GREAT NEWS… the Hometown Healthy Vending Machine Services Company is already in compliance with the U.S.D.A.’s new “Smart Snacks in Schools” policy! That’s right… if Hometown Healthy Vending is serving your school with healthy vending machines; your school meets the standards outlined in the Smart Snacks in Schools Policy. Our healthy vending machines are truly dedicated to helping promote healthier lifestyles for students.
If your school is located in Conroe ISD, Humble ISD, Spring ISD, Tomball ISD, New Caney ISD, Huntsville ISD, Magnolia ISD, Montgomery ISD, etc…. let the Hometown Healthy Vending Company help make healthy vending a little easier.
Below are the guidelines set forth this week by the U.S.D.A. You can view the U.S.D.A. guidelines by clicking here OR you can visit our healthy vending website here.
Highlights of the Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards include:
— More of the foods we should encourage.
— Less of the foods we should avoid.
— Targeted beverage standards allowing variation by age group.
— Flexibility for important traditions.
— Ample time for implementation.Nutrition Standards for Foods
● Any food sold in schools 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 . cup of fruit and/or vegetable; 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: ≤ 200 calories
° Entrée items: ≤ 350 calories
Sodium limits:
° Snack items: ≤ 230 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
Nutrition Standards for Beverages
● 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 schools 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/or 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
• Beverages with ≤ 40 calories per 8 fluid ounces, or ≤ 60 calories per 12 fluid ounces.