USEFUL WEBSITES FOR HEALTHY KIDS

Food Services Health Options
Deca/Marketing
Healthy Vending
PTA Healthy Fundraising
Success Stories
Policy/Assessment

Food Service Health Options

The following links contain information to support the need for change in food service, suggestions on a la carte offerings, information on implementing a la carte programs, and the overall impact food service has on the health of youth today.

https://fns.state.mn.us/FNSProg/NSLP/PDF/Resources/ALACARTEGuide.pdf
This link offers an overview of a la carte programs to assist you in determining if one is appropriate for your school. The information will focus on establishing or enhancing a nutritionally and fiscally sound a la carte program. Item selection and pricing, examples of offerings, financial procedures and related topics will be addressed. This is a product of Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning. (August 1996)

http://www.ecoliteracy.org/programs/pdf/rethinking_marketing.pdf
This is a great link offering suggestions of what to sell and how to market school food items. It includes an interview with Andy Goodman on marketing new ideas for healthy eating and food to students and parents.

http://www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/ESMMmaterials/SchoolFoodsStandards.pdf
This is a summary of the policy changes, challenges, and benefits of North Carolina’s Eat Smart: Recommended Standards for All Foods Available in Schools. Understanding the financial pressures we are facing today with the changing nutrition guidelines, we have a responsibility to the students to face the challenges of weight and health head on. This link is a summary of what North Carolina is doing to make changes. Understanding obesity prevention requires a comprehensive approach, schools are not responsible for solving the problem, but they can play a strategic role. By providing a healthy school nutrition environment, we have the opportunity to influence students’ eating patterns and influence their families and community.

http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/child/snp/nslp/alacarte.pdf
This document addresses the role of schools in supporting children to develop healthy eating habits. More specifically, it discusses competitive foods in the school, including ala carte offerings. School food service directors have the authority to change ala carte offerings to benefit the students’ health. (September 2004)

http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/USDA_Fruit_Vegetable_Pilot_Program.pdf
A nice summary of the USDA’s Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program discussing the changes in food consumption of students when provided free fruits and vegetables. This includes a history of the program and results to evaluations of the program. There are also quotes from students, parents, food service employees and school principals on the program.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00042446.htm
The CDC’s guidelines for school health programs to promote lifelong healthy eating summarizes strategies most likely to be effective in promoting healthy eating among school-age youths and provides nutrition education guidelines for a comprehensive school health program.

DECA/Marketing

The following links include ways to improve marketing in student stores, examples of public service announcements to promote new items, and promotional ideas to boost sales.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Healthy_Foods_AttchmtA_12_9_83179_7.pdf
This link includes a worksheet on developing marketing plans, how to conduct market research of students, ten marketing strategies, methods for running promotions and advertising you student store.

http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/pdf/sfs/PAAnnouncements_link.pdf
This document gives sample public service announcements (PSA) to be used in marketing new products.

http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/pdf/sfs/PromotionTipSheet_link.pdf
This document includes promotional ideas to boost milk sales.

Healthy Vending

Kids First of Rhode Island offers two documents available on the Seattle Public Schools Nutrition Services Website. The first helps brainstorm vending machine ideas that promote healthy eating. The second document is a list of foods that may fall within the new district guidelines.

Kids First-Food Guidelines

Kids First- List of Snack Items

PTA Healthy Fundraising

Great Link!
http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/resources/Fundraising.pdf
A creative list of fund-raising ideas for schools.

Great Link!
http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/constructive_rewards.pdf
Constructive classroom rewards: promoting good habits while protecting children’s health. This link includes food alternatives for rewards, like school supplies, eating outside for lunch; “no homework” passes, choosing class activities, reading the school-wide morning announcements, etc.

http://www.phi.org/pdf-library/lean-pb3.pdf
This document offers suggestions on fundr aising including success stories around the nation. It also offers alternative fundraising ideas including auctions, brick sale with engraved donor names, spring clean up in the community where students are paid hourly to help community members and non-food sales.

http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/snacks_summary.pdf
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, with input from experts and parents, has developed two new resources with healthy snack ideas for parents, teachers, after school programs, and other caregivers. This is a 1-page version that can be used as a handout or model newsletter article. (Geared towards elementary age students)

http://cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/healthy_school_snacks.pdf
This is the more detailed document from the Center of Science in the Public Interest. (Geared towards elementary age students)

http://depts.washington.edu/waschool/Background_Examples.html#Nutr
This website was developed by a healthy schools team in Washington state to identify resources to help students, parents, schools and district officials, and community members work together to make it easier for children to choose health-promoting foods, be physically active and be ready to learn at school.

Success Stories

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/nutrition/Making-It-Happen/index.htm
Making It Happen – School Nutrition Success Stories (MIH) illustrates a wide variety of approaches that schools have taken to improve student nutrition. The most consistent theme emerging from these case studies is that students will buy and consume healthful foods and beverages – and schools can make money from healthful options.

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/nutrition/pdf/facts.pdf
This link is a clear summary of facts related to nutrition and the health of young people by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Division of Adolescent and School Health.

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/nutrition/Making-It-Happen/success.htm
This link takes you to a handful of success stories in Making It Happen!.

Policy/Assessment

http://www.thefoodtrust.org/pdf/snpolicy.pdf#search='school%20and%20eating%20and%20policy'
This is a great example of a detailed and organized policy for a school district. This document details the comprehensive school nutrition policy for the School District of Philadelphia. This coordinated school nutrition policy provides the framework for ensuring that students attending schools in Philadelphia receive nutrition education messages that are reinforced throughout the school environment.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Healthy_Foods_AttchmtA_12_9_83141_7.pdf
An example of a policy for food sold in schools including reasoning and research articles behind decisions.

http://www.schoolwellnesspolicies.org/resources/NANAWellnessPolicies.pdf
Model local school wellness policies on physical activity and nutrition – National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA) – March 2005. This document includes examples of policies based on the new federal requirements and offers several web resources to assist with policy setting in specific districts.

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