USDA recently published practical, science-based nutrition standards for snack foods and beverages sold to children at school during the school day. The standards, required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, will allow schools to offer healthier snack foods to children, while limiting junk food.

The health of today’s school environment continues to improve. Students across the country are now offered healthier school lunches with more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The Smart Snacks in School standards will build on those healthy advancements and ensure that kids are only offered tasty and nutritious foods during the school day.

Smart Snacks in School also support efforts by school food service staff, school administrators, teachers, parents and the school community, all working hard to instill healthy habits in students.

Nutrition Standards for Foods

 Any food sold in schools 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 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).*

Fat limits:

Total fat: ≤35% of calories

Saturated fat: < 10% of calories

Trans-fat: zero grams

Sugar limit: 

≤ 35% of weight from total sugars in foods

*On July 1, 2016, foods may not qualify using the 10% DV criteria. **On July 1, 2016, snack items must contain ≤ 200 mg sodium per item

Calorie limits: 

Snack items: ≤ 200 calories

Entrée items: ≤ 350 calories

Sodium limits: 

Snack items: ≤ 230 mg**

Entrée items: ≤ 480 mg

Nutrition 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.
• Beyond this, the standards allow additional “no calorie” and “lower calorie” beverage options for high school students.
• Elementary schools may sell up to 8-ounce portions, while middle schools and high schools may sell up to 12-ounce portions of milk and juice. There is no portion size limit for plain water.
• 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
  • Beverages with ≤ 40 calories per 8 fluid ounces, or ≤ 60 calories per 12 fluid ounces.

Other Requirments

Fundraisers

• The sale of food items that meet nutrition requirements at fundraisers are not limited in any way under the standards.
• 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. State agencies may determine the frequency with which fundraising activities take place that allow the sale of food and beverage items that do not meet the nutrition standards.

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 by accompaniments, which can be significant.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement (English)

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, ​from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation.

The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 

(2) fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or (3)

(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Declaración de no discriminación del USDA (Espanol)

De acuerdo con la ley federal de derechos civiles y las regulaciones y políticas de derechos civiles del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA), esta institución tiene prohibido discriminar por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo (incluida la identidad de género y la orientación sexual), discapacidad, edad o represalias o represalias por actividades anteriores de derechos civiles. La información del programa puede estar disponible en idiomas distintos del inglés. Las personas con discapacidades que requieren medios alternativos de comunicación para obtener información del programa (p. ej., Braille, letra grande, cinta de audio, lenguaje de señas americano), deben comunicarse con la agencia estatal o local responsable que administra el programa o el Centro TARGET del USDA al (202) 720-2600 (voz y TTY) o comunicarse con el USDA a través del Servicio Federal de Retransmisión al (800) 877-8339. Para presentar una queja por discriminación en el programa, un demandante debe completar un Formulario AD-3027, Formulario de queja de discriminación del programa del USDA que se puede obtener en línea en: USDA Forma de Denuncias de Programa de Discriminación, en cualquier oficina del USDA, llamando al (866) 632-9992, o escribiendo una carta dirigida al USDA. La carta debe contener el nombre, la dirección, el número de teléfono y una descripción escrita de la presunta acción discriminatoria del demandante con suficiente detalle para informar al Secretario Adjunto de Derechos Civiles (ASCR) sobre la naturaleza y la fecha de una presunta violación de los derechos civiles.

El formulario o carta AD-3027 completo debe enviarse al USDA por:

(1) correo: Oficina del Secretario Adjunto de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20250-9410; o

(2) fax: (833) 256-1665 o (202) 690-7442; o

(3) correo electrónico: program.intake@usda.gov 

Esta institución es un proveedor de igualdad de oportunidades.