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BICSF — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:13:38 CST

New Year, New Resolve

BICSF has been fairly quiet over the last few months, but the desire to improve the nutrition provided to our children at school continues. We'd like to thank the ICCSD for some great improvements that they have made to the school lunch system, and to urge them to continue in this direction, making Iowa City a model of excellence for other school districts.

News

The ICCSD wellness committee met on Tuesday, January 20th. They discussed the feeback they received from teachers on the Wellness Policy, the changes that have been made so far and where to go from here. Here are a few of the highlights.

1. The ICCSD supports the work of the Wellness committee and encourages the members to continue with it. However, they've also made it clear that there's no money available for making further changes to the lunch system. They have also signalled some reluctance in pursuing two other issues of interest to committee members - the problem of teachers using food and treats as rewards and incentives, and the issue of rescheduling recess so that it is before lunch.
2. The committee discussed the feedback received from teachers. They received approximately 20 responses out of almost 1000 teachers across the district. The comments were generally positive, although there were a few comments indicating opposition to any policy "dictating" how teachers use food in the classroom and suggestions that the committee focus instead on "teaching healthy choices."
3. The committee agreed that they need to identify one or two concrete issues or recommendations and focus on implementing these. They did not agree on what those should be.
4. There appeared to be some agreement that food services had made a significant number of changes to the school lunch system already - e.g. including more whole grains and fresh fruits and veg - and pressure should be eased on them for the moment while attention turns elsewhere.
5. Committee members emphasized that pressure from parents is often the most effective way to get change implemented and I suggested that, once the members decided on their next step we would organize our members to rally behind it.

If you have any thoughts about what you'd like this group to do next, please post them on the discussion board under the thread "What's next?" Let's all think for a while and talk and then figure out our next step.

The School Milk Campaign!

Foodandwaterwatch.org are currently working to get rBGH milk out of Iowa City schools - an issue that many of you have expressed concern about. Schools are currently obliged by federal law to buy the cheapest milk available - most of which has rBGH. Foodandwaterwatch.org are trying to get the law changed so that school districts and food directors have the option to purchase better quality dairy products, including organic or hormone free milk. You can sign the petition on-line here. For more information, contact Caitlin Seeley, cseeley@fwwatch.org, 319-354-8116, ext. 115

Sheri Reed/ todayispretty.wordpress.com

Two recently published fact sheets from the Center for Science in the Public Interest! Share them with schools, administrators, teachers, principals friends and parents

School Funding Myths, a recent publication from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, dispells some myths about the cost of reforming school food....

The Federal School Nutrition Fact Sheet provides some alarming statistics about our children's health and calls for legislation to update the current USDA's school nutrition standards....

Survey: Iowa City students comment on school lunch!

Click here to see the results of a wonderful survey carried out by a junior high student here in Iowa City. Thanks Emily for all your hard work and for this wonderful contribution!

Join our wiki community!
We need you to help us create this site! Add and edit pages, add links, start discussions, post materials and information. It's easy - just log in and then click the "Easy Edit" button on any page. We're looking for more articles on the Scientific Research page, and more links to local organizations! Help us out! Be part of a movement which is changing the way we think about food!

Tell the federal government what you think!

The USDA has issued a request for public input in preparation for the 2009 Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Programs. Let them know what you'd like to see change in the school lunch program! You can submitted comments electronically here, or speak up in person at a public forum in Chicago on September 10th. This is a great opportunity to make your voice heard!

New Supporting Organization

Better Iowa City School Food is now affiliated with the Center for Science in the Public Interest's efforts to improve school food. See their website for more details and some great resources! And sign their petition in support of the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act!

The primary goal of Better Iowa City School Food is to publicise the work of the ICCSD Wellness Committee and get the Wellness policy recommendations for nutrition implemented (Appendix C). The main recommendations are as follows:

Food items served and sold in schools shall to the extent possible be prepared from fresh, locally grown or produced, and organic ingredients. Food service staff will design and actively pursue programs which make this possible, and if necessary recruit the support of local individuals and organizations. • Food items served and sold in schools shall reflect the cultural diversity of the student body and consideration of special dietary needs, and food preferences and practices. • Nutritious and appealing foods, such as fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy foods and low fat grain products, shall be available wherever and whenever food is sold or offered at school. • Schools should encourage the purchase of nutritious items by pricing healthy items at an affordable price.

Fact Sheets

BICSF — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:49:32 CDT

1. The USDA needs to update the School Nutrition Standards for school food sold outside of school lunch (competitive foods)! See the pdf attachment below for alarming statistics about our children's health, the kinds of competitive foods sold in schools and the reasons why things have to change.

2. Dispelling School Food Funding Myths (Scroll down for printable copy)
National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Myth: Schools will lose revenue if they sell healthier food.

Reality: Across the country, schools are switching to selling healthier foods and are not losing revenue. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “students will buy and consume healthful foods and beverages – and schools can make money from selling healthful options.” Their survey of 17 schools and school districts found that, after improving school foods, 12 schools and districts increased revenue and four reported no change. The food service department of the one school district that initially lost revenue later saw its revenues increase and surpass previous levels.

Also, in two pilot studies that evaluated the financial impact of switching to healthier school foods options, total revenues increased at the majority of schools because meal revenue increases exceeded any losses from the sale of foods and beverages outside of the meals.

Myth: Vending contracts are lucrative for schools.
Reality: While school vending contracts provide a discretionary source of funding for school administrators, they generate a modest amount of revenue per student per year for schools. One national study found that school vending contracts raise an average of just $18 per student per year for schools and/or school districts. That translates to less than one-quarter of one percent of the average cost of a student’s education.4, Another national study found that soft drink sales in schools raise a median of $0.70 per student per year in middle schools and $6.38 per student per year in high schools.

Also, the money comes out of the pockets of children, and schools typically get to keep only 33% (or less) of the funds.4 In Austin Independent School District, students spent $504,000 per year on products from school vending machines, but their schools received only $90,000 of the proceeds.

Myth: Revenue raised through school vending machines is “new” money.
Reality: School vending revenue appears to be largely a shift in funds from school food service to the vending account. The Texas Department of Agriculture estimates that Texas schools raise $54 million per year from vending sales, while the state’s school food service operations likely lose at least $60 million per year to the sale of foods sold outside of the meal programs. In effect, money from students (and their parents) is making up for the loss to schools of available federal reimbursements for school meals.

Myth: Selling junk food in schools makes financial sense for the community.
Reality: The money schools earn through vending machines is pocket change compared with the $117 billion the United States is spending each year to treat diseases attributable to poor diet and obesity.

References

Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and U.S. Department of Education. FNS-374, Making it Happen! School Nutrition Success Stories. Alexandria, VA, January 2005.
Wes Clark, personal communication, September 27, 2006.
Center for Weight and Health, University of California, Berkeley. Dollars and Sense: the Financial Impact of Selling Healthier School Foods. Berkeley, CA: UC.
CSPI. Raw Deal: School Beverage Contracts Less Lucrative Than They Seem. Washington, D.C.: CSPI, 2006.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education (DoEd). Current Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2003-2004. Washington, D.C.: DoEd, 2006.
Johnston L, Delva J, and O’Malley P. “Soft Drink Availability, Contracts, and Revenues in American Secondary Schools.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2007, vol. 33, pp. S209-S225.
Carey Dabney, personal communication, December 2, 2005.
Texas Department of Agriculture. School District Vending Contract Survey. Accessed on March 5, 2004 at <www.agr.state.tx.us/foodnutrition/survey/>.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. Rockville, MD: HHS, 2001.

Survey Results

BICSF — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:16:50 CDT

This survey was conducted by Emily Carpenter, Iowa City junior high student, in May 2--8.

1. Have you eaten the school lunch this year? (Circle One Yes 102 No 10 2. Do you think the school lunches are healthy? (Circle One) Yes 35 No 52 Other 26 3. Would you like to have different foods on the lunch menu? (Circle One) Yes 91 No 14 Other 7 4. Do you like the current school lunches? (Circle One) Yes 48 No 42 Other 22 5. Please check each of the following fruit(s) that you would like to have or keep in the school lunches:

83 apples 63 oranges 92 strawberries 65 bananas 52 pineapple 84 grapes 50 kiwi 54 raspberries 49 blueberries 37 tangerines 56 pears 50 peaches 44 mixed fruit

6. Please check each of the following vegetable(s) that you would like to have or keep in the school lunches:

79 corn 27 beans 35 peas 64 carrots 74 baked potatoes 80 mashed potatoes 39 broccoli 14 spinach 33 celery 40 sweet potatoes 34 tomatoes 41 cucumbers 31 peppers

7. Please check each of the following items that you would like to have improved in the school lunches:

57 tacos 58 spaghetti 80 better quality hot dogs 76 Mac & cheese 48 chicken nuggets 43 fish sandwiches 58 hamburgers 48 green eggs and ham

35 other- · 1 Fruit · 12 Pizza · 1 Omelet · 1 Beef Pattie · 3 Chicken teriyaki steak · 2 Chicken sandwich · 2 Chicken alfredo · 1 Fries · 2 Salad · 1 Chinese food 8. Would you be willing to pay more for organic food? Yes 64 No 49 9. Would you be willing to pay more for locally grown food? Yes 81 No 32 10. In the following table, please check in one of the boxes if you have not heard of it, if you have heard of, or if you can define the terms in the table:

Term	Not familiar	Heard of it	Know & can define this term
Trans Fats	4	77	29
High Fructose Corn Syrup	23	51	36
Organic Food	0	32	81
Locally Grown Food	2	15	92
BGH (Bovine Growth Hormone) milk	59	29	23

Please list suggestions to add to or improve the school lunches: 1. "It would be nice if you could look at the meat, and be able to tell if it's chicken or something else." 2. "It would be nice if the Mac & cheese didn't clump and taste powdery. 3. "It would be nice if some of the food smelled more appetizing, sometimes the smell alone makes people lose their appetites." 4. "School lunches suck and I could get better food at a jail for not paying." 5. "Wheat-free meals." 6. "Throw out expired foods – the school is trying to get more money by selling illegal foods. The only reason they would throw them out is if someone got sick and sued the school. And the whole thing about factory farms, that's not cool." 7. "Nothing" 8. "More choices and a lot healthier choices; more choices from ala cart." 9. "Keeping the food warmer." 10. "Make them healthier." 11. "More healthy choices." 12. "Just better quality food." 13. "I'm not sure." 14. "Fresher and warmer food." 15. "Well, for the Mac & cheese, the noodles are really mushy. My friends say that they don't get school lunch because it doesn't look good, so they just get a bagel or pizza." 16. "Better food." 17. "More chicken sandwiches and nuggets." 18. "More variety of healthy foods." 19. "Stop serving Bosco Stix!" 20. "Stop serving ice cream, (or make it have less fat.)" 21. "Better tasting." 22. "Healthier." 23. "Make the cheese on the pizzas better." 24. "Needs better quality meat." 25. "More choices." 26. "Less trans fat meats (clean meats)." 27. "They should be healthier and taste better." 28. "If we change the menu, can we keep the pizza?" 29. "Too many people touch the food." 30. "More healthy." 31. "More for less money." 32. "More variety." 33. "Using NON poisonous beef (if you recall our beef recall incident)." 34. "Getting organic/health food/more junk food for cheaper money." 35. "Cheaper pizza/more pizza." 36. "Cheaper, more affordable Fresh Food!" 37. "More supplies, better quality." 38. "Fresher salads, healthier choices." 39. "More beverages (juice)." 40. "More pizza kinds." 41. "Apple dippers." 42. "Pineapples with marshmallows…maybe?" 43. "Peas (not frozen though)." 44. "More time spent on cooking and prepping the school lunches." 45. "Make sure the chicken nuggets aren't soggy." 46. "To put regular Lays and Doritos in, not the baked ones." 47. "Fresher fruits, more variety, healthier choices." 48. "Bigger selections." 49. "Just better quality food." 50. "Only allow pizza every other day." 51. "Add more healthy food/fruits." 52. "Subway Sandwiches" 53. "Just order better food and not be so cheap." 54. "Take out some of the really dessert items. Have a variety of fruit instead of just one or two kinds." 55. "I think they should include a wide variety of main food selections. They should also have more fruits and possibly a toaster." 56. "They could be healthier and not as wet because sometimes the food is soggy and is really gross." 57. "Peanut butter sandwiches." 58. "Yogurt." 59. "Only supply food with natural ingredients." 60. "More choices and more food; they run out a lot." 61. "Better food." 62. "I would love to eat corn on the cob at school." 63. "More easy meals. Natural and something you can tell what's in it." 64. "More food – for example: more nuggets instead of only 2 or 4." 65. "Tacos" 66. "More salad" 67. "Get rid of fish." 68. "Make it a better quality. Have it cooked." 69. "Get hot dog buns." 70. "Make things fresh." 71. "Make it better." 72. "Don't leave things out for days – look gross." 73. "More variety." 74. "Lower prices for snacks – some are at a dollar and you can buy them at the store cheaper." 75. "Fresh veggies and fruit!!" 76. "New melted cheese – the melted cheese now has like a plastic cover." 77. "Make them look better." 78. "Are they cooked?" 79. "Taste like they were made in 10 minutes." 80. "Warmer, healthier, tastes more real, no hair in it." 81. "None" 82. "Healthy food, better food, good foods, lemonade." 83. "Make lunches healthier and tastier." 84. "Better food, bigger variety." 85. "Better/healthier food; organic fruit." 86. "Organic and locally grown foods." 87. "Let us get our own food besides letting us pick our own fruit." 88. "Take more time and actually make it not just heat up frozen food." 89. "I think that there should be more food on the menu from other countries." 90. "I think that there should be more food on the menu from other countries." 91. "Just better quality food, better cooked food, etc." 92. "Make the food cheaper." 93. "Healthier food." 94. "Different variety, different pizza." 95. "Better, healthier looking foods. More money." 96. "Have healthy food without it being grown with pesticides and stuff." 97. "Better & more healthier foods." 98. "Healthy: allow pizza less often; less on snack trays." 99. "Better: cook food better." 100. "Fresh food would be nice." 101. "Make own food, don't take leftovers from other schools." 102. "The hamburgers they have are pulled out of some liquids. I think it is grease or water before they are served to people and it is really gross." 103. "Better cooked food, better looking food."

The Scientific Research

BICSF — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:44:58 CDT

Dispelling School Food Funding Myths.
Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Changing School Environment Curbs Weight Gain in Children.
Pediatrics, April 2008.

Children with Healthier Diets Do Better in School.
Journal of School, April 2008

Kids Eat More Fruit and Vegetables When Schools Offer Salad Bars.
Public Health Nutrition, Dec. 2007

Children More Likely to Buy and Eat Fruit When Unhealthy Snacks Prohibited
British Medical Journal, May 2008.

Food Additives Linked to Hyperactivity in Children
The Lancet, Sept. 2007

Nutritional Education Improves Food Choices and Satisfaction
Journal of Child Nutrition and Management, July 2006

Food in the News

BICSF — Sat, 24 May 2008 07:56:26 CDT

Young Lives at Risk

Extensive coverage of childhood obesity, including several articles on school food issues. Washington Post, May 2008

Busy Students Get New Requirement: Lunch

New York Times, May 24, 2008

Parents Rallying Around Better School Lunch
Press-Citizen Report on the efforts of BICSF members! April 29th, 2008.

KWWL report on Iowa City petition

Des Moines Register
Iowa City Parents Push for Organic Food....

Tom Philpott on the School Lunch Crunch: Higher Food Prices Mean Crappier Cafeteria Fare for Kids
Grist Magazine, April 16th, 2008.

Wal-Mart Move 'TIpping Point' for Driving Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone off the Market
Giant food retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced that its store brand milk in the United States will now come exclusively from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones.

Innovative Reform Necessary in School Lunch Program

by Jennifer New. Iowa City Press-Citizen

OPINION | March 1, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor: My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables)
By JACK HEDIN
Ultimately, it is the consumer who will pay the greatest price if the federal government continues to prevent the local food movement from expanding.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_10359.cfm
USDA Recalls 143 Million Pounds of Beef Products Already Consumed by Schoolchildren

WEEK IN REVIEW | January 27, 2008
The World: Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler
By MARK BITTMAN
Got vegetables? The days of eating 200 pounds of meat a year may be on the way out.

MAGAZINE | August 20, 2006
The School-Lunch Test
By LISA BELKIN
Schools receiving federal lunch subsidies must now create wellness plans. But will replacing Tater Tots with sweet-potato fries really lead to healthier, slimmer children?

Local Carrots with a Side of Red Tape
NYTimes article about the odyssey of getting NY state apples into local schools

The Lunchroom Rebellion
Long article originally published in the New Yorker profiling Ann Cooper's work to change the Berkeley Unified School District's school lunch program. Build a Better Food System Nine Steps from Michael Pollan

Petition for implementing Wellness Policy

BICSF — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:53:55 CDT

This was the call that resulted in over 300 signatures on our petition to the Iowa City School board in April 2007. See news articles about this petition on our "Food in the News" page.

Call to Action!

We need action from parents, educators, administrators, students, community activists and local food producers to show the ICCSD that we support the Wellness Policy recommendations!

Click here to sign a petition showing your support for the Wellness Policy recommendations. It takes less than a minute!

We need to let policy makers and school board members know that we want fresh, nutritious, and, as much as possible, locally produced food in our schools.

There have been suggestions that the ICCSD may rewrite the recommendations, or discard some of them, because it's "too hard" to change the system. But it's not too hard - let them know that we have the energy, the commitment and the vision in this community to make these changes. Let's show our support for the work of the Wellness Committee. Sign the petition. Contact board members directly.

Support our farmers! Support good nutrition for our kids! Support our local economy!

Sign our petition, or send an e-mail to school board members and to superintendent Lane Plugge, and cc us at bettericsfood@gmail.com Or, write your own e-mail, making sure to include your contact info.
Let other people know! Forward the link to our website to anyone you think might be interested.
Tell us your story - explain why this is important for you and describe your concern about the school food system. Send your comments and suggestions to us at bettericsfood.gmail.com, or or post them in the discussion forum.

We plan to present the petition and any supporting letters to members of the ICCSD administration at the ICCSD board meeting on April 22nd, and again at the Food Summit, hosted by Johnson County Food Alliance at West High School, on April 24th.

Letter to ICCSD Board Members LETTER TO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS

Dear School Board Members and Superintendent Lane Plugge,

I am writing to express my support for your efforts and those of the Wellness Committee to promote good nutrition in Iowa City Schools. In particular, I encourage you to implement the recommendations presented in Appendix C of the ICCSD’s Wellness Policy adopted July 11, 2006.

Many of the recommendations could and should be mandated and implemented within each school. Others, such as those related to lunch service, will require longer term planning and additional resources to implement. In both cases, a mandate and timetable should be established for implementation.

Attention, leadership, and action are needed to transform the Wellness Policy into wellness for our children. Let’s make Iowa City schools a model for better food health, and do our part to help students develop and practice lifelong, healthy eating habits.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,
(Your Name and Contact info)

Links to Local Organizations and Groups

BICSF — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:15:44 CDT

Johnson County Food Alliance
Fostering a more local and sustainable agriculture in Johnson and surrounding counties.

Prebe Family Organic Farm
Locally produced, certified organic meat, poultry and eggs. See here for info.

Links to National Organizations and Websites

BICSF — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:05:38 CDT

ORGANIZATIONS

Center for Science in the Public Interest
Great website on improving school food with links to federal and state policies and programs and a great resources page which includes "Dispeling school food funding myths"
"With low-nutrition foods tempting kids at nearly every other public place in America, schools should be one setting where parents do not have to worry about what their children are eating...."

Center for Ecoliteracy
This site has a pdf plan for changing a school lunch system.

Food Security Coalition
A good source for information on the Farm Bill. The FSC describes itself as "dedicated to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for all people at all times."

Edible Schoolyard
Chef Alice Water's school-garden project that inspired many, many others.

Food and School Initiative

The Leopold Center

National School Lunch Program

School Lunch Initiative

Better School Food
National organization focused on lobbying for better school food.

Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

WEB SITES

Lunch Lessons
The book by the same name is available at the IC Public Library. Its author, Ann Cooper, has refashioned the Berkeley Public School's lunch system while working under the usual federal guideline and budgetary constraints.

Two Angry Moms
Companion web site for documentary film about improving school lunch programs.

Vermont FEED
A community -based approach to school food system change in a rural state.

Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch

Wellness Policy, Appendix C

BICSF — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:36:08 CDT

Click here to read the complete policy on the ICCSD webite. Below is Appendix C, the recommendations for school food.

Appendix C ICCSD Wellness Policy

School Nutrition Services

GOALS General Guidelines

Food items served and sold in schools shall to the extent possible be prepared from fresh, locally grown or produced, and organic ingredients. Food service staff will design and actively pursue programs which make this possible, and if necessary recruit the support of local individuals and organizations.
Food items served and sold in schools shall reflect the cultural diversity of the student body and consideration of special dietary needs, and food preferences and practices.
Nutritious and appealing foods, such as fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy foods and low fat grain products, shall be available wherever and whenever food is sold or offered at school.
Schools should encourage the purchase of nutritious items by pricing healthy items at an affordable price.

School Breakfast Program The school district will provide breakfast to students:

in buildings where the need is recognized; (In the buildings where breakfast is served, school staff will identify students who might benefit from breakfast.)
at a time when students are available to eat, coordinated with bus and class schedules.

Breakfast menus will:

meet or exceed federal guidelines for nutrition;
include the following:

whole grains
low-fat or no-fat milk
fruit

School Lunch Program The school district will provide lunch menus that:

meet or exceed federal guidelines for nutrition;
consist of foods that are low-fat, low-sodium, low-sugar content;
consist of foods that are made with fresh ingredients whenever possible;
consist of foods that are appealing to the eye and palate;
consist of at least half of the served grains are whole grain;
consist of at least two vegetables and two fruit options each day, with five different fruits and five different vegetables offered over the course of a week;
include a vegetarian entrée option a minimum of one time per week.

School district food service staff will: · make every attempt to assure that enough food is available so all students will get what they ordered; · provide a nutrient analysis of the monthly menus to be available on the district website; · develop a plan to promote low-fat and low-sugar foods to students; · provide a clean, safe and pleasant dining experience for students. Building principals will:

schedule lunch periods to provide students with a minimum of 15 minutes to eat after going through the line to get their food;
schedule lunch periods between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., with exception on early-release days;
consider scheduling lunch after recess to stimulate appetite and encourage students to finish their lunch rather than hurrying to get outside to play;
in conjunction with building staff, provide students access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before eating meals or snacks;
in conjunction with building staff, take steps to accommodate any tooth-brushing needs of students.

Ala carte food items will:

be available only to secondary students;
have no more than 35 percent of its calories from fat (excluding nuts, seeds, peanut butter and other nut butters) and 10 percent of its calories from saturated and trans fat combined;
have no more than 35 percent of its weight from added sugars;
contain no more than 230 mg of sodium per serving for chips, cereals, crackers, french fries, baked goods and other snack items; will contain no more than 480 mg of sodium per serving for pastas, meats and soups; and will contain no more than 600 mg of sodium for pizza, sandwiches and main dishes;
include a choice of at least two fruits and/or low-fat, non-fried vegetables;

· be placed in the ala carte line with: o main entrees and the most nutritious foods in the front of the line and/or are most accessible to students; o low-nutrient foods placed at the end of the line and/or are least accessible to students. Ala carte beverages will be:

water or seltzer water without added caloric sweeteners; fruit and vegetable juices and fruit-based drinks that contain at least 50 percent fruit juice and that do not contain additional caloric sweeteners; unflavored or flavored low-fat or fat-free milk and nutritionally equivalent nondairy beverages (as defined by the USDA).

Vending Machines The school district’s vending machines in the secondary buildings will:

offer only single food items with no more than 35 percent of its calories from fat (excluding nuts, seeds, peanut butter and other nut butters) and 10 percent of its calories from saturated and trans fat combined;
offer only single food items that have no more than 35 percent of its weight from added sugars;
offer only single food items that contain no more than 230 mg of sodium per serving for chips, cereals, crackers, french fries, baked goods and other snack items; will contain no more than 480 mg of sodium per serving for pastas, meats and soups; and will contain no more than 600 mg of sodium for pizza, sandwiches and main dishes;
offer only beverages that are water or seltzer water without added caloric sweeteners; no or low calorie beverages with up to 10 calories/ 8 ounces; fruit and vegetable juices and fruit-based drinks that contain at least 50 percent fruit juice and that do not contain additional caloric sweeteners; light juices and sports drinks with no more than 66 calories/ 8 ounces; unflavored or flavored low-fat or fat-free milk and nutritionally equivalent nondairy beverages (as defined by the USDA);
offer only beverages up to 12 ounces per serving, with the exception of water;
have at least 50% of beverages that are water and no- or low-calorie options;
promote dairy items when possible;
be turned off while meals are being served and during the school day at the discretion of building administration.

The school district will:

contact their bottler/ vending contractors to amend the existing contracts or agreements to immediately change the beverages and foods available in the schools to include only the options outlined above.

In the elementary schools,

vending machines will not be available to any elementary students, but may be available in staff lounges only;
staff vending machines will follow the same guidelines as vending in secondary schools;
staff will be role models for students in their choices of vending beverages and foods.

Lunches brought from Home In regards to lunches brought from home, the school district will:

encourage students and parents to bring healthy foods and beverages;
provide a list of healthy, easy-to-pack, and low-cost lunch items to parents in building newsletters;
discourage students from trading foods with each other.

Snacks In regards to snacks being served in the classroom, the school district will:

allow and encourage snacks to be served in the classroom, especially at the primary level;
provide suggestions of healthy snacks to parents and teachers, with emphasis on fruits and vegetables as the primary snacks, and discourage snacks with high sugar and/ or fat content.

Bake Sales/ Fund Raising The school district will:

encourage that healthy foods be sold at bake sales and other fund-raising activities, similar to guidelines of ala carte items;
not allow bake sales to occur during the school lunch period;
disseminate a list of healthy bake sale items to parents and teachers.

Celebrations The school district will:

limit celebrations that involve food during the school day to no more than one party per class per month;
include no more than one food or beverage that does not meet nutrition standards for ala carte and vending guidelines (see above);
disseminate a list of healthy party food ideas to parents and teachers.

Rewards The school district will:

not use foods or beverages, especially those that do not meet the guidelines of ala carte and vending machines (see above), as rewards for academic performance or good behavior;
not withhold food or beverages as a punishment of students.

Concessions/ Dances/ School Sponsored Activities The school district will:

encourage the sale of foods at school-sponsored events outside of the school day to include beverages and foods that meet the guidelines of ala carte and vending machines (see above).

Collaboration Between Food Service and Health Education The school district food services program will encourage food service staff to collaborate with classroom teachers to reinforce nutrition education lessons taught in the classroom by doing at least one of the following:

display educational materials in the cafeteria that reinforce classroom lessons;
teach or present nutrition lessons or nutritional information to students;
provide cafeteria tours to students;
other activities as appropriate.

Food Service Staff The school district will ensure that:

qualified nutrition professionals administer the school food services;
the food service manager will participate in at least one professional development or continuing education program per year on meeting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans;
food service staff receives appropriate training for safety and food emergencies, i.e. choking, natural disasters and medical emergencies.

The Food Services Director will: · develop and implement a plan to support local sustainable agriculture by integrating local, preferably organic (by USDA definition) foods into the meals served to students based on availability and acceptability. · coordinate school breakfast and lunch menus with seasonal production of local farms and with production in school gardens so that school meals will reflect seasonality and local agriculture. Implementation The school district will implement this section of the Wellness Policy by gathering more information and suggestions from:

focus groups with parents and secondary students – to be held in the 2006-07 school year and ongoing as needed;
Iowa City Community School District Wellness Committee input.

Evaluation The school district will assess the outcomes of policy implementation by the following:

student and parent surveys;
informal lunch room observations of food waste and student choices;
food service sales;
feedback from the Food Services Director to the Wellness Committee and Board members.