Upper Township Policy

3542.1 LOCAL WELLNESS/NUTRITION

Local Wellness and Nutrition

The Upper Township Board of Education believes that children need access to healthful foods and
opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn and thrive. Because good health
fosters increased student attendance and better learning opportunities, the Board is committed
to the following:

a. Providing students with healthy and nutritious foods.
b. Encouraging the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat milk and whole
grains.
c. Encouraging students to select and consume all components of the school meal.
d. Maintaining safe, clean and pleasant dining environments.
e. Reducing the purchasing of any products containing trans fats.
f. Providing students with the opportunity to engage in daily physical activity.
g. Supporting healthy eating habits through nutrition education.

The Board of Education will continue to promote the nutrition policy with all food service
personnel, teachers, nurses, coaches and other school administrative staff so they possess the
required skills to implement this policy and promote healthy eating practices. The Board will
also engage students, parents, teachers, food service professionals, health professionals and
other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring and reviewing
district-wide nutrition and physical activity policies in future years.

The Upper Township Schools will continue to provide an interactive nutrition curriculum to
students in grades pre-K through Grade 8 that teaches the skills children need to adopt healthy
eating behaviors. Nutrition education will continually be offered in each school dining room as
well as in the classroom, with coordination between food service staff and teachers.

Nutrition will also be integrated into the district health education curriculum by staff members
who have had the appropriate training required to do so. In addition, Qualified Child Nutrition
Professionals will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious and
appealing foods that meets the health and nutrition needs of students, and will accommodate the
religious, ethnic and cultural diversity of the student body in meal planning.

In the spirit of wellness, one of the primary goals of the District’s Physical Education Program
is to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity, and establish linkages
between health education, school meal programs and related community services. Students should
be given opportunities for physical activity during the school day through either daily recess
periods, physical education classes, walking programs and the integration of physical activity
into the academic curriculum. The Board recommends that physical education or recess be
scheduled before lunch, whenever possible. The District’s curriculum shall incorporate nutrition
education and physical activity consistent with the N.J. Core Curriculum Content standards.

To the maximum extent practicable, all schools in the District will participate in available
federal school meal programs (including the School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch
Program including- after-school snacks, Summer Food Service Program, Fruit and Vegetable Snack
Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program). All reimbursable meals shall meet Federal
Nutrient Standards as required by the US Department of Agricultural Child Nutrition Program
regulations.

Regarding specific foods, all snack and beverage items sold or served anywhere on school
property during the school day, including items sold in a la carte lines, vending machines,
snack bars, school stores and fundraisers or served in the reimbursable After School Snack
Program, shall meet the following standards:
a. Based on manufacturer’s nutritional data or nutrient facts labels:
1. No more than eight grams of total fat per serving, with the exception of nuts and seeds.
2. No more than two grams of saturated fat per serving.
b. All beverages shall not exceed 12 ounces, with the following exceptions:
1. Water.
2. Milk containing two percent or less fat.
c. Whole milk shall not exceed eight ounces.

Also as common practice, the following provisions and restrictions will be implemented,
monitored and documented to remain compliant with all state and federal nutritional mandates:
a. Primary and Elementary Schools:
1. 100 percent of all beverages offered shall be milk, water or 100 percent fruit or
vegetable juices.
b. Middle School:
1. At least 60 percent of all beverages being offered, other than milk and water, shall be
100 percent fruit or vegetable juices.
2. No more than 40 percent of all ice cream/frozen desserts shall be allowed to exceed the
standards for sugar, fat and saturated fat.
3. Individual food items will have no more than:
a. 35% of its calories from fat (excluding nuts, seeds nut-butters).
b. 10% of its calories from saturated and trans fats combined.
c. 35% of its weight from added sugars.
d. 230 mg of sodium per serving for snacks.
e. 480 mg of sodium per serving for pastas, meats and soups.
f. 600 mg of sodium for pizza, sandwiches and main dishes.
4. A choice of at least 2 fruits and/or non-fried vegetables will be offered daily.

Servings of foods and beverages sold individually will be limited to and served in the following
portions:
a. One and one-quarter ounces for chips, crackers, popcorn, cereal, trail mix, nuts, seeds,
dried fruit or jerky.
b. One ounce for cookies.
c. Two ounces for cereal bars, granola bars, pastries, muffins, doughnuts, bagels and other
bakery items.
d. Four fluid ounces for frozen desserts, including, but not limited to, low-fat or fat-
free ice cream.
e. Eight ounces for non-frozen yogurt.
f. Twelve fluid ounces for beverages, excluding water and 2% milk.
g. The portion size of a la carte entrees and side dishes, including potatoes, will not be
greater than the size of comparable portions offered as part of school meals. Fruits and non-
fried vegetables are exempt from portion-size limits.

The following items, may not be served, sold or given out as free promotion anywhere on school
property at anytime before the end of the school day:
a. Any food and beverage items, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
regulations as Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV): see included list.
b. All food and beverage items listing sugar, in any form, as the first ingredient, as
further noted below:
The forms of sugar may include, but are not limited to: corn syrup, dextrin, fructose, high
fructose corn syrup, galactose, glucose, honey, lactose, malt, maltose, maple syrup, molasses
and sucrose. Artificial sweeteners may be sold, however, its use is not recommended due to
limited research on possible long-term effects.
c. All forms of candy.

Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV)
1. Soda Water.
2. Water ices, except those which contain fruit or fruit juices.
3. Chewing gum.
4. Hard Candies: made predominantly from sugar (sucrose) and corn syrup which may be
flavored and colored, is characterized by a hard, brittle texture and includes such items as
sour balls, fruit balls, candy sticks, lollipops, starlight mints, after dinner mints, sugar
wafers, rock candy, cinnamon candies, breath mints, jaw breakers and cough drops.
5. Jellies and Gums: mixtures of carbohydrates which are combined to form a stable
gelatinous system of jelly-like character, and are generally flavored and colored, and include
gum drops, jelly beans, jellied and fruit-flavored slices.
6. Marshmallow Candies: aerated confection composed as sugar, corn syrup, invert sugar, 20
percent water and gelatin or egg white to which flavors and colors may be added.
7. Fondants: products consisting of microscopic-sized sugar crystals, which are separated
by thin film of sugar and/or invert sugar in solution such as candy corn and soft mints.
8. Licorice: a product made predominantly from sugar and corn syrup which is flavored with
an extract made from the licorice root.
9. Spun Candies: products that are made from sugar that has been boiled at high temperature
and spun at a high speed in a special machine.
10. Candy Coated Popcorn: popcorn which is coated with a mixture made predominantly from
sugar and corn syrup.

Policy Exemptions
Although, food and beverages served during special school celebrations or during curriculum
related activities shall be exempt from this policy, with the exception of FMNV, it is STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED that all involved continue to provide children with healthy snacks and treats that
are consistent with the items available throughout the course of the school year.

To assist in this initiative, the District Food Service department is available and welcomes the
opportunity to accommodate classroom teachers/parents in providing food and beverage items that
ensure compliance with all nutritional mandates. For additional information, please call Cheryl Wrigley, Food Services Director, at 628-3500 ext 2282.

In addition to the above-mentioned, this policy is not applicable to the following circumstances:
1. Medically authorized special needs diets pursuant to federal regulations.
2. School nurses using FMNV to provide health care to individual students.
3. Special needs students whose Individualized Education Plan (IEP) indicates regulated
usages for behavior modification

The chief school administrator shall develop regulations consistent with this policy, including
a process for measuring the effectiveness of its implementation, and designating personnel
within each school with operational responsibility for ensuring compliance with the policy.

The chief school administrator will specifically address the issue of biosecurity for the school
food service (N.J.A.C. 2:36-1.12). Biosecurity may be part of the plans, procedures and
mechanism for school safety (N.J.A.C. 6A:16-5.1(b). *The Board of Education has adopted a Food
Service Biosecurity Management Plan in August 2006 and is available for perusal by the school
community.

Adopted: June 26, 2006
Revised: October 22, 2007