Competitive Foods In Schools

Recent increases in child obesity have sparked concerns about competitive foods (CF) -- foods sold to students in school that are not part of federally reimbursable school meals. The nutritional value of these foods is unregulated, & students can purchase these foods in addition to or instead of school meals. This report provides info. from two nationally representative surveys about the prevalence of CF in schools, CF restrictions & groups involved in their sale, & the amounts & uses of revenue generated from the sale of CF. It also provides info. about strategies schools have used to limit the availability of less nutritious CF, based on visits to 6 school districts in Calif., Conn., Mississippi, Missouri, & South Carolina. Charts & tables.

Across America, meals provided through USDA's National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) supply most of the foods and beverages obtained by children at school. Most schools also sell competitive foods, or "à la carte" items, alongside USDA school meals, in vending machines, or in school stores and snack bars, with proceeds going to the school foodservice or fundraising school groups. These foods have been widely criticized as being of low nutritional value, undercutting public efforts to improve children's diets and prevent obesity. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires schools that offer USDA school meals to limit competitive foods to those that meet updated nutrition standards, under development by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Limiting the types of competitive foods available for sale may result in lost revenue for school foodservices, which depend to varying degrees on this revenue stream. Because USDA school meal programs are a part of the Nation's nutrition safety net, the contribution that competitive food revenues make to foodservices serving economically vulnerable student populations is of particular interest. This book examines how updated nutrition standards for competitive foods might affect competitive food availability, and the implications for foodservice revenues.

Food choices and eating habits are learned from many sources. The school environment plays a significant role in teaching and modeling health behaviors. For some children, foods consumed at school can provide a major portion of their daily nutrient intake. Foods and beverages consumed at school can come from two major sources: (1) Federally funded programs that include the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the School Breakfast Program (SBP), and after-school snacks and (2) competitive sources that include vending machines, "a la carte" sales in the school cafeteria, or school stores and snack bars. Foods and beverages sold at school outside of the federally reimbursable school nutrition programs are referred to as “competitive foods” because they compete with the traditional school lunch as a nutrition source. There are important concerns about the contribution of nutrients and total calories from competitive foods to the daily diets of school-age children and adolescents. Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools offers both reviews and recommendations about appropriate nutrition standards and guidance for the sale, content, and consumption of foods and beverages at school, with attention given to foods and beverages offered in competition with federally reimbursable meals and snacks. It is sure to be an invaluable resource to parents, federal and state government agencies, educators and schools, health care professionals, food manufacturers, industry trade groups, media, and those involved in consumer advocacy.

Across America, meals provided through USDA's National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) supply most of the foods and beverages obtained by children at school. Most schools also sell competitive foods, or "a la carte" items, alongside USDA school meals, in vending machines, or in school stores and snack bars, with proceeds going to the school foodservice or fundraising school groups. These foods have been widely criticized as being of low nutritional value, undercutting public efforts to improve children's diets and prevent obesity. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires schools that offer USDA school meals to limit competitive foods to those that meet updated nutrition standards, under development by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

Because of concerns about trends in children's health and eating habits and interest in further understanding issues related to competitive foods in schools, this study addressed: which foods and school food practices fell under the term "competitive foods" and what federal restrictions existed on their sale; what was known about the types of competitive foods and their availability and prevalence in schools; and what was known about additional steps being taken on the state and local levels to curtail the sale of competitive foods. Researchers reviewed legislation, policies, and studies that addressed competitive foods in schools, gathering information on federal and state competitive foods laws and regulations; analyzed data on the availability, prevalence, and types of competitive foods in schools from three national studies: The School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study-II, the School Health Policies and Programs Study of 2000, and the Third Year Report of the School Meals Initiative Implementation Study; reviewed several smaller-scale studies on the association between competitive foods in schools and child nutrition, assessing the adequacy of samples and measures employed, reasonableness and rigor of statistical techniques, and validity of results; and interviewed people in professional organizations, advocacy groups, and other stakeholder groups. Results found that competitive foods included all foods and beverages sold in schools except for meals provided through the School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Competitive foods were sold in a variety of locations on most school campuses nationwide. Several states, school districts, and individual schools had enacted competitive food policies that were more restrictive than federal regulations. There was a wide variety in types of restrictions applied. An appendix, which comprises the bulk of the document, includes briefing slides.

Since 1980, the prevalence of obesity among U.S. children and adolescents has tripled, and today 19.6% of children aged 6-11 years and 18.1% of adolescents aged 12-19 years are categorized as obese. A growing body of research has found that the school food environment is associated with youth dietary behaviors and obesity.