Adopting School Nutrition Standards

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Adopting School Nutrition Standards

• Lynn Hoggard, MS, RD, LDN, FADA
• Section Chief, Child Nutrition Services
• NC Department of Public Instruction

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NCs blueprint for an optimal nutrition
environment during the academic day
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The result of Investigations, Recommendations and
Collaborations
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How did North Carolinas School
Nutrition Environment get to this point?
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School Nutrition developed from a need for
Homeland Security
General Lewis B. Hershey, Director of the
Selective Service, testified before Congress in
1945

• The nation has sustained 155,000 casualties
  in the war because of the malnutrition in its
  young men, and these were the healthier men as
  fully one-third were rejected and could not even
  enter the armed services because of
  malnutrition.

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Child Nutrition Programs strengthen the nation
President Harry S. Truman signs the National
School Lunch Act into law on June 4, 1946

• Today as I sign the National School Lunch Act, I
  feel that
• Congress has acted with great wisdom in
  providing the basis for
• strengthening the nation through better
  nutrition for our school
• childrenI hope that all state and local
  authorities will cooperate
• fullyin establishing the cooperative school
  lunch in every
• possible community.

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Child Nutrition ProgramsHistorical Perspective
1950s

• Program thrives through a one-to-one match with
  state funds this is the right thing to do for
  children and for the country
• Educators/administrators viewed CN program as
  part of total education program
• Nutrition education was a component of state
  curricula
• Food was simple funds for food preparation
  equipment were available
• Hungry children cant learn.

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Child Nutrition ProgramsHistorical Perspective
1960s

• Program continues to thrive under Kennedy
  Administration right thing to do for children
• Funding increased to states based on number of
  meals served additional funds made available to
  needy schools
• Child Nutrition Act of 1966 passed extended,
  expanded and strengthened program

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Child Nutrition ProgramsHistorical Perspective
1970s

• Program continues to thrive right thing to do
  for children
• 19 provisions in the law to expand and enhance
  the program
• Program perceived as Sacred Cow
• Congress requires consistent accounting
• Program moves from educational program to welfare
  program

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Child Nutrition ProgramsHistorical Perspective
1980s

• Sacred Cow is slaughtered program is
  devastated by 1.8 billion federal budget cut
• Federal budget cuts proposed annually shift
  responsibility to states and charities
• States struggle to keep program operational
• Schools begin to sell supplemental items
• A la carte service begins offers relief from
  budget cuts
• 1987 federal program funds restored

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Child Nutrition ProgramsHistorical Perspective
1990s

• A la carte program is thriving schools are
  making money
• Stigma associated with the traditional meal
• Children develop appetite for a la carte foods
• Schools develop appetite for revenues from a la
  carte foods
• State and local funding support allocated
  elsewhere
• Indirect costs assessed to CN program

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Child Nutrition ProgramsCurrent Practice 2000s

• Sacred Cow has now become the Cash Cow
• CN Program is dependant upon a la carte sales for
  15 45 operating budget
• CN Program generates 28 million in revenues to
  local school districts
• Foods sold in competition with Child Nutrition
  Program are often of limited nutritional value
  and compromise nutrition integrity
• CN Programs expected to operate as revenue
  producing businesses

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Child Nutrition ProgramsCurrent Practice

• Over the past 30 years, there has been a shift
• In priorities surrounding the
• Child Nutrition Program.
• Its the right thing to do for children
• has been replaced with
• How much revenue can be generated?
• A debate about priorities is needed in our state.

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NCs Epidemic of Childhood Overweight

• 1 in 5 children overweight
• 1 in 4 teens overweight
• Children are overfed but undernourished
• School meals are not the cause of epidemic
• Child Nutrition Programs can be part of the
  solution

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NCs Child Nutrition Statistics

• Over 203 million meals served annually
• Approximately 48 qualify for free or reduced
  price meals
• Relationship between income (eligibility) and
  weight is emerging
• 1 in 4 children experience food insecurity
  monthly

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Opportunities for Change in NCs Child Nutrition
Programs

• Gradual change
• Grade specific
• Four achievement
• levels
• Compliance with
• existing regulations
• required for progress
• Separate requirements
• for meals a la carte

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Opportunities for Change in NCs Child Nutrition
Programs

• CN Task Force Formed
• Assess current
• practices
• Form action strategies
• Build on Winners
• Circle Successes
• Educate community
• Involve industry
• partners

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Barriers to Optimal Nutrition Environment

• Money
• Administrative support
• Nutrition not valued as part of the instructional
  day
• Limited time/space for school meals

• Student taste preferences
• Too little nutrition education to influence
  childrens eating habits
• Conflicting messages

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Opportunities for Change in NCs Child Nutrition
Programs
Healthful School Food Choices Pilot
Program (July, 20, 2004) Legislation provides
for no risk pilots in eight NC school
districts, grades K 5, for the 2004 2005
school year
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An optimal school nutrition environment is
possible in North Carolina

• Nutritional well-being of children must become a
  priority.
• Adequate funds must be available.
• State and local policies must be developed to
  support optimal nutrition.
• Everyone in the school environment must be
  involved in bringing about change.

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Adopting School Nutrition Standards will take
time, effort, money, adequate staff, community,
parental and student involvement, and support
from all school personnel.
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Todays Child Nutrition Programs

• General Statute 115C - 264
• Local school board approval
• May sell soft drinks as long as
• they are not sold
• 1. during the lunch period
• 2. at elementary schools
• 3. contrary to NSLP

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Todays Child Nutrition Programs

• Competitive Foods Rule
• The sale or serving of any
• food or beverage in
• competition with the school
• breakfast or lunch program
• shall be prohibited on the
• school campus during the
• school day until the last child
• is served lunch for the day.