Healthier US School Challenge

1. HealthierUS SchoolChallenge Recognizing School Nutrition and Wellness Excellence

2. HealthierUS School Challenge Part of our commitment to School Wellness and a Healthy School Environment

3. Building Healthy Students Family School Community

4. Healthy School Environment • Quality school meals • Other healthy food options • Pleasant eating experiences • Nutrition education • Physical activity • Physical education • Staff wellness

5. HealthierUS School Challenge Recognize a school’s commitment to: • Taking a leadership role in school wellness • Improving nutritional quality of meals • Providing other healthful food and beverage choices • Providing nutrition education and physical education and physical activity

6. HealthierUS School Challenge • WHY should our school apply? • HOW does the program work? • WHAT do we need to do? • WHAT are the criteria? • WHO needs to be involved? • HOW can you help?

7. Why should our school apply? • Opportunity to share our commitment to healthy students and healthy schools • Opportunity to correct misperceptions about the quality of our school meals • Opportunity to share good news about school nutrition with our community

8. How does the program work? • Voluntary program from USDA • Schools must meet or exceed criteria • Schools can apply for Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Gold Award of Distinction certification • Certification applies for two years beyond the date of recognition

9. What do we need to do? • Convene review panel. • Complete application with documentation and required signatures. • Submit completed application to state child nutrition agency. • Answer any questions and provide additional documentation as requested by state agency and regional USDA office. • Wait for approval and certification.

10. What are the basic criteria? • Be an elementary school • Be enrolled as a Team Nutrition School • Offer reimbursable lunches that demonstrate healthy menu planning practices and meet USDA nutrition standards • Provide students with nutrition education, physical education and physical activity • Maintain required levels of Average Daily Participation (ADP) in school lunch program • Follow guidelines established by USDA for foods served and sold in schools outside the National School Lunch Program

11. What are the BRONZE criteria?School Lunch Menu • ADP in school lunch minimum of 62 % • A different fruit and a different vegetable daily • Dark green/orange vegetable 3 or more days/week • Cooked dry beans or peas at least 1 day/week • Fresh fruit at least once per week • Whole-grain food 3 or more days/week • Only low-fat or non-fat milk is offered daily

12. What are the BRONZE criteria?Competitive Foods • In addition to school lunch criteria competitive foods (a la carte, vending, snack bar, school stores) must meet the following criteria: • ≤ 35% of calories from fat, (excluding nuts, seeds, nut butters, reduced-fat cheese) • Less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving (trans fat-free) • ≤ 10% of calories from saturated fat (excluding reduced fat cheese) • ≤ 480 mg sodium per side dish/non-entrée serving • ≤ 600 mg per main dish/entrée serving • ≤35% total sugar, by weight (excluding fruits, vegetables, milk) • A la carte portion size not to exceed school lunch portion size or 200 calories

13. What are the BRONZE criteria?Competitive Foods (cont.) • In addition to school lunch criteria competitive foods (a la carte, vending, snack bar, school stores) must meet the following criteria: • Beverages • Reduced-fat, low-fat, or non-fat milk (maximum 8 fl oz) • 100% full-strength fruit and vegetable juices (maximum 6 fl oz) • Plain water as the only beverages

14. What are the BRONZE criteria? Physical Education and Activity (cont.) • Physical education classes • Minimum average 45 minutes per week • Daily opportunities for physical activity • Reinforcing physical education messages

15. What are the SILVER criteria? • ADP in School Lunch of at least 70 % • Plus all the same criteria listed under Bronze for school lunch and competitive foods

16. What are the GOLD criteria? • ADP in school lunch of at least 70 percent • All the same criteria listed under Bronze/Silver for School Lunch and Competitive Foods • PLUS offers lunches with: • A fresh fruit 2 days/week minimum • A whole-grain food each day • PLUS follows USDA nutrition standards about competitive foods throughout the school day, anywhere on the school campus • PLUS offers PE classes 90 minutes per week

17. What are the criteria for GOLD AWARD OF DISTINCTION? • ADP in School Lunch of at least 70 % • All the same criteria listed under Gold for school lunch, competitive foods, and physical education/activity • PLUS restricts competitive foods to: • ≤ 200 mg sodium per non-entrée • ≤ 480 mg sodium per entrée • PLUS offers PE classes 150 minutes per week

18. Who needs to be involved? A school-based review panel of at least: • School foodservice manager and district-level foodservice director • Team Nutrition School Leader • Parent organization representative (e.g, PTA/PTO) • School nurse, Coordinated School Health staff, physical education or classroom teacher • Principal or other administrator

19. HOW can YOU help? • Join our review team. • Provide documentation of nutrition education and physical activity for students. • Help us celebrate!!

20. THANK YOU