Parents, lawmakers and school officials have become increasingly concerned about the diet of America's school children. Some states and school districts have successfully changed public policy to reflect a desire to change the menu in school vending machines, cafeterias, ala carte lines and campus stores. Some initiatives have sought to cut back on the hours and availability of sugared soft drinks and candy in the schools, especially at the lower grade levels. Other initiatives have gone far beyond that.
Including one of our own!
Back in 2003, Stonyfield Farm and KidsFirst began collaborating on the country’s first organic and all natural healthy vending machine program for schools. The initial success of the machines encouraged us to expand the program into a pilot initiative which became the cornerstone of our Menu for Change program. Now in its new format as a Do-it-Yourself Vending Machine Make-over Guide, this partnership helped lay what we consider to be the groundwork for all of the current buzz about vending!
Another far-reaching effort was California Senate Bill 19 (SB19), passed in 2004, which sets nutrition standards for foods sold in elementary schools. Today the nutrition standards in that policy are used as models for many school districts when considering their own reforms.
Two entities which track state-by-state legislative action and developments are:
There are now literally hundreds of innovative programs in every corner of the country! Below is a list of just a few programs that are helping to win the battle…
- Alliance for a Healthier Generation
- America on the Move, Boston, MA
- Apache Healthy Stores Project, New Mexico
- Be Active North Carolina
- Color Me Healthy, North Carolina
- Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC)
- Farm Fresh Choice, Berkeley, CA
- Farm to Schools Program, Los Angeles, CA
- FitKid Project, Augusta, GA
- FoodChange, New York, NY
- The Food Project
- Healthy Kids Challenge, Dighton, KS
- Healthy Living in the Pacific Islands, Honolulu, HI
- Healthy Schools Campaign, Chicago, IL
- Healthy Start
- Hip Hop to Health Program, Chicago, IL
- Kids on the Move Program
- NikeGO / PE2GO
- Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA)
- Right to Play
- Shape Up America!
- SPARK, San Diego, CA
- We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition)
Send us your success stories!
If you've been involved in a successful school-based initiative to change the menu by getting healthier foods to students, we'd love to hear about it! Use our Menu for Change Mailing Form to send the information. We will contact you with more details if we choose to post your story here at Stonyfield.com.
|
