Springfield school district policy

Springfield School District Policy
Springfield, Vermont
Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy E10
A. Springfield Nutrition Advisory Council will develop specific guidelines and procedures for the school breakfast and lunch program. These guidelines are to be followed by any food service agency that is contracted to provide the school breakfast and lunch program. B. The Advisory Council will meet at least (4) four times per calendar school year and report directly to the Superintendent of schools. Responsibilities of Council members are to ensure that the Nutrition Policy, as adopted by the Springfield School Board, is being adhered to by the food service agency. The Council will recommend changes in menu offerings when needed and will review and evaluate policy guidelines. The Nutrition Advisory Council will communicate with the student population and the administration at each building level and with each of their school PTA's to encourage involvement in our school nutrition program. Council members will be responsible for sharing ongoing in-service nutrition education opportunities with teachers. C. The Springfield Nutrition Advisory Council shall consist of at least one representative from each school. Representation will include staff, parent, student, administrative and food service personnel. Advisory council members serve a term of two years. In order for children to achieve their full academic potential, healthy eating patterns are essential. A well-planned and well-implemented District nutrition program positively influences students' eating habits. Consuming a variety of nutritious foods promotes healthy growth and development and provides the necessary energy for learning. Nutritious and appealing foods shall constitute the majority of the items offered wherever and whenever food is sold or otherwise offered or available to students at all school sponsored programs and activities, including fundraising. 1. Nutritious foods are nutrient dense foods including whole grains; low-fat or non-fat dairy products; fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables; lean meats, poultry, fish, and beans. 2. Nutritious foods must exceed the nutrient levels of Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value, which have been identified by the United States Department of Agriculture. (USDA). Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy E10 - Code F28 "Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value" include carbonated beverages, non fruit drinks, candies in which the major ingredient is sugar, frozen ice bars and chewing gum with sugar. 1. Menus shall be planned to conform to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the nutrient standards established in the regulations of the National District Lunch Program (7CFR 210) and the District Breakfast Program (7CFR 220). 2. A la carte food includes all foods sold by the food service program that are not part of a reimbursable meal. A Is carte food shall conform to the a la carte guidelines outlined in Appendix A. 3. Food pricing strategies shall be designed to encourage students to purchase nutritious items and/or 4. Compatible with federal regulations for such purchases, the food service program shall establish procedures to include locally grown foods and beverages in the development of purchasing bids or procedures. Procedures to promote the purchase of locally grown products may include: a. Pursuing partnerships with local farms and farmers, manufacturers, and small processors. b. Taking advantage, where possible, of existing products that are already available, such as eggs, milk and dairy products, cheese, apples, and produce. c. Asking local distributors to carry Vermont products in their inventory to allow for easier d. Writing bid contracts that allow Districts to buy local products "off bid" if primary vendors cannot 1. Foods and beverages sold through vending machines shall conform to the Vending Guidelines outlined in Appendix B (except that the break between levels will occur at grade 5 and not grade six as specified in the Appendix). No foods shall be sold from vending machines during meal service times. 2. Commercial advertising that promotes foods and beverages other than nutritious foods shall be prohibited in the District. Such advertising as exists as of the date of the adoption of this policy shall be grandfathered. 3. To the extent possible, foods and beverages sold in vending machines, school stores, snack bars, and other venues will be purchased using the practices described in section C 4. 1. Students and staff shall have adequate space to eat meals in pleasant surroundings and shall have Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy E10 - Code F28 adequate time to eat, relax, and socialize. At a minimum, lunch periods will be 20 minutes long, not including transition time, in accordance with findings of the National Food Service Management Institute. 2. Careful consideration will be given to scheduling recess and other physical activities before lunch. 3. The District staff shall limit the use of food as a reward for students and encourage alternatives to 4. Nutrition education shall be integrated within the health education program. The nutrition education program shall focus on developing healthy eating behaviors, be based on theories and methods proven effective by research, and be consistent with Vermont's health education standard. Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy E10 - Code F28 Appendix A
A La Carte Food and Beverage Standards
"A la carte" refers to foods and beverages sold by the food service program in addition to the USDA reimbursable school meals. These food sales are intended to provide students with some additional food choices and to raise revenue to support the school food service program. A la carte foods are • priced to encourage students to select meals rather than a la carte foods; • limited in quantity and variety; and • designed to supplement, not replace, school meals. Grades K-5
Standard
Eliminate foods that are sold outside of the breakfast and lunch programs. If the school offers a morning or afternoon break/snack, individual items sold meet the a la carte food standards. The morning snack or break occurs at least 1.5 hours before the lunch meal. Grades 6-12
Standard
Limit foods that are sold outside of the breakfast and lunch programs to items that are a supplement to, rather than in competition with, the meal. Entrees that would qualify as a meal component for the reimbursable school breakfast or school lunch program is not available as an a la carte item. Individual items sold meet the a la carte food standards. Juice beverages must contain at least 50% fruit or vegetable juice, and the package size is no larger than 12 oz. Water shall contain less than 20 calories per serving without artificial sweeteners. Low or nonfat white or flavored milk, or drinkable yogurt shall be offered in portion sizes no larger than 16 oz. and contain no more than 340 total calories. Whole grains and naturally occurring grains with minimal amounts of added fat and sugar may be served. Whole grains will have at least 1 gram of fiber per serving. Other products will contain no more than 5 grams of fat per 1 ounce serving and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat and/or trans fat per 1 ounce serving. No more than 25 grams of total carbohydrate per serving (includes natural sugar and added sugar). Portion sizes are limited to 2 oz. for most products, 3 oz. for baked goods such as muffins, pastries and bagels. Regular cheese - portion size no larger than 1 ½ oz. Reduced fat cheese - portion size no larger than 2 oz. Yogurt - portion size no larger than 8 oz. 8 oz. should be equal to or less than 200 calories per serving 6 oz. should be equal to or less than 150 calories per serving 4 oz. should be equal to or less than 100 calories per serving Frozen desserts, including ice cream, are limited to a portion size of no more than 3 oz. If any foods are sold a la carte, fresh, frozen, canned and/or dried fruits and vegetables Portion sizes for fried vegetables (french fries, onion rings, for example) will be ½ cup or less, and no larger than the portion of the same vegetable served in the school lunch program. Total fat - no more than 5 grams of fat per 1 ounce serving with the exception of nuts, seeds, and nut butters. Saturated fat and trans fat - no more than 2 grams per 1 ounce serving Portion sizes are limited. For example: trail mix, nuts, seeds, jerky - no larger than 2 oz. Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy E10 - Code F28 Appendix B
Vermont Vending Guidelines (8/27/04)
Grades K-5
Recommendation
Eliminate the sale of foods outside of the school meal program during the entire school day. Vending may be permitted after school hours and must follow the guidelines for secondary education. Grades 6-12
Recommendation
Non-Dairy
Best Practice
Acceptable Practice
Beverages
Beverages that contain at least 50% fruit or Bottled Water
Water containing less than 20 calories per serving without artificial sweeteners Low or nonfat white or flavored milk, or Products
drinkable yogurt, package size no larger than 16 Recommendations for snacks include:
Cheese Regular
Serving size should be 1 ½ oz. or smaller
Reduced Fat Cheese
Serving size should be 2 oz. or smaller
No larger than 8 oz.
8 oz. should be equal to or less than 200 calories per serving
6 oz. should be equal to or less than 150 calories per serving
4 oz. should be equal to or less than 100 calories per serving
Non-Dairy
Snack Foods
Limit to less than 5 grams of total fat per each 1 oz. serving.
(Nuts and seeds are exempt from the fat restriction)
Saturated Fat/Trans Fat:
Limit to less than 2 grams of saturated or trans fat per each 1 oz. serving
Total Carbohydrates:
Limit to less than 25 grams of total carbohydrates per each 1 oz. serving (fresh, dried or
canned fruits are exempt from the carbohydrate restrictions)
Snack Portion Size:
Serving size for snacks should be 2 oz. or less. Smaller portions are preferred.
Vending Sales
All foods served and sold should be administered by the school food service. and Contracts
Contracts should include language allowing for purchase of items from another company if not sold by the contracted company
Background
Grade K-5:
The rationale for the elementary school recommendation is that young children should only be presented with
opportunities to make healthy food choices at school and healthy choices should be modeled throughout the school
environment.
Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy E10 - Code F28
Sugar:
Excess sugar adds unnecessary calories to the diet. This includes added sugars that do not naturally occur in food.
Added sugars are sugars and sweeteners (white, brown, and raw sugars; fructose, honey, molasses, anhydrous
dextrose, and crystal dextrose), and syrups (corn, malt, pancake, maple, and high fructose corn). Naturally occurring
sugars present in milk and fruit, such as lactose and fructose are not considered added sugars. (Dietary Reference
Intakes: energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids. Institute of Medicine of The
National Academies. 2002)
Fats:
Higher intakes of saturated and trans fats, and dietary cholesterol raise low density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad")
cholesterol in the blood. An elevated LDL cholesterol increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease
(CHD). To decrease LDL cholesterol and the risk of CHD, substitute monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats
for saturated and trans fats and decrease the intake of cholesterol. Trans fat can be found in vegetable shortenings,
some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made
with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Small amounts of naturally occurring trans fat can be found in some animal
products, such as butter, milk products, cheese, beef, and lamb. Labeling of trans fats on food labels will be required
starting January 1, 2006. (FDA information on the web accessed August 22, 2004

Sodium:
Schools should be aware of the sodium content of foods served and sold. According to the FDA foods labeled healthy
must contain less than or equal to 360 mg per serving for an individual food and 480 mg per serving for meal-type
products. (FDA's food label informHypertext updated by clb 1999-
MAY-17)
Caffeine:
Caffeine is a central nervous stimulant that in children may cause nervousness, anxiousness, fidgetiness or other
similar behaviors. FDA requires that caffeine be listed on ingredient labels although herbal forms may not be
recognized as caffeine sources. Herbal products containing kola (cola or kola nut), cacao (cocoa), guarana, mate, and
green tea are known sources of caffeine. Durrant K.L. Known and Hidden Sources of Caffeine in Drug, Food and
Natural Products. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association 42:625-29.
Beverages:
Beverages are included that provide nutritional value. Fruit and vegetable juices contain a variety of nutrients
including Vitamin C; low fat and nonfat milk include calcium and Vitamin D and Vitamin A, while not adding excess
calories from fat; water without added ingredients provides hydration without any calories. Flavored milks may be
offered as long as they are low or non-fat and do not contain excess calories from added sugar.
If soy beverages are sold, they must be fortified with Vitamin A, Calcium and Vitamin D to a level equivalent to cow's
milk, other dairy alternatives of low nutritional value are not recommended. Serving sizes are limited to reduce
consumption of excess calories. According to the food guide pyramid serving sizes are 6 oz. for fruit juices and 8 oz.
for milk.
Snacks:
Recommendations for snacks include those that are lower in calorie and contain nutrients. For all foods ingredient
labels list items in the order of highest content in the food. If sugar or fat is listed first or second, it is more likely that
the item contains little nutritional value. Nuts and seeds are exempt from the fat restriction as they are high in
monounsaturated fat, which can help lower LDL "bad" cholesterol and maintain HDL "good" cholesterol. There are
not standard portion sizes for snacks, but smaller portions are preferred to avoid excess calories from one food item.
Best practice would be to include "whole" foods (close to their original state prior to processing, such as: fruits,
Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy E10 - Code F28
vegetables, yogurt, cheese and nuts) whenever possible, which contain not only all the original nutrients but also health
promoting phytochemicals and other biologically active substances.
Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value
The following is taken from Appendix B of 7 CFR Part 210.
Appendix B to Part 210--Categories of Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value
(a) Foods of minimal nutritional value--Foods of minimal nutritional value are:
(1) Soda Water--A class of beverages made by absorbing carbon dioxide in potable water. The amount of carbon dioxide used is not less than that which will be absorbed by the beverage at a pressure of one atmosphere and at a temperature of 60 deg. F. It either contains no alcohol or only such alcohol, not in excess of 0.5 percent by weight of the finished beverage, as is contributed by the flavoring ingredient used. No product shall be excluded from this definition because it contains artificial sweeteners or discrete nutrients added to the food such as vitamins, minerals and protein. (2) Water Ices--As defined by 21 CFR 135.160 Food and Drug Administration Regulations except that water ices which contain fruit or fruit juices are not included in this definition. (3) Chewing Gum--Flavored products from natural or synthetic gums and other ingredients which form an (4) Certain Candies--Processed foods made predominantly from sweeteners or artificial sweeteners with a variety of minor ingredients which characterize the following types: (i) Hard Candy--A product made predominantly from sugar (sucrose) and com syrup which may be flavored and colored, is characterized by a hard, brittle texture, and includes such items as sour balls, fruit balls, candy sticks, lollipops, starlight mints, after dinner mints, sugar wafers, rock candy, cinnamon candies, breath mints, jaw breakers and cough drops. (ii) Jellies and Gums--A mixture of carbohydrates which are combined to form a stable gelatinous system of jelly-like character, and are generally flavored and colored, and include gum drops, jelly beans, jellied and fruit-flavored slices. (iii) Marshmallow Candies--An aerated confection composed as sugar, com syrup, invert sugar, 20 percent water and gelatin or egg white to which flavors and colors may be added. (iv) Fondant--A product consisting of microscopic-sized sugar crystals which are separated by thin film of sugar and/or invert sugar in solution such as candy com, soft mints. (v) licorice--A product made predominantly from sugar and corn syrup which is flavored with an extract (vi) Spun Candy--A product that is made from sugar that has been boiled at high temperature and spun at a (vii) Candy Coated Popcom--Popcorn which is coated with a mixture made predominantly from sugar and May 4, 2006; June 9, 2006; June 21, 2006

Source: http://www.springfield.k12.vt.us/attachments/article/109/F28%20Federal%20Child%20Nutrition%20Act%20Wellness%20Policy%20E10.pdf