Nutritious Food Choices: EFEA

At every possible eating occasion, students will have opportunities to practice what they are taught in nutrition education and choose nutritious snacks that are low in fat, sodium and added sugars.

Schools are encouraged to take steps to ensure:

• nutritious foods are always available as an affordable option whenever food is served or sold;
• students have limited opportunities to eat snacks high in fat, sodium or added sugars;
• competition with nutritious meals served by the school food service program is minimized.

The emphasis on healthy choices applies to:

• a la carte items (separate food choices) offered by the food service program;
• "competitive foods" which are snacks and beverages sold from vending machines, school stores and fund-raising activities that compete with the food service program;
• refreshments that are available at school parties, celebrations and meetings.

Each beverage offered for sale to students from any source, including the school cafeteria, vending machines, school stores and fund-raising activities conducted on school grounds, shall satisfy the minimum nutritional standards for beverages adopted by the State Board of Education. This applies to beverages sold on campus during the regular school day and extended school day, including but not limited to before and after school activities such as clubs, year book, band, student government, drama, and childcare/latchkey programs.

The State Board's nutritional standards for beverages shall not apply to the sale of beverages at school related events where parents and other adults are a significant part of the audience. Such activities include but are not limited to interscholastic sporting events, school plays and band concerts.

NOTE 1: All schools participating in the School Breakfast and/or National School Lunch program(s) must also comply with any federal rules or regulations regarding competitive food service or the service of Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value, as defined by USDA. Schools that participate in these federal programs must prohibit the sale of foods in the categories of minimal nutritional value in food service areas during designated meal periods.

NOTE 2: The requirement for healthy beverages applies to contracts with vendors entered into or renewed by the school district on or after July 1, 2009.

NOTE 3: The State Board of Education's healthy beverages rules provide, "To the greatest extent possible beverage products should be Colorado produced products." 1 CCR 301-79, Rule 3.0

Adopted: July 1, 2009

Revised: February 10, 2014

LEGAL REFS.:  C.R.S.  22-32-134.5 (healthy beverage requirement)

1 CCR 301-79 (State Board of Education – healthy beverages rules)