These days, keeping our children healthy and fit sometimes seems like an unwinnable war. Getting kids to eat their spinach, drink water or low-fat milk instead of soda, and put down the video game console can test the will of even the most determined mom or caregiver.

Fortunately, we have a strong ally in our collective mission to support our children’s health and wellness: our country’s phalanx of afterschool programs.

A new special report shows that parents with children in afterschool programs are overwhelmingly satisfied with the job afterschool programs are doing to provide kids with nutritious snacks and opportunities for exercise. To many parents, afterschool programs deserve an A+ for their work in this vitally important area.

The report was published this month by the nonprofit organization I lead, the Afterschool Alliance. It is based on findings from a massive survey we conducted last fall that examined how kids spend their time after the school bell rings.

The special report shines a light on the critical, but often underappreciated, role that afterschool, before-school and summer learning programs are playing in keeping our kids healthy and fit—a key goal at a time when the nation faces epidemic levels of obesity and physical inactivity. These programs have a profound impact on a growing number of our nation’s kids: they serve 10 million children and youth across America, up from 6.5 million a decade ago.

But an additional 19 million children would enroll in an afterschool program if one were available, our study shows. Many of them are missing out on opportunities for exercise, health education, hands-on learning, homework help, mentoring, and much more.

Parent Satisfaction High

The special report, Kids on the Move: Afterschool Programs Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity, finds that most parents with a child in an afterschool program (80 percent) say it offers opportunities for physical activity. And almost all of those parents (84 percent) are satisfied with both the amount and the variety of physical activity offered.

Parents are also satisfied with the quality of food and drink offered at afterschool programs. Nearly three out of four parents with a child in an afterschool program (72 percent) say that it offers meals or snacks and beverages. And of these parents, 81 percent are satisfied that the offerings are healthy.

Think about that. Our findings mean millions of parents feel their kids are getting adequate opportunities for exercise—whether it’s shooting hoops on the blacktop, playing hide-and-seek on the playground, or jumping rope with friends. And millions feel the snacks their children are eating after school are healthy and nutritious—think apple slices and cheese sticks rather than a soda and chips. That’s huge.

I know this firsthand.  It is painful to drag my daughters away from constant texts and video screens. Their afterschool programs and activities keep them physically active and mentally engaged and prevent them from snacking on chips and ice cream. This was especially true this past winter when going outside wasn’t easy and the ice on the streets made it unsafe. For my older daughter, it’s theater and for my younger one, it’s soccer. They couldn’t be more different but both are active. And when they are active, they tend to be hungrier and more likely to eat the healthy snacks I pack them rather than the junk they somehow find when they are sitting in front of the television. Having active, healthy kids is a big concern for most of the moms I know.

Our survey found that low-income and minority parents are especially attuned to the role afterschool programs play in promoting health and wellness. Two out of three African-American and Hispanic parents with children in afterschool programs say that providing healthy food was very important in choosing their child’s program, compared with 55 percent of white parents. Low-income parents were also more likely than higher-income parents to say the same.

Afterschool programs are well-known and well-regarded for keeping kids safe, inspiring them to learn and being a lifeline for working parents. But they are also helping kids get and stay healthy and instilling good habits that can last a lifetime.

HEPA Standards

Still, there’s more work to do. Our survey found that older youth are less likely than younger children to attend an afterschool program that offers food and less likely to be physically active in their program. We need to change that.

Many parents are unaware that standards for healthy eating and physical activity exist for afterschool programs. The Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards recommend best practices related to food and activity, including at least 30 minutes of morning or afterschool program time for physical activity (60 minutes for a full day program). We need to increase awareness among both parents and afterschool program providers.

Those of us who care about preventing childhood obesity have a strong ally in our nation’s afterschool programs. It’s important that both parents and policymakers understand that, that we strengthen the work afterschool programs are doing to help kids get and stay healthy, and that we increase the number of afterschool, before-school and summer learning programs so many more children and youth can benefit from all they offer.

Jodi Grant is executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, which is working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs.

Find out more about how afterschool programs are keeping kids healthy on MomsRising’s #WellnessWed TweetChat today at 2pm.