Smart Snacks

Smart snack

Escondido School District Nutrition Services focuses on the health of our school environment through the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, the USDA, and our Wellness Policy. 

We have established nutritional standards for all snacks sold on school campuses, including parent/student organizations, teachers, boosters, fundraisers, or the food and nutrition services department. 

These standards will affect any time before school through 30 minutes after school, meaning that 30 minutes after the last bell rings, non-Smart Snack-compliant foods can be on the school campuses. These standards carefully balance science-based nutrition guidelines with practical and flexible solutions to promote healthier eating on campus. 

Standards for Elementary Schools

Any food sold in school must:

  • Be a “whole grain-rich” grain product or

  • Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food or

  • Be a combination food that contains at least ¼ cup of fruit and vegetables or

  • Contain 10% of the Daily Value (DV) of one of the nutrients of public health concern in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or dietary fiber)

Foods must also meet several nutrient requirements:

Calorie limits

  • Snack items - Elementary Schools: ≤ 175 calories

  • Snack items - Middle & High Schools: ≤ 200 calories

  • Entrée items: ≤ 350 calories

Sodium limits

  • Snack items: ≤ 200 mg

  • Entrée items: ≤ 480 mg

Fat limits

  • Total fat: ≤ 35% of calories

  • Saturated fat: ≤ 10% of calories

  • Trans fat: zero grams

Sugar limit ≤ 35% of weight from total sugars in foods

Accompaniments

  • Accompaniments such as cream cheese, salad dressing, and butter must be included in the nutrient profile as part of the food item sold. This helps control the calories, fat, sugar, and sodium added to foods.

Standards for Middle Schools 

All schools may sell:

  • Plain water (with or without carbonation)

  • Unflavored low-fat milk

  • Unflavored or flavored fat-free milk and milk alternatives permitted by NSLP/SBP

  • 100% fruit or vegetable juice, and 100% fruit or vegetable juice diluted with water (with or without carbonation) and no added sweeteners

Elementary schools may sell up to 8-ounce portions, while middle and high schools may sell up to 12-ounce portions of milk and juice. There is no portion size limit for plain water.

Beyond this, the standards allow additional “no calorie” and “lower calorie” beverage options for high school students.

  • No more than 20-ounce portions of calorie-free, flavored water (with or without carbonation) and other flavored and carbonated beverages that are labeled to contain < 5 calories per 8 fluid ounces or ≤ 10 calories per 20 fluid ounces.

  • No more than 12-ounce portions of beverage with ≤ 40 calories per 8 fluid ounces or ≤ 60 calories per 12 fluid ounces. Healthy Fundraisers

  • Food items that meet nutrition standards are not limited.

  • The standards do not apply during non-school hours, weekends, or off-campus fundraising events.

  • The standards provide a special exemption for infrequent fundraisers not meeting the nutrition standards. Each State agency is responsible for establishing the number of annual exempt fundraisers held in schools.