Taking Action: A Healthy Vending Strategy

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Taking Action A Healthy Vending Strategy

• Tracy A. Fox, MPH, RD
• Patricia B. ONeill
• Kathleen C. Lazor, MA, RD

School Nutrition Association - Annual National
Conference July 20, 2005
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A Healthy Vending StrategyOverview

• Brief history of vending accomplishments
• Board of Education perspective Montgomery County
  Public Schools profile
• Role of Food and Nutrition Services
• Keys to success next steps

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Healthy Vending StrategyBrief History

• WHY CARE?
• Health concerns/obesity epidemic/press
• Role of schools in contributing to/helping
  prevent unhealthy habits
• Academic rigor pushing health PE out of
  curriculum

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Healthy VendingBroad Based Support

• Teachers/parents overwhelmingly support healthy
  vending choices
• Over 90 parents teachers favor converting
  vending to healthy choices
• Close to 85 oppose soft drinks and junk food in
  available in elementary schools
• RWJF, Active Living Healthy Schools for Healthy
  Kids survey

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Healthy VendingState Initiatives Impact Locals

• MD State bills over 4 years helped raise
  awareness
• Highlighted the problem
• Helped create and strengthen coalitions at local
  level

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Healthy VendingLocals Take Action

• Parents, teachers, health/community activists
  advocated for vending changes
• Met with officials, testified at BOE meetings,
  sent letters/e-mails, spoke at PTA meetings,
  local cable TV shows, letters to editor,
  community newspaper articles
• Was Anybody Listening??

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Healthy VendingLeaders Take Action

• County Councilman makes childhood obesity a
  priority
• Community forum draws hundreds to learn about
  problem/develop strategies
• BOE members take action/pass resolutions
• Banning soda during day
• Creating vending study group to look at standards

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Healthy VendingStandards Developed/Adopted

• Study group standards developed
• Adopted by Superintendent
• Apply to all vended items, a la carte, school
  stores, school-sponsored fundraising
• Implemented 2004-2005 SY

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Montgomery County Public Schools
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MCPS at a Glance

• Total Enrollment 139,203 in 200405
• MCPS is the 17th largest school system in the
  U.S.
• 192 Schools
• 19,951 Full-time Employees
• FY 2005 Budget of 1.6 Billion

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MCPS Enrollment Growth Nearly 50,000 Since 1983

African American, Asian American, Hispanic
Populations Increase
MCPS Enrollment by Racial/Ethnic Group, 1970
2004
19.4 HISPANIC
14.4 ASIAN AMERICAN
22.6 AFRICAN AMERICAN
43.3 WHITE
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Student Enrollment in 2004

• Eligible for
• Free/Reduced Meals 31,518
• Special Education 17,013
• International 4,665
• ESOL 12,200

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Board of Education Action

• Resolved, That the superintendent convene a work
  group of stakeholders, to include principals,
  parents, students, PTA representatives, and
  health/nutrition professionals, to review a
  sampling of existing MCPS school contracts for
  vending machines to compile a listing of options
  of nutritious beverages suitable for sale through
  vending machines and, at the completion of the
  pilot, to submit a written report to the
  superintendent and Board, including
  recommendations on how to expand the sale of
  water and nutritious low-calorie/low-sugar
  beverages, with the goal of eventually
  eliminating the sale of all non-nutritious
  beverages.

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Board of Education Action

• Resolved, That the Board of Education direct the
  superintendent of schools to have high school
  vending machines that currently sell foods and
  beverages deemed to be minimally nutritious
  extend the time they are off from midnight
  through the end of the school day and be it
  further
• Resolved, That the Board of Education expand the
  charge to the vending machine work group to
  review the types of snacks available through
  vending machines.

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Developing Nutrition Standards

• BOE passed resolutions in October and December,
  2003
• Work group was convened in November 2003 and met
  five times through January 2004
• Nutrition recommendations made to the BOE in
  March 2004 and approved
• Nutrition standards in place for 2004-2005 school
  year.

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Guiding Students to Make Healthy Choices

• Helps growth and development
• Helps prevent childhood health problems
• Helps prevent childhood obesity
• Helps decrease the risk of developing chronic
  diseases

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Staying in the Forefront

• Nutrient Standard Menu Planning option
• Central Production Facility consistent
  nutritional content
• Accessible nutrition information
• Ingredient and preparation modification
• A la Carte/snack guidelines
• Support the nutrition curriculum taught in the
  classroom
• Importance of making wise food choices

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What About the Other Foods Sold?

• Ala Carte Foods
• 2002-2003 School Year
• 50 calories from fat
• Donuts will not be offered in middle schools
• 2003-2004 School Year
• 30 of the calories from fat
• Donuts will not be offered in schools
• Vending pilot in 5 high schools and 2 middle
  schools

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What About the Other Foods Sold?

• 2004-2005 School Year
• Very specific nutritional standards that apply to
  ala carte, vending machines, school stores and
  fundraising

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Nutritional Standards

• Beverages
• Container size not to exceed 16 ounces except for
  unflavored water
• Flavored, noncarbonated water
• Fruit beverages with a minimum of 50 fruit juice
• Sports drinks to be available in the physical
  education area only
• Middle and high schools will resume milk vending

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Nutritional Standards

• Snacks
• Per single serving as stated on the label
• 7 grams or less of fat (except for seeds and
  nuts)
• 2 grams or less of saturated fat
• 15 grams or less of sugar (except fresh/dried
  fruits)

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Getting Our Message Out

• Menus
• Web site
• Back to School Night
• Bulletin articles
• Press releases
• Classroom visits
• Interviews for school newspapers
• MCPS TV

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Encouraging Community Involvement

• Team Nutrition activities
• Agricultural fair booth
• School fairs
• 5-A-Day Campaign to promote fruit and vegetable
  consumption
• Action for Healthy Kids--Maryland
• School Health Council

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Next Steps

• Wellness Policy
• Collaborative process with
• Food Nutrition Services
• Health and Physical Education
• Board of Education
• Students
• Parents

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Healthy VendingKeys to Success

• Legislative efforts
• even failures, spur change
• Community advocacy
• County leaders involvement
• Successful vending initiatives from other
  communities
• Consensus building

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Healthy VendingNext Steps

• School Wellness Policies
• Evaluate results
• Expand healthy food options fundraising rewards
• Nutrition Education - better integration within
  curriculum