General Tips for Meals and Snacks

Simple additions to the snacks and meals offered at meetings can provide participants with the energy boost they need to stay alert through the whole day.

Snacks:

Chilled bottled water (also helps to keep “fitness on the mind”)
Fruits and vegetables with low-fat dips
Assorted 100% fruit or vegetable juice
Skim and 1% milk
Offer fat-free milk in addition to half ’n half for coffee and tea
Bagels, fruit breads, and small fruit muffins
Fruit spreads in addition to butter/margarine/cream cheese for bagels
Low-fat or fat-free cream cheeses
Fruit smoothies or frozen yogurt-based milkshakes
Bakedtortilla chips with salsa and/or low-fat bean dip
Pretzels, hot pretzels with mustard, or popcorn
Fresh fruit kabobs
Low-fat yogurt
Trail mix (cereal, dried fruit and nuts)
Low-fat wheat and rye crackers
Low-fat cheeses
Gingersnaps, vanilla wafers and graham crackers

Breakfast: (refer to Snack list also)

Offer whole wheat breads and cereals when possible
Offer toast, bagels, fruit breads, and small muffins instead of doughnuts and pastries
Offer fruit toppings (raisins, dried fruit mix, fresh strawberries, bananas, blueberries, sliced fresh peaches) for hot and cold cereals
Limit high-fat meats like bacon and sausage; opt for Canadian bacon instead
Limit fried foods like hash browns

Meals:

Offer whole grain breads in addition to white
Offer salad dressings on the side, and always include a light version
Offer broth or vegetable-based soups instead of cream soups
Include fruit with every meal
Serve at least two vegetables with each meal
Avoid fried foods like French-fries, onion rings and fried chicken.
Serve pastas with tomato or other vegetable-based sauces, instead of cream sauces or pesto
Offer chicken, turkey, fish and shellfish when possible
Limit red-meat (beef, pork, and lamb) to 4-ounce servings and offer an alternative
Choose steamed, poached, baked, and broiled meats instead of fried or sautéed
Include a vegetarian alternative to all meals
Use reduced-fat cheeses in all menu items requiring cheese, like vegetable lasagna
Offer fruit desserts in addition to other desserts

***When using perishable foods (such as dips, spreads, yogurt, meat, cheeses), do not let stand at room temperature for more than two hours. Then food should be thrown away. Keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold.

Action-Packed Meetings

Being “active” is not what you usually think of when thinking of meetings or workshops. But too much sitting and listening can really take a toll on the participants. Below are a few strategies that can get the participants up and moving. These activities will increase their energy which can lead to better attention and more interest. Just what you want when holding a meeting or workshop! As a general rule, one should provide 5 minutes of activity for each hour of lecture. This does not mean that after every hour you must stop and provide a break, but for example, after 2 hours provide a 10 minute physical activity break.

Have activity breaks.

Put on music and demonstrate stretching exercises that can be done while seated.
Hand out Thera-bands or similar stretchy bands and lead the group in various strengthening moves.
Use the foam flyers in the DCHD Meeting Well kit. Toss them out and have all participants throw them around the room to each other.
Put on music and lead the group in various walking and marching moves that can be done right by their sitting area.
Play “Simon Says” to get participants moving
Have participants tap (no spiking!) a balloon or a Balloon Ball around the room
Conduct a Nerf Ball toss.

Use icebreakers that encourage participants to move around.

Organize scavenger hunts during breaks in which participants have to locate certain objects relating to physical activity or being fit.

You can place certain objects (i.e. walking shoes, a dumb bell, athletic socks, pedometer, a ball, water bottle, etc.) around the meeting room or area, and have participants find as many as they can and record them on a sheet of paper. Or, instead of specifically placing objects, you can have participants look around and discover objects on their own. Have them record these also. Sometimes, people come up with very creative items to use in being active. Give the person with the most items on his/her list, a physical activity prize.

Conduct “walk and talk” breakout sessions or roundtables by encouraging participants to go for short walks while they have discussions. They will be getting a physical activity break, and a change of scenery, both of which can promote more creative brainstorming.

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