Back to School with Smart Snacks

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Bag the Junk brings a easy guide to being prepared for the new snack changes that start this 2014-15 school year.

Good News – Healthier Rules for School Snack Food are Now in Place and We’ve Got the skinny on How They Can Work for You and Your Students!

The USDA “Smart Snacks” rule applies to all foods sold for consumption at school that are not part of the national school breakfast and lunch programs (vending machines, a la carte items, school stores, fundraisers, etc.).  Using the resources below can make changing your school’s food environment as easy as eating an apple.

Top 5 Resources to help you prepare for new Smart Snacks rules:

1. Find Smart Snacks guidelines HERE. 
2. Find complete USDA Smart Snacks materials HERE.
3. To know whether a particular food item is eligible, use this product calculator!
4. Share the importance of Smart Snacks with colleagues, administration and parents! Use this policy brief to help spread the information.
5. Planning fundraisers? Make them healthy with these ideas: HERE and HERE.

Other back-to-school steps:

• Communicate with parents your classroom expectations for snacks and celebrations. Here are a few templates to get you started. You can use this Letter to Parents and this Overview of Healthy School Celebrations
• Plan healthy classroom rewards with these ideas:
  • Constructive Classroom Rewards
  • Ideas for Rewards 
  • Student Rewards that Aren’t Junk Food

Read more here!