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Smart Snacks in School

We are focused on the health of our school environment. Our school district has established nutrition standards for all snacks sold in school by any entity, including parent/student organizations, teachers, boosters, fundraisers, or the food and nutrition services department. These standards for snack sales apply from any time before school through 30 minutes after school, in accordance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, the USDA, and our district Wellness Policy. Non-compliant foods may be sold from 1/2 hour after school through the end of the day. These standards carefully balance science-based nutrition guidelines with practical and flexible solutions to promote healthier eating on campus. 

Healthy Snack Calculators

Is Your Snack a Smart Snack? 
Use the Smart Snacks Product Calculator, developed by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, to take the guesswork out of nutrition guidelines! Simply enter the product information, answer a few questions, and determine whether your snack, side, or entree item meets the new USDA Smart Snacks in School Guidelines.

Healthy Snacks Calculator

Kids often need snacks to help them get enough calories (ENERGY) throughout the day. Choosing healthy snacks that provide nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, is essential. Smart snacking is a great way to meet daily nutrient requirements that may be missed at meal times.

Students in our district are offered healthier school meals with more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. The USDA Smart Snacks in School standards will build on those healthy advancements by ensuring that all other snack foods and beverages available for sale to students in school are both tasty and nutritious.

Nutrition Standards for Foods

Any food sold in school must:

  • Be a “whole grain-rich” 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 vegetables; 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)

Healthy Dairy Snack Ideas

  • String Cheese and Fruit
  • Low fat or nonfat Milk or Yogurt Smoothies with 100% fruit juice and sliced bananas or strawberries
  • Cottage Cheese or Yogurt with fruit (fresh or canned)
  • Fat-Free or 1% White, Chocolate or Flavored Milk

Healthy Fruit and Veggie Snack Ideas

  • Raw Vegetables with low-fat yogurt dip, cottage cheese or humus
    • Baby Carrots
    • Celery Sticks
    • Cucumber Slices
  • Apples and cheese - pears and other fruits are good too!
  • Frozen fruit bars
  • Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit
  • 100% Fruit Juice box

Healthy Grain Snack Ideas

  • Whole-grain crackers with cheese or peanut butter
  • Whole-grain cereal with milk
  • Flavored rice cakes (like caramel or apple cinnamon) with peanut butter
  • Baked potato chips, or tortilla chips with salsa
  • Popcorn - Air popped or low-fat microwave
  • Pretzel sticks and a glass of milk
  • Vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, graham crackers, animal crackers, fig bar or raisins, and a glass of milk

Foods must also meet several nutrient requirements:

Calorie limits

  • Snack items: ≤ 200 calories
  • Entrée items: ≤ 350 calories

Sodium limits

  • Snack items: ≤ 230 mg
  • Entrée items: ≤ 480 mg

Fat limits

  • Total fat: ≤ 35% of calories
  • Saturated fat: ≤ 10% of calories
  • Trans fat: zero grams

Sugar limit

  • ≤ 35% of the weight from total sugars in foods

Accompaniments

Accompaniments such as cream cheese, salad dressing, and butter must be included in the nutrient profile for the food item sold. This helps control the amount of calories, fat, sugar, and sodium added to foods.

Nutrient Standards for Beverages

All schools may sell:

  • Plain water (with or without carbonation)
  • Unflavored low-fat milk
  • Unflavored or flavored fat-free milk and milk alternatives permitted by NSLP/SBP
  • 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 8-ounce portions, while middle and high schools may sell up to 12-ounce portions of milk and juice. There is no portion size limit for plain water.

Additionally, the standards permit “no-calorie” and “lower-calorie” beverage options for high school students.

  • No more than 20-ounce portions of calorie-free, 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 12-ounce portions of beverage with ≤ 40 calories per 8 fluid ounces, or ≤ 60 calories per 12 fluid ounces. Healthy Fundraisers
  • Food items that meet nutrition standards are not limited
  • The standards do not apply during non-school hours, on weekends, and at off-campus fundraising events
  • The standards provide a special exemption for infrequent fundraisers that do not meet the nutrition standards. Each State agency is responsible for establishing the number of exempt fundraisers that may be held in schools each year.