USDA Smart Snacking Guidelines
Standards
Compliance
Fundraisers
Snack Savvy
Resources
✨ Why are Smart Snacks Important?
Smart Snacks help students build healthy habits and fight off childhood obesity! Healthy habits start here! 💪
- Almost a quarter of kids' daily calories may come from snacks.
- Kids who have healthy eating patterns are more likely to perform better academically.
- Kids consume more healthy foods and beverages during the school day. When Smart Snacks are available, the healthy choice is the easy choice.
- Smart Snacks Standards are a Federal requirement for all foods sold outside the National School Lunch Program and Schools Breakfast Program.
🥨 Standards for Snacks
For snacks sold in schools, they must first meet at least one of these general nutrition standards:
- ✔️ Grain product that contains 50% or more whole grains by weight (have whole grain as the first ingredient)
- ✔️ Be a combination food that contains at least 1/4 cup of fruit and/or vegetable; or
- ✔️ Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy good, or a protein food.
The food must then meet these nutrient standards:
- ✔️ Less than 200 calories
- ✔️ Less than 200 mg of sodium
- ✔️ Less than 35% of total calories from total fat
- ✔️ Less than 10% of calories from saturated fat
- ✔️ Zero grams of trans fat
- ✔️ Less than 35% by weight of total sugars
🥤 Standards for Beverages
Elementary School
- Water: No limit 💧 Plain water, with or without carbonation.
- Milk (1% fat or less): 8 fl oz🥛 Unflavored or flavored and milk alternatives.
- Juice: 8 fl oz 🧃 100% fruit/vegetable juice with no added sugars, and with or without carbonation.
- Diluted Juice: 8 fl oz🍊 100% fruit/vegetable juice diluted with water with no added sugars, and with or without carbonation.
Middle School
- Water: No limit 💧 Plain water, with or without carbonation.
- Milk (1% fat or less): 12 fl oz🥛 Unflavored or flavored and milk alternatives.
- Juice: 12 fl oz 🧃 100% fruit/vegetable juice with no added sugars, and with or without carbonation.
- Diluted Juice: 12 fl oz🍊 100% fruit/vegetable juice diluted with water with no added sugars, and with or without carbonation.
High School
- Water: No limit 💧 Plain water, with or without carbonation.
- Milk (1% fat or less): 12 fl oz🥛 Unflavored or flavored and milk alternatives.
- Juice: 12 fl oz 🧃 100% fruit/vegetable juice with no added sugars, and with or without carbonation.
- Diluted Juice: 12 fl oz🍊 100% fruit/vegetable juice diluted with water with no added sugars, and with or without carbonation.
- Low-Calorie Maximums*:≤12 fl oz/60 calories *eqivalent to 5 calories per fluid ounce☕ with or without caffeine and/or carbonation;calorie free, flavored water.
- No-Calorie Maximums*:≤20 fl oz/10 calories *Less than 5 calories per fluid ounce🍵 with or without caffeine and/or carbonation;calorie free, flavored water.
🍽️ Entrée Standards
For Entrées sold in schools, they must first meet at least one of these general nutrition standards:
- ✔️ Grain product that contains 50% or more whole grains by weight (have whole grain as the first ingredient)
- ✔️ Be a combination food that contains at least 1/4 cup of fruit and/or vegetable; or
- ✔️ Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy good, or a protein food.
The food must then meet these nutrient standards:
- ✔️ Less than 350 calories
- ✔️ Less than 480 mg of sodium
- ✔️ Less than 35% of total calories from total fat
- ✔️ Less than 10% of calories from saturated fat
- ✔️ Zero grams of trans fat
- ✔️ Less than 35% by weight of total sugars
🌟 Healthy Exemptions!
Some snacks can get a free pass on certain nutrition rules if they are whole grain-rich or packed with fruits/veggies!
🍪 Compliance Time!
Which foods and beverages sold at school need to meet the Smart Snacks Standards?
- Any food & beverage sold to students at school during the school day*, other than those foods provided as part of the school meal programs.
- Examples include a la carte items sold in the cafeteria & food sold in school stores, snack bars, & vending machines.
- Foods & beverages sold during fundraisers, unless these items are not intended for consumption at school or are otherwise exempt by your State agency.
* The school day is defined as the midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the school day.
🧁 Fundraisers!
How do the Smart Snacks Standards affect school fundraisers?
- Sales of foods & beverages that meet the Smart Snacks Standards & sales of nonfood items are not limited under the Federal policy
- Activities that occur during nonschool hours, on the weekends, or at off-campus events are not limited under the Federal policy
- Selling foods that are intended to be consumed outside the school day are not limited under the Federal policy
- Some State agencies allow a certain number of in-school fundraisers to be exempt from the Smart Snack Standards.
🕵Snack Savvy:
How to Tell if a Snack Meets Standards
Become a Smart Snacking Detective! Look for:
- 🔍Check nutrition labels for calories and nutrients!
- 🍞Whole grains are your best friend!
- 🚫Zero trans fats!
- 🥕Minimum serving of fruits/veggies!
📚 Cool Resources
Need more info? Check these out:
- Fueling My Healthy life: Learn more about added sugars and sodium with these interactive materials for 7th & 8th grade.
- Team Nutrition:Access free nutrition education resources like this Guide to Smart Snacks in school Handout
- Discover MyPlate Snack Time: Get ideas about choosing snack foods & beverages with less saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium with this handout for parents of young children.