Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs in our schools will:
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be appealing and attractive to children;
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be served in clean and pleasant settings;
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meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state and federal statutes and regulations;
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offer a variety of fruits and vegetables;
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serve only low-fat (1%) and fat-free milk and nutritionally equivalent non-dairy alternatives (to be defined by the USFDA); and
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ensure that half of the served grains are whole grain.
Meal Times and Scheduling
Schools will try whenever possible to provide students with at least 10 minutes to eat after sitting down for breakfast and 20 minutes after sitting down for lunch. Schools will also try whenever possible to schedule lunch periods to follow recess periods (in elementary schools).
Sharing of Foods and Beverages
Schools should discourage students from sharing their foods or beverages with one another during meal or snack times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some children's diets.
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Food & Beverages Sold at School |
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Elementary School: food should be sold as balanced meals. If available, foods & beverages sold individually should be limited to low-fat and non-fat milk, fruits and non-fried vegetables.
Middle and High School: all foods & beverages sold individually outside the reimbursable school meal programs will meet nutrition and portion size standards approved by the district.
Portion Sizes:
Limit portion sizes of foods and beverages sold individually to those listed below:
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1 1/2 oz. for elementary and middle school and 2 oz. for high school for chips, crackers, popcorn, cereal, trail mix, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or jerky;
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1 oz. for cookies;
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2 oz. for cereal bars, granola bars, pastries, muffins, doughnuts, bagels, and other bakery items;
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4 fluid oz. for frozen desserts, including low-fat or fat-free ice cream;
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8 oz. for non-frozen yogurt;
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12 fluid oz. for elementary and middle school and 12-18 oz. for high school for beverages, excluding water;
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The portion size of a la carte entrees and side dishes will not be greater than the size of comparable portions offered as part of school meals;
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Fruits & non-fried vegetables are exempt from portion-size limits.
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Snacks served during the school day or in after-school care or enrichment programs will make a positive contribution to children's diets and health, with an emphasis on serving fruits and vegetables as the primary snacks and water as the primary beveverages.
Beverages Allowed:
Elementary and Middle Schools - water, milk, Gatorade or 100% fruit juice can be offered only in a 12 oz. serving.
High School - water, milk, Gatorade, 100% fruit juice, teas and Snapple.
Snack Foods Allowed: - baked chips, crackers, fruit snacks, peanuts, cookies, cereal, popcorn, pretzels
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For students to receive the nationally recommended amount of daily physical activity (i.e., at least 60 minutes per day) and for students to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior, they need opportunities for physical activity beyond physical education class. Toward that end, it is recommended that:
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classroom health education will complement physical education by reinforcing the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a physically-active lifestyle and to reduce time spent on sedentary activities, such as watching television;
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opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject lessons;
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classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lesssons or classes: 10 minutes for every hour of seat-time every day and 20 minutes of vigorous exercise before State exams.
Physical Education
All students in grades K-12, including students with disabilities, special health-care needs, and in alternative educational settings, will receive physical education (K-2: 60 minutes; Grades 3-5: 80 minutes; Middle School: 40 minutes 2 x/week; High School: 45 minutes 2 x/week) for the entire school year.
Daily Recess
All elementary school students will have at least 20 minutes per day of supervised recess, preferably outdoors, during which schools should encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity.
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