6700P - Nutrition and Physical Fitness Procedure
Poor nutrition affects children’s health and their ability to learn. Schools are a place that should model and reinforce healthy eating behaviors. The District will provide healthy eating choices with the following procedures.
The Regulation applies to all foods and beverages sold on the school campus to students during the school day. The Regulation also applies to all foods and beverages purchased with District funds that are served on the campus to students during the school day. The school campus is defined as all areas under the jurisdiction of the school that are accessible to students during the school day. The school day is defined as the period from midnight the day before to 30 minutes after the end of the official school day.
District purchased food or beverages that will be served to students in classroom parties or as incentives are included in this Regulation. The Regulation does not apply to after school functions such as sporting events although the District encourages the sale and distribution of nutrient dense foods at all school functions and activities. The Regulation will be observed by all schools in the District.
Standards for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
The District shall provide a lunch program which meets the nutritional standards required by the NSLP.
To build on the District’s continuous improvement of the lunch program (e.g. no deep fat frying, no irradiated food, salad bars in every school):
- Fresh fruits and vegetables will be offered daily
- Canned fruits and vegetables will be low sodium and low sugar products when possible
- Every purchased lunch will be accompanied by at least ½ cup fruit or vegetable
- All grains offered will be whole grain rich
- Milk products will contain 1% or less fat
- Free drinking water will be available to every student in the lunch room
- Trans fats will be eliminated
- Weekly average calorie ranges will be followed for each grade level: K-5 (550-650 kcal); 6-8 (600-700 kcal); 9-12 (750-850 kcal)
- Weekly average of calories from saturated fat will be less than 10%
- Weekly average sodium ranges will be followed for each grade level: K-5 (≤1110 mg); 6-8 (≤1225 mg); 9-12 (≤1280 mg)
- Nutrition information for meals will be available on the District’s website
Standards for Other Foods and Beverages Sold to Students
In recognition of the efforts to increase the nutritional value of snacks sold to students during the school day, the following guidelines will apply to all foods and beverages sold to students on the school campus during the school day. The following guidelines will also apply to all foods and beverages purchased with District funds that will be served to students on the school campus during the school day:
General Standard -
All food will:
- Be a grain product that contains 50% or more whole grains by weight or have whole grains as the first ingredient (or second ingredient if the first ingredient is water); or
- Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food; or
- Be a combination food that contains at least ¼ cup of fruit and/or vegetable
Snack Items -
In addition to the general standard, individual snack food items will:
- Have ≤ 200 calories per item as served, including accompaniments
- Have ≤ 200 mg of sodium as served, including accompaniments
- Have ≤ 35% of calories from fat as served, including accompaniments (See “Exemptions”)
- Have < 10% of calories from saturated fat as served, including accompaniments (See “Exemptions”)
- Have zero grams of trans fat as served, including accompaniments
- Have ≤35% of the items total weight from sugar as served, including accompaniments
(See Exemptions)
Entrée Items -
Entrée items are defined as a combination food of a protein item & a grain item (e.g. hamburger), a protein item and a fruit or vegetable item (e.g. yogurt fruit parfait), or a protein item by itself excluding yogurt, low fat or reduced fat cheese, nuts, seeds, and nut/seed butters (e.g. chicken teriyaki). In addition to the general standard, entrée food items will:
- Have ≤ 350 calories per item as served, including accompaniments
- Have ≤ 480 mg of sodium as served, including accompaniments
- Have ≤ 35% of calories from fat as served, including accompaniments
- Have < 10% of calories from saturated fat as served, including accompaniments
- Have zero grams of trans fat as served, including accompaniments
- Have ≤35% of the items total weight from sugar as served, including accompaniments
Exemptions -
Certain items are exempt as described below:
- Reduced fat cheese (including part skim mozzarella), nuts and seeds and nut/seed butters, and products consisting of only dried fruits with nuts/seeds with no added sweeteners or fats are all exempt from the total fat and saturated fat standards for snack items Entrée items must meet all standards.
- Dried or dehydrated fruits or vegetables with no added sweeteners or fats are exempt from the sugar standards for snack items Entrée items must meet all standards.
- Entrée items served as part of the school meal program are exempt on the day of and day after being served as a program meal.
Beverage Items -
All beverages will follow guidelines for the appropriate grade.
Elementary schools may sell-
- Plain water or carbonated water (no size limit)
- 1% unflavored milk (≤ 8 fl oz)
- Nonfat flavored or unflavored milk (≤ 8 fl oz)
- 100% fruit/vegetable juice(≤8floz
Middle schools may sell-
- Plain water or carbonated water (no size limit)
- 1% unflavored milk (≤ 12 fl oz)
- Nonfat flavored or unflavored milk (≤ 12 fl oz)
- 100% fruit/vegetable juice (≤ 12 fl oz)
- 100% fruit/vegetable juice diluted with water (carbonated or not) and no added sweeteners (≤ 12 fl oz)
High schools may sell -
- Plain water or carbonated water (no size limit)
- 1% less unflavored milk (≤ 12 fl oz)
- Nonfat flavored or unflavored milk (≤ 12 fl oz)
- 100% fruit/vegetable juice (≤ 12 fl oz)
- 100% fruit/vegetable juice diluted with water (carbonated or not) and no added sweeteners (≤ 12 fl oz)
- Other flavored and/or carbonated beverages 20 fl oz or less that contain ≤ 5 calories per 8 fl oz or ≤ 10 calories per 20 fl oz (excluding soda, diet soda, and energy drinks)
- Other flavored and/or carbonated beverages 12 fl oz or less that contain ≤ 40 calories per 8 fl oz or ≤ 60 calories per 12 fl oz (excluding soda, diet soda, and energy drinks)
Snack and Beverage Calculator
The USDA has established a snack and beverage calculator tool that can be used to determine if an item fits within these nutrition guidelines. Users can enter the information from a product’s nutrition label and the calculator will determine whether or not the item is acceptable. The calculator can be found at: https://foodplanner.healthiergeneration.org/calculator/
Fundraisers and PTSA or Booster Club Events
All food and beverage items sold to students on the school campus during the school day will follow the above guidelines.
Class Parties and Student Incentives
Honoring the spirit of the District Nutrition Regulation and the above procedures, school staff and parents should reward students with physical activities, non-food items or healthy snacks at classroom parties, holiday celebrations, and as student incentives. Food and beverages purchased with District funds for classroom parties and incentives on the school campus during the school day will follow the above guidelines.
Food and Beverage Marketing in Schools
Only foods and beverages that meet the above guidelines may be marketed to students.
Nutrition Promotion and Education
Students will participate in national and state directed nutrition and wellness coursework in grades K-12. Elementary students receive current nutrition curriculum in the general education and physical education classrooms. Secondary students receive current nutritional curriculum in graduation required health classes. Nutrition curriculum includes the promotion of healthy food intake, reading food labels, and analyzing and comparing health information to current USDA guidelines.
Parents are encouraged to promote their student’s participation in the school lunch program. If their student(s) do not participate in the school lunch program, parents are encouraged to provide meals and snacks that fit the District’s nutrition Regulation.
School staff is encouraged to cooperate with other agencies and community groups to provide opportunities for student projects related to nutrition, as appropriate.
School staff considers the various cultural preferences in development of nutrition education programs and food options.
Physical Activity and Education
Students will have the opportunity to participate in physical education classes in grades K-12. Physical education classes are standards based, using national and state developed standards. Content builds each year including concepts and strategies in motor skills, physical fitness, and developing goals toward lifetime fitness. The District’s physical education program is inclusive of all students and stresses the cooperation, participation, and application of learning. In addition, students at the high school level have a broad range of physical education credit options beyond the school day including intramural and interscholastic athletics.
All schools will have facilities, equipment, and supplies needed to deliver quality physical education and activities consistent with these standards.
Schools are encouraged to identify safe and active routes to school and promote alternative methods for children to travel to and from school such as walking and bicycle programs.
Access to school sites will be provided through permitting use of facilities to youth sports groups consistent with the District’s facilities use Regulation and municipal joint use agreements and partnerships with youth organizations so additional opportunities are available for all youth in our communities to participate in quality physical activity, fitness, sports, and recreation programs.
Updates
This Regulation will be updated as new health science, information, and technology emerge as well as when new USDA guidance is provided.
Advisory Committee
The District’s Nutrition Advisory Committee will advise in the implementation of the District-wide nutrition and physical fitness procedures. The committee will also meet as needed to track the efficacy of these procedures and make recommendations as necessary.
USDA Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or - email:
program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.