Schools Incorporate Smart Snacks In School Rules Early

While schools don't technically have to comply with the USDA's new "Smart Snacks In School" rules until July 1, 2014, many schools across the country are gradually introducing snacks that meet the new rules into their healthy vending programs now to ensure students have time to get used to the changes.

A couple examples are:

• Greensburg-Salem School District, a public school district in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. According to an article in the Tribune Review here, the food service director for Pittsburgh Schools, Curtistine Walker, said: “It's better to do it now, because it will not be as big as a shock to them." The article goes on to explain that Pittsburgh Public Schools serves about 19,000 lunches and 11,000 breakfasts each school day. 
• Schools in Missoula, Montana are turning to HUMAN Healthy Vending franchisees, Sarah and Alex Baer, to provide a leg up on the Smart Snacks In School rules, too, according to an article in The Missoulian here.

I think it makes sense for schools to start phasing in more healthful competitive foods options, especially if the school sells predominantly less nutritious foods.

As we've learned with the National School Lunch Program, nutrition changes involving students take time and patience.

Do you think schools should phase into the new Smart Snacks In School rules or postpone until next year?

© Annabel Adams, Smart Snacks In School, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Annabel Adams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.