EFEA, Nutritious Foods and Beverages Choices
EFEA, Nutritious Foods and Beverages Choices
At every possible eating occasion, students will have opportunities to practice what they are taught in nutrition education and choose nutritious snacks that are low in fat, sodium and added sugars.
Schools are encouraged to take steps to ensure:
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Nutritious foods are always available as an affordable option whenever food is served or sold;
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students have limited opportunities to eat snacks, beverages or other foods high in fat, sodium or added sugars; and
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competition with nutritious meals served by the school food service program is minimized.
The emphasis on healthy nutrition choices applies to:
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A la carte items (separate food/beverage choices) offered by the food service program;
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“competitive foods” which are snacks and beverages sold from vending machines, school stores and fund-raising activities that compete with the food service program; and
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Refreshments that are available at school parties, celebrations, and meetings.
Each beverage or snack offered for sale to students from any source, including the school cafeteria, vending machines, school stores, and fund-raising activities conducted on school grounds, shall satisfy the minimum nutritional standards for beverages or snacks adopted by the State Board of Education or USDA Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act. This applies to beverages and snacks sold on campus during the regular school day and time spent by students after the school’s regular hours of operation for any purpose, including participation in child care programs or extracurricular activities. School related events where parents and other adults are a significant part of an audience are exempt from these rules. Such activities include, but are not limited to, selling beverages as boosters at events such as interscholastic sporting events, school plays and band concerts.
Adopted April 8, 2009
Legal Reference
- C.R.S. 22-32-134.5 (healthy beverage requirement)