#Alliance for a healthier generation snack calculator full

The Healthier Generation Training Center is full of resources available to review or watch on your own time, at your own pace. Hold a taste testing event using our Taste Testing Guide Use our Focus Group How-To Guide and Student Focus Group - Moderator’s Guide to gain input on products that students would like to see on the menu Gaining input and approval from students will put you on a path to offering healthy, tasty meal options that keep youth lining up. It’s important to engage students (your customers!) in the decision-making process about the types of foods and beverages they will see in the cafeteria, the quality of their customer experience and nutrition education activities that will be offered. This is the only tool verified by the USDA as accurate for assessing compliance with the Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards. Use the Smart Snacks Product Calculator to take away the guesswork. Plan healthy menus, find new recipes, learn new ideas and more with this interactive tool. Use our tools to align the food and beverages you serve with national standards: They oversee the school meal program on behalf of the USDA and can provide training and technical assistance in the implementation of these programs in your school or district.įind your school meal program contact at your state agency and connect if you haven’t already. Your state agency is the go-to organization for child nutrition programs. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs? Does your state or district wellness policy have additional standards in place that require your programs to go above and beyond national standards? Or, if your district’s wellness policy could use an update, check out the Alliance’s Model Wellness Policy, which was approved by the USDA to use as a template. What does it say about participation in the U.S. Take a look at your district’s local wellness policy. Understanding these standards is a first critical step. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs? Learn the regulations that govern these programs with our online curriculum, Child Nutrition- Nourishing Minds and Bodies. Step 1: Understand the USDA Meal Patternsĭo you know what standards to follow to comply with the U.S.

Not only are breakfast and lunch an opportunity to promote good nutrition, but they are also the times of day when kids fuel up to learn.Ī well-run school nutrition program will give your students the healthy meals they need for their school day and align with the requirements for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

School meals are an important part of a student’s day.