Wellness Policy

DESTINY COMMUNITY SCHOOL

FOOD & NUTRITION GUIDELINES

Our utmost concern is the safety of our students. We must also comply with the rules and regulations set forth by the Maricopa County Health Code, United States Department of Agriculture federal guidelines and Destiny Community School Board policies. Our guidelines will standardize the way in which food comes onto campus and is distributed to students.

DESTINY’S FOOD AND BEVERAGE STANDARD

All beverages and foods offered to students during the school day shall comply with the following parameters:

BEVERAGES:

-No carbonated beverages allowed

-With the exception of bottled water, the available beverage container size shall be no larger than 24 ounces

-With the exception of milk (1% or 2%) & 100% juice beverages, the beverages may not contain more than 15 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving

-Chocolate milk may have no more than 4 grams of sugar per ounce

-Reduced fat, enriched rice, nut, or soy milk

FOODS:

-No more than 30% of the calories should come from total fat (with the exception of nuts and seeds)

-No more than 10% of the calories should come from saturated fat

-No more than 35% of the total weight of the food may be derived from sugar (excluding fruit)

-No food item package or container can exceed 300 calories

-Must contain at least one gram of fiber (excludes dairy products)

All foods before, during, or after normal school hours

- All food items being sold must come from a commercial business (i.e. supermarket, restaurant) with an approved Maricopa County Health permit. Food products sold cannot come from a residential kitchen.

- The Food Service Department reserves the right to check the fundraising operation for compliance of Maricopa County Health code, ADE Child Nutrition Program nutritional guidelines and Destiny Community School policies and nutrition guidelines.

- Students may not use microwaves to heat food and no school employee may heat any food or food product for students.

FOOD IN THE CLASSROOM

These guidelines are established to ensure safety and compliance with the Maricopa County Health Department. The Maricopa County Health Department has strict regulations about food being prepared in residential kitchens and served at classroom parties. All food brought onto campuses for classroom parties must originate from certified kitchens, commercial institutions, or commercial food service stores.

The following guidelines will assist in the process:

- All foods offered must originate from a Maricopa County Health Department approved kitchen or institution. Examples would be products prepared at a supermarket bakery, retail location or a commercial restaurant. For example, cupcakes prepared at home are not an approved item for a classroom party.

- All food offered is delivered at the proper temperature and unwrapped food is served with a non-latex gloved hand or utensil. An example would be a pizza party from an approved vendor which is served by a gloved-hand or with a serving utensil.

- All food offered is being consumed within a reasonable time and is maintained at proper temperature.

- No contact is to be made by a non-gloved hand with any food items that are not pre-wrapped.

- Compliance of the above guidelines will be the responsibility of the classroom teacher or educator.

VENDING

When all of the guidelines are followed by the various school groups regarding fundraisers, vending, BBQ’s and classroom parties, our students and adult customers will be safer and our school functions will be compliant with the various government agencies.

Nutrition for Learning applies to the following areas:

Vending Machines: includes all vending machines on campus, regardless of “ownership.” All beverages offered in vending machines shall comply with the following parameters, the only exception is the staff lounge:

Beverages:

- No carbonated soda beverages allowed.

- With the exception of bottled water, the available beverage container size shall be no larger than 20 ounces.

- With the exception of milk and 100 % juice beverages, the beverages may not contain more than 15 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving.

Foods:

- All foods offered in vending machines shall comply with the following parameters:

- No more than 30% of the calories coming from total fat (with the exception of nuts and seeds).

- No more than 10% of calories coming from saturated fat.

- No more than 10% of total calories from saturated and trans fatty acids (combined)

- Must contain at least 1 gram of fiber (excludes dairy products)

- No food item package or container can exceed 200 calories.

- No more than 35% of total weight of the food item may be derived from sugar (excluding fruit).

- Ice machines on campus must follow district procedures.

Fundraisers

The following parameters shall apply to fundraisers:

- The location of a fundraiser cannot take place inside the kitchen or an area leading to the kitchen during lunch period.

- No carbonated beverages may be made available to students during school hours. Exclusion to the policy is adult-only functions.

- All foods and beverages used in fundraising must meet the nutrition requirements established in this policy for vending. The exception is broad-based fundraisers that have a variety of items for purchase. For example, a vendor package may offer wrapping paper, decorative items, candles, and chocolates.

- All food must come from a facility licensed for food preparation and distribution or commercially prepared and packaged with the exception of fresh fruits. No homemade foods are permitted in accordance with health code compliance.

- Food sales for fundraising may not be in competition with Destiny’s federal lunch and snack programs serving times.

- All food and beverage sale activities must be pre-approved by the School Food Service Department to ensure the nutrient criteria are followed.

Food in the classroom

- Any foods or beverages served in the classroom must meet the same requirements as vending products.

- No carbonated beverages may be made available to students during school hours.

- All food must come from a facility licensed for food preparation and distribution, or commercially prepared and packaged with the exceptions of fresh fruits. No homemade foods are permitted in accordance with health code compliance.

- No foods or beverages may be used in the classroom for incentives or rewards.

District provided meals

- Destiny Community School shall comply with regulations for serving meals that meet the USDA nutrition standards. Meals

o Will be appealing and attractive to children;

o Will offer a variety of fruits and vegetables;

o Will serve low-fat and non-fat dairy products;

o Will include whole grain foods.

- A la carte sales must meet the same requirements as vending products.

Physical Activity

- Destiny Community School supports a lifetime of individual fitness, promotes a healthy lifestyle, and encourages physical activity across the curriculum.

- Destiny Community School supports opportunities for physical education for all students.

- Destiny Community School is committed to supporting a healthy environment for the students, staff, and parent community. This includes efforts made to provide nutrition and fitness education, as well as promote staff wellness programs.

Approval procedures

- The Principal is responsible for maintaining a list of approved foods available from vendors. Any other food/beverage item the school would like to offer to students can be submitted to the Principal for determination whether the item fits within the nutrient parameters defined in this policy.

- The Principal shall also have available other lists of alternatives for fundraisers, vending, and classroom activities.

DOWNLOADABLE VERSION:

DCS Wellness Policy (Health & Nutrition)