Manchester School District Policy

WELLNESS AND NUTRITION POLICY

The Manchester School District is committed to creating a healthy school environment that enhances the development of lifelong wellness practices, promotes healthy eating and physical activities that support student achievement, and complies with federal mandates regulating school food and nutrition.

Nutrition Education Goal

Nutrition education shall:

Nutrition Standards

The district shall ensure that:

Physical Education and Physical Activity Opportunities

The district shall offer physical education opportunities that:

Other School-Based Activities Designed To Promote Wellness

The district may implement other appropriate programs that help create school environments that promote wellness and are conducive to healthy eating and physical activity.

Implementation and Measurement

The district shall implement this policy and measure how well it is being managed and enforced. The district shall develop and implement administrative rules consistent with the intention to offer healthy choices to students. Input from teachers (including specialists in health and special education), school nurses, parents/guardians, students, representatives of the school food service program, school board members, school administrators, and the public shall be considered before implementing such rules.

To find out if the snack you choose meets the school district nutrition guidelines, check the snack calculator on one of the links below.

Food Fat Calculator

MSD Nutrition Guidelines for School Vending & A La Carte Foods

USDA Database for Added Sugars

Sources

Title 7-United States Department of Agriculture, Chapter II - Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, Part 210 - National School Lunch Program.

Federal law Section 204 of Public Law 108-265 requires including goals for physical activity. Physical education, while recommended, is not required.

References
NHSBA Code JCLF
NHRSA 189:11-a
Section 204 of Public Law 108-265, Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004

Manchester School District Nutrition Guidelines for School Vending & A La Carte Foods

A sub-group of the School Health Advisory Committee, the Wellness Policy Subcommittee was formed for the purpose of developing recommendations that would assist schools in setting nutrition guidelines for foods offered in school vending machines, as a la carte items in the cafeteria, and in school stores. Fortunately, due to the heightened awareness for improving school nutrition, we were able to draw from a variety of resources and build upon the work of others. We would like to sincerely thank all the professionals who helped us develop this final draft Guidelines Document.

Introduction

The school foodservice program is required to meet federal nutrition standards for breakfast and lunch meals. Competitive school foods or foods that are offered outside of the Federal School Meal Program are found in schools stores, vending machines, as part of school fundraisers and on the a la carte line in the school cafeteria. Often competitive school food offerings have little nutritional value, are high in fat and sugar, and take the place of the more nutritionally balanced meals that are offered to students through the Federal School Meals Program.

The purpose of this document is to help parents, school improvement teams, school nutrition committees or councils, and school administrators set nutrition guidelines for competitive foods by providing a list of recommendations and the supporting rationale.

Students' lifelong habits are greatly influenced by the types of foods and beverages available to them. Schools must ensure that reimbursable meals meet the program requirements and nutrition standards set forth under the 7 CFR Part 210 and Part 220. They must address all foods and beverages sold or served to students, including those available outside of the school meal programs.

School Meals

Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:

• Meet nutrition requirements established by local, state, and federal regulations
• Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables; Fruits and vegetables should be fresh whenever possible. Frozen or canned fruits should be packed in natural juices, water, or light syrup
• Ensure that half of grains served are whole grain
• Serve foods that will have no more than 30% of total calories (35% for vending/ a la carte snacks) from fat and no more than 10% of total calories from saturated and trans fat
• Serve mostly low fat (1%) and fat free milk and nondairy equivalents defined by USDA; serve 2% milk as an optional in schools that are requesting it
• Bake items such as French fries or other frozen potatoes instead of frying; offer these potatoes that have been previously fried, flash fried or deep fried on a limited basis
• Not serve food items that contain more than 28 grams of fat or more per serving more than twice per week; goal will be 23 grams or less for 2006-2007 school year

School Food Services shall request trans fat information beginning 2006-2007 school year for all items; beginning 2007-2008 school year shall reduce the purchase of items containing trans fats.

Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV) Policy

School Campuses may not serve or provide access to foods of minimal nutritional value and all other forms of candy at any time anywhere on school premises until the end of the last scheduled class. FMNV are also prohibited in the food service area during meal times. Restricted foods include carbonated beverage, water ices, chewing gum, hard candy, jellies (such as jellybeans or fruit flavored jellied slices), marshmallow candies, licorice, spun candy, and candy coated popcorn. School nurses are exempt from this policy when using FMNV during the course of providing health care to students.

Nutrition Standards Component (PDF) taken from NH Healthy Schools Coalition's Local Wellness Policy Toolkit, Rhode Island Wellness Policy, Philadelphia's Comprehensive School Policy, NANA, and Texas Public School Nutrition Policy.