SMART SNACKS IN THE SCHOOLS Texas Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Regulations What is a Smart Snack and where did this rule come from? In a nutshell: the purpose of smart snacks is set a standard for all food items ​
sold​
in a school environment. This means all areas of property under jurisdiction of the school that are ​
accessible​
to students during the school day. For example, smart snack applies to: A LA CARTE CAFETERIA SALES SCHOOL STORES SNACK BARS VENDING MACHINES FUNDRAISERS The Healthy, Hunger­Free Kids Act required the USDA to establish nutrition standards all foods and beverages sold to students outside of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program meals on the school campus during the school day. ​
These standards for snack sales are in effect from the period from midnight before the beginning of the official instructional day to 30 minutes after the end of the official instructional day. These standards do not apply during non­school hours, on weekends and at off­campus fundraising events. What are the requirements for a food it to be consider a Smart Snack? ●
Must be a “whole grain­rich” grain product; 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; or ●
Contain 10% of the Daily Value (DV) of one of the nutrients of public health concern in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or dietary fiber) ●
CALORIE LIMITS SODIUM LIMITS FAT LIMITS ●
Snack items: ≤ 200 calories ●
Snack items: ≤ 230 mg ●
Total fat: ≤ 35% of calories ●
Entrée items: ≤ 350 calories ●
Entrée items: ≤ 480 mg ●
Saturated fat: ≤ 10% of calories SUGAR LIMITS ≤
35% of weight from total sugars in foods Trans fat: zero grams ACCOMPANIMENTS Accompaniments such as cream cheese, salad dressing and butter must be included in the nutrient profile as part of the food item sold. This helps control the amount of calories, fat, sugar and sodium added to foods. What items may be sold at all grade levels? ●
●
Plain water (with or without carbonation) ●
Unflavored low fat milk, Unflavored or flavored fat free milk ●
100% fruit or vegetable juice, and 100% fruit or vegetable juice diluted with water (with or without carbonation) and no added sweeteners. ●
Elementary schools may sell up to 8­ounce portions, while middle and high schools may sell up to 12­ounce portions of milk and juice. There is no portion size limit for plain water. Beyond this, the standards allow additional “no calorie” and “lower calorie” beverage options for high school students. ●
No more than 20­ounce portions of calorie­free, flavored water (with or without carbonation); and other flavored and/or carbonated beverages that are labeled to contain < 5 calories per 8 fluid ounces or ≤ 10 calories per 20 fluid ounces. ●
No more than 12­ounce portions of beverage with ≤ 40 calories per 8 fluid ounces, or ≤ 60 calories per 12 fluid ounces. What about Fundraisers? Schools may have unlimited fundraisers as long as the fundraisers adhere to the federal Competitive Rule and Smart Snack requirements. The following are additional examples of allowable fundraisers that may occur during the school day: Any non­food items. Any food items not meant for consumption on the school campus during the school day (e.g. cookie dough to be prepared at home.) ● Any food item sold after the end of the school day (e.g. 30 minutes after the end of instruction on campus) ● Food items sold in concession stands after the end of the school day (e.g. 30 minutes after the end of instruction on campus) any food items that meet the federal Competitive rule requirements. ● Texas policy allows six days per campus per school year to sell foods or beverages on campus that do not have to meet federal nutrition standards. However, each event is considered to be one of the six exempt days. For example, if only one class participates in an event, it will counts for one event for the whole school. What Are “Competitive Foods”? “Competitive Foods” refers to all food and beverages ​
SOLD to students on school campus during the school day, other than meals reimbursable under government programs.​
Effective July 1, 2014, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a memorandum to inform State agencies and School Food Authorities (SFAs) that USDA no longer provide waivers once these rules went into effect. What about School “Party Days”? Parties are allowed at all schools; however, here are some things to consider: Parents may still bring treats that will be ​
given free of charge​
to the students for celebrations. However, if students are required to bring money/tokens/tickets/etc… for a pizza party, the pizza served and any other food items would have to meet the Smart Snack nutrition standards. ● Foods that are brought to school by parents or students in general do not have to meet the Smart Snacks requirements. However, students may not sell any item that is brought from home to other student but they may give them away. ● At Splendora ISD, we request that they take into consideration students with allergies or special dietary needs and try to avoid bring any items that contain peanuts. How do I know if an item is Smart Snack Compliant? That easy, you can go to the Healthy Snack Calculator located at: ●
http://tools.healthiergeneration.org/calc/calculator/ Do I need to keep documentation of smart snack items sold? Yes, all entities are required to keep documentation for any smart snack items sold on campus. The information listed here is just a ​
summary​
of some of the Smart Snack Rules and Regulations. To find out more about Smart Snacks or any other information regarding the nutritional guidelines for your campus, go to: ​
http://squaremeals.com/​
. If you have any questions, call the Splendora ISD Child Nutrition office at 281­689­4451.​