Discounts on Fruits and Vegetables Available to Youth Soccer Coaches

New Hampshire Youth Soccer announced the launch of the Snack It Up initiative, a program to provide coaches with discounts on produce to help their teams fuel up on fruits and veggies this season.

Snack It Up, which started in September, is a collaboration with Healthy Kids Out of School, an initiative of ChildObesity180 at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition. Coupon booklets for discounts at Hannaford Supermarkets are being distributed to 200 teams across New Hampshire, with approximately 150 teams already engaged. At roughly 12 youth athletes per team, the program is expected to impact about 3,000 New Hampshire kids.

According to a press release, the program was designed in direct response to coaches who recognized that they were in a key position to help teach kids healthier habits, but weren’t always equipped to do so because of costs and resources.

“We’re excited to bring this innovative program to New Hampshire,” said Christina D. Economos Ph.D., vice chair and director of ChildObesity180, New Balance Chair in Childhood Nutrition, and associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. “Snack It Up helps foster healthy snacking habits in youth by making fresh fruits and veggies a more regular part of their routines. By reinforcing healthy behaviors around activities and snacking, we can change the norms and reverse the trend of childhood obesity.”

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