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Wellness Policy

 

WELLNESS INITIATIVE

Prompted by the New York State Education Department mandate that all schools establish a Wellness Policy, and in an ongoing effort to ensure the best health of the students and staff at Babylon Schools, the Babylon District Wellness Committee established the following initiatives:
 
• The cafeterias in all buildings will offer (for a nominal fee) the option to order a fruit and/or vegetable platter, sensible snacks, fruit juice and water for any in-school celebration. Order forms may be obtained on the district website or at the main office of each building.
 
• Beverages provided for in-school celebrations are requested to be 100% fruit juice or water.
 
• Food provided for in-school celebrations is requested to meet the following nutritional guidelines per serving:
• Sugar – 15 grams or less
• Fat – 7 grams or less
• Saturated Fat – 2 grams or less
• Sodium – 360 milligrams or less
(Try to avoid partially hydrogenated oils or high-fructose corn syrup. Look for products that have no added sugar and are high in fiber.)
 

BABYLON WELLNESS POLICY

The Babylon Union Free School District is committed to providing a school environment that enhances learning and development of lifelong wellness practices. The goals of the district’s Wellness Policy include:
 
• That the Child Nutrition Program complies with federal, state, and local requirements and is accessible to all children.
 
• That sequential and interdisciplinary nutrition education is provided and promoted throughout the district.
 
• That patterns of meaningful physical activity connect to students’ lives outside of physical education.
 
• That all school-based activities are consistent with the Wellness Policy’s goals.
 
• That all foods and beverages made available on campus (including vending, a la carte, student stores, parties, and fundraising) during the school day will be consistent with the Matilda Cuomo legislation of 1987 (Laws of Education, Title 1, Article 19, § 915). *
 
• That all foods made available on campus adhere to food safety and security guidelines.
 
• That the school environment is safe, comfortable, pleasing, and should allow ample time and space for eating meals.
 
• That food is not used as a reward, physical activity, or punishment.
 
• That the district maintains an active Committee charged with the task of evaluating and maintaining this Wellness Policy and its effectiveness.
 
• That the Committee will meet a minimum of eight times per year to make recommendations to the Board of Education.
* § 915. Prohibiting the sale of certain sweetened foods. From the beginning of the school day until the end of the last scheduled meal period, no sweetened soda water, no chewing gum, no candy including hard candy, jellies, gums, marshmallow candies, fondant, licorice, spun candy, and candy-coated popcorn, and no water ices except those which contain fruit or fruit juices, shall be sold in any public school within the state.
 
• Food used for instructional purposes (except for Home & Careers) will be sent home for consumption.
 
• Food, beverage, and/or candy cannot be sold as a fundraiser or through an individual or organization on campus during the school day unless it meets the aforementioned nutritional guidelines.
 
• Elementary School parents should continue to follow the Elementary School brochure on food allergies. Grade School and High School parents are requested to refer to the Elementary School brochure on food allergies and follow suggested guidelines. Taking advantage of healthier alternatives and prohibiting certain sales is just one step in enhancing nutritional and physical education. The aforementioned initiatives will minimize contributions to children’s health problems, minimize negative financial impacts, maximize children’s learning potential, and protect children against potential food-related illness.
 
All foods and beverages sold outside the School’s lunch and breakfast program are defined as Competitive Foods. These foods shall follow the new guidelines set forth under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which took effect July 1, 2014. All schools that participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs must follow the rule; known as “Smart Snacks”.
 
Listed below are the new nutritional guidelines for all competitive foods sold during the school day.

Any food sold in schools must:

  • Be a “whole grain-rich” grain product; or
  • Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food; or
  • Be a combination food that contains at least ¼ cup of fruit and/or vegetable; or
  • Contain 10% of the Daily Value (DV) of one of the nutrients of public health concern in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for
  • Americans (calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or dietary fiber).*
  • Foods must also meet several nutrient requirements:
  • Calorie limits:
  • Snack items: ≤ 200 calories
  • Entrée items: ≤ 350 calories
  • Sodium limits:
  • Snack items: ≤ 230 mg**
  • Entrée items: ≤ 480 mg
  • Fat limits:
  • Total fat: ≤35% of calories
  • Saturated fat: < 10% of calories
  • Trans fat: zero grams
  • Sugar limit:

             • ≤ 35% of weight from total sugars in foods

Nutrition Standards for Beverages

  • All schools may sell:
  • Plain water (with or without carbonation)
  • Unflavored low fat milk
  • Unflavored or flavored fat free milk and milk alternatives permitted by NSLP/SBP
  • 100% fruit or vegetable juice and
  • 100% fruit or vegetable juice diluted with water (with or without carbonation), and no added sweeteners.
  • Elementary schools may sell up to 8-ounce portions, while middle schools and high schools may sell up to 12-ounce portions of milk and juice. There is no portion size limit for plain water.
  • Beyond this, the standards allow additional “no calorie” and “lower calorie” beverage options for high school students.
  • No more than 20-ounce portions of
  • Calorie-free, flavored water (with or without carbonation); and
  • Other flavored and/or carbonated beverages that are labeled to contain < 5 calories per 8 fluid ounces or ≤ 10 calories per 20 fluid ounces.
  • No more than 12-ounce portions of
  • Beverages with ≤ 40 calories per 8 fluid ounces, or ≤ 60 calories per 12 fluid ounces.

 
Other Requirements

Fundraisers:

  • The sale of food items that meet nutrition requirements at fundraisers are not limited in any way under the standards.
  • The standards do not apply during non-school hours, on weekends and at off-campus fundraising events.

Accompaniments:

  • Accompaniments such as cream cheese, salad dressing and butter must be included in the nutrient profile as part of the food item sold.
  • This helps control the amount of calories, fat, sugar and sodium added to foods by accompaniments, which can be significant.  

These guidelines support the intent of the “HHFKA” and the Smart Snack nutrition standards to ensure the development of healthier school environments.