title: From policy to practice: addressing snack quality, consumption, and price in after-school programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a community partnership between after-school programs (ASPs) and grocery stores to provide discounted pricing on snacks to meet the National Afterschool Association Healthy Eating Standards that call for serving a fruit or vegetable (FV) daily while eliminating sugar-based foods and beverages.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-group, pretest with multiple posttest design (spring, 2011-2013) in 4 large-scale ASPs serving 500 children/d was used, along with direct observation of snacks served, consumed, and cost.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, FV, sugar-sweetened beverages, and desserts were served 0.1 ± 0.5, 1.7 ± 2.0, and 2.0 ± 1.4 d/wk. By spring, 2013, FV increased to 5.0 ± 0.0 d/wk, whereas sugar-sweetened beverages and desserts were eliminated. A total of 84% of children consumed the fruit; 59% consumed the vegetables. Cost associated with purchasing snacks resulted in a $2,000-$3,000 savings over a standard 180-day school year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This partnership can serve as a model for successfully meeting nutrition policies established for ASP snacks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. Electronic address: beets@mailbox.sc.edu.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Beets
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Falon
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tilley
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Turner-McGrievy
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Justin B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, College of Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Collin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003132:Commerce; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009753:Nutritive Value; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062410:Snacks
keywords: children; cost; nutrition; school; snack