Brighter Bites

Developer

UTHealth School of Public Health

Year

2021

Part of the SNAP-Ed Strategies & Interventions Toolkit.* Brighter Bites is a school-based health promotion program designed to change the behavior of children and their families to prevent childhood obesity and achieve long-term health outcomes.. Brighter Bites includes: a) weekly produce distribution, b) nutrition education in schools and for parents, and c) a weekly fun food recipe tasting experience during produce pick up time. Brighter Bites is implemented for 16 weeks during the school year and 8 weeks during the summer. Participating schools are also trained to implement the evidence-based Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) curriculum other evidence-based programs that promote healthy food choices and physical activity. This comprehensive approach supports the shift in the culture of each school and families within that school toward being healthier and more focused on nutrition and healthy living.

Website

Brighter Bites

mike.pomeroy@brighterbites.org

Funding Source

USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), corporate sponsors

Free Material

Yes

Cost ($)

$0.00

SNAP-Ed Toolkit Classification

Research-tested

Evidence

Evaluated
Pilot Tested
Validated

Evaluation Information

Brighter Bites is theoretically grounded in the Social Cognitive Theory constructs to produce behavior change. UTHealth conducted a two-year evaluation of Brighter Bites across 6 schools that received the program, and 6 schools that implemented CATCH only (760 parent-child dyads). Results of the study demonstrated that, as compared to children and families that did not receive Brighter Bites, those participating in Brighter Bites reported: Significant increases in servings of fruits and vegetables consumed Significant increases in serving more fruits and vegetables as snacks A significant decrease in added sugars consumed among children A two-fold increase in cooking meals using basic ingredients

Research Articles

Research and Publications

Evaluation Framework Indicators

Audience

Setting

Parks & Public Spaces

Pre-K & Childcare

Schools

WIC & Other social services

Format

Curriculum

PSE Change

SNAP-Ed Toolkit Interventions

State

Language

SNAP-Ed Connection Comments

* SNAP-Ed Strategies & Interventions: An Obesity Prevention Toolkit for States is a compilation of interventions. The toolkit was developed by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, The Association of SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Administrators (ASNNA), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Center for Training and Research Translation (Center TRT), and the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR), a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes for Health (NIH), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the USDA. It is designed and updated to help state SNAP-Ed administrative and implementing agencies identify evidence-based obesity prevention programs and policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies and interventions to include in their SNAP-Ed plans.

Review date

Wed, 01/27/2021 - 12:00

Reviewer Initials