies

Evaluation of a Health and Nutrition

Education Program in Primary School
Children of Crete over a Three-Year
Period 6
Conducted in Crete, Greece
Would a school intervention program
improve health knowledge, diet, and
physical activity?

Similar Studies

Nutrition Education Intervention

Improves Nutrition Knowledge,
Attitude and Practices of Primary
School Children: A Pilot Study 7
Conducted in Southwestern State of
Malaysia
Determine changes in knowledge,
attitude and practices of primary
school children after nutrition
education

Design and Methodology

1. Find location for the class (Crooked Creek Park)
2. Set dates and times for classes (October 15 th, 22nd, and 29th,
November 5th)
3. Create pre- and post-test for students to take on first and last
day of class
4. Advertise class
5. Purchase food for class with grant from District Five Foundation
6. Locate students to include in our study (3rd grade students in the
Safari Program at CCP)
7. Have parents fill our information survey
8. Test the students on current nutrition knowledge
9. Prepare healthy snacks and complete activities with the students
for once a week, for four weeks
10.Retest the students on the same nutrition knowledge as the pretest
11.Compare the data of the pre- and post-test
12.Run a matched pairs t-test to statistically analyze the data

Class 1: Eating
a Variety of
Colorful Fruits
and Vegetables

Objective: Introduce
students to eating
different colors of fruits
and vegetables

Class 2:
Choosing Drinks
with Less Sugar

Objective: Introducing
students to drinks that
dont have added
sugars; teaching
students about sugars

Class 3:
Preparing
Healthy Snacks

Objective: Introducing
students to healthier
snack options that still
taste good

Class 4:
Choosing Whole
Grains

Objective: Introducing
students to whole grain
options

Variables
Control: material learned, material
tested on, time participated
Independent: participation in
preparing healthy snacks
Dependent: the knowledge of
nutrition that the students do or
do not gain

Pre-Test Scores

Post-Test Scores

Red= wrong answer

Green= right

Pre- and Post-Test Scores

120

100

Student A
Student B

80

Student C
Student D
Student E
Student F

60

Student G
Student H
Student I
40

20

0
Pre-test

Post-test

Data Analysis

Compared pre and post scores

using matched pairs T-test
P-value: 0.000588
Mean: 31.11
Standard Deviation: 19.00
Sample Size: 9

Data Analysis
88% of students improved

8 out of 9

Confounding Variables

Small Sample Size

Inconsistent Attendance

Conclusion

Hands-on learning is effective for student

learning
Creating healthier lifestyles
Further Research:
Parents Post Survey
Propose idea to afterschool programs of
the inclusion of a cooking class to make
snacks

She has tried to eat a little

more healthy

He did learn more about nutrition and making

better food choices.

It has opened her eyes to making

healthier choices for snacks.

Future Research

Implementation of an afterschool
program

Lexington Richland District 5

Wellness Policy8

Last Revision: September 26th, 2011

School Nutrition Association released
the new guidelines (January 21st,
2016)9
Whole grains, fruits & vegetables, Sodium, A La
Carte Foods, doubling the funding of Farm to
School grants
School Nutrition Advisory Committee

Acknowledgements

Lisa Maylath, Research Instructor

Tiffany Dinsmore, Crooked Creek Safari Activities
Coordinator
Andrea Tsilis, Crooked Creek Safari Program
Coordinator
Students that participated in our class, and their
parents
District 5 Foundation
Amy Splittgerber, YMCA
Amy Taylor, Statistics Instructor
Akil Ross, Principal
Maria & Barry McCall, Lisa & Michael Tempel, Our
parents

Works Cited
1: Childhood Obesity Facts. (2015, August 27). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/facts.htm
2: South Carolina. (2014). Retrieved January 19, 2016, from http://stateofobesity.org/states/sc/
3: Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children. (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2016, from
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/Dietary-Recommendations-for-Healthy-Children_
4: Miller, P. (2001). Learning Styles: The multimedia of the mind. ED 451340.
5: Powers, A. R., Struempler, B. J., Guarino, A., & Parmer, S. M. (2005, April 01). Effects of a Nutrition Education Program on the
Dietary Behavior and Nutrition Knowledge of Second-Grade and Third-Grade Students. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
6: Manios, Y., Moschandreas, J., Hatzis, C., & Kafatos, A. (1999). Evaluation of a Health and Nutrition Education Program in
Primary School Children of Crete over a Three-Year Period. Preventive Medicine, 28(2), 149-159. doi:10.1006/pmed.1998.0388
7: Shariff, Z. M., PhD, Bukhari, S., MSc, & Othman, N., MBBS, MRCP. (2008). Nutrition Education Intervention Improves Nutrition
Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Primary School Children: A Pilot Study. Retrieved December 4, 2015, from
http://s3.amazonaws.com/academia/Nutrition_Education_Intervention_Improve.pdf
8: District Five Wellness Policy. (2011, September 26). Retrieved January 20, 2016, from http://
www.lexrich5.org/files/100418/d5%20wellness%20policy.docx
9: "A BILL OF DUTIES."Advocate of Peace through Justice84.2 (1922): 46-47. 21 Jan. 2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
Cludia Bernardes Spexoto, Maria. "Pharmacology and Biochemistry Undergraduate Students Concern for a Healthy Diet and
Nutrition Knowledge." N.p., 1 Apr. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
Hoefkens, Christine. "Nutrient-Specific Perceptions of Food Healthiness and the Role of Nutrition Knowledge: A Comment on
Rizk and Treat." N.p., 1 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
Webber, Kelly, Amanda Ireland Stoess, Hazel Forsythe, Janet Kurzynske, Joy Ann Vaught, and Bailey Adams. "Diet Quality of
Collegiate Athletes." College Student Journal 49.2 (2015): 251-56. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
Definition of Obesity. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/obesity

Preparing Healthy Snacks with Third

Grade Students to Improve Knowledge
of Nutrition
Samantha McCall and Abigail Tempel