Food for Thought

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Texas Public School Nutrition Policy
Q A
Texas Department of Agriculture
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Food for Thought

• U.S. school children are
• facing a deadly epidemic
• Obesity is the fastest growing cause of illness
  and death, killing one American every 90 seconds
  
• Obesity in U.S. children has doubled in the past
  20 years

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Why do we need a nutrition policy?

• Childhood obesity and other diet-related
• diseases are increasing at alarming rates
• More than 35 of Texas schoolchildren are
• considered overweight or obese
• Prevalence is significantly higher than
  the nation as a whole
  
• The estimated cost of adult overweight and
  obesity in Texas was 10.2 billion in 2001
  

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What are the Health Risks?

• Long-term health problems
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• Hypertension
• High blood pressure
• Gallbladder disease
• Asthma
• Certain cancers

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Why do we need to change?

• Its time to make some changes
• 26,000 to 39,000 vending machines are
• being operated in Texas schools
• About 104 million in revenues are being diverted
  from cafeteria sales
  
• 60 million in cafeteria sales lost to other
  competitive food sales
  
• We need to help our students make better choices

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What are competitive foods?

• Competitive foods
• Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV)
• A la Carte

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What are the definitions?

• Food Service
• Fried Foods
• Fruit or Vegetable Drink
• Fruit or Vegetable Juice
• School Day
• School Meals
• Snacks
• Trans Fats

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What are the guidelines for Elementary School?

• No Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV) or
  candy at any time.
  
• No competitive foods at any time.
• French fries and other fried potato products
• Not to exceed 3 ounces per serving
• May only be served once a week
• Students may only purchase one
• serving at a time.
• Baked Potato products.

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What are the guidelines for Middle School and
Junior Highs?

• No FMNVs or candy until
• after last lunch period.
• No competitive foods during
• meal times.
• French fries and other fried potato products
• May not exceed 3 ounces per serving
• May only be served three times a week
• Students may only purchase one serving at a time

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What are the guidelines for High Schools?

• No FMNVs during meal times in areas where
  reimbursable meals are served and/or consumed.
  
• No competitive foods during meal times in areas
  where reimbursable meals are served and/or
  consumed.
  
• New exclusive beverage and snack contracts
  starting March 3, 2004 and contract renewals must
  expressly prohibit the sale of sugared,
  carbonated beverages in containers larger than 12
  ounces.

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High Schools continued..

• By the 2005-06 school year, the goal is to have
  no more than 30 percent of the beverages
  available in vending machines be sugared,
  carbonated soft drinks.
• French fries
• May not exceed 3 ounces per serving
• Students may only purchase one serving at a time.
  
  
• Baked Potato products.

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What guidelines are For All Grade Levels?

• Eliminate deep-fat frying as method of on-site
  preparation
  
• Flash-fried foods should be baked
• Portion size restrictions on chips, certain
  snacks and sweets,
  
• milk and fruit drinks
• Limits on fats and sugar per serving
• -Limit food items containing 28 grams
  of fat per serving to twice per week

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All Grade Levels continued

• Fruits and vegetables should be offered daily on
  all points of service- fresh when possible
  packed in natural juice, water, or light syrup
  
• Must offer 2 percent, 1 percent or skim milk at
  all points where milk is served
  
• Flavored milk-limit 30 grams of sugar per 8 oz
  serving
  

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What about the Trans-fats?

• 2005-06 include a request for trans fat
  information in all product specifications
  
• 2007-08 reduce the purchase of any products
  containing trans fats.
  
• 
  
  

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What are the nutrient standards?
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Are there any Exemptions?

• School Nurses
• Accommodating Students with Special Needs
• School events-3 events per year
• TAKS Test Days
• Instructional Use of Food in Classroom
• Field Trips
• Athletic, UIL, Band and Other Competitions
• Plain water and 100 fruit or vegetable juice
  (water- no portion restriction Juices must be
  12oz.)

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How can a Healthy Nutrition Environment be
Created?

• Access to daily meals in a healthy environment
• Adequate time
• 10 minutes for breakfast
• 20 minutes for lunch
• PE or recess before lunch when possible

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Are there any penalties for not complying?

• Enforcer-TDA
• Penalties for violations
• -Meal reimbursement disallowed for day violation
  is noted
  
• -School required to reimburse food service
  account for lost reimbursement
  
• -Documented corrective action plan required

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What about Exclusive Beverage Contracts

• If foodservice is NOT included in the contract,
  then there are no Federal Child Nutrition Program
  procurement issues.
  
• If foodservice is included in the contract, then
  they are required to receive a pro-rata share of
  the funds.