Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV)

In summer of 2003, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) began aggressively enforcing compliance to guidelines intended to eliminate unhealthy foods from school campuses - particularly at the elementary and middle school level. Any campuses in the state found to be in violation of these guidelines are subject to severe penalties, including withholding reimbursements for food service accounts. (Funds that pay for meals for children from low-income home who qualify for free or reduced breakfast and lunch.)

• Elementary school campuses may not serve or provide access for students to FMNV and all other forms of candy at any time anywhere on school premises until the end of the last scheduled class. Such foods and beverages may not be sold or given away to students on school premises by school administrators or staff (principals, coaches, teachers, etc.), students or student groups, parents or parent groups, guest speakers or any other person, company or organization.

• Middle school and junior high school campuses may not serve or provide access for students to FMNV and all other forms of candy at any time anywhere on school premises until after the end of the last scheduled class. Such foods and beverages may not be sold or given away to students on school premises by school administrators or staff (principals, coaches, teachers, etc.), students or student groups, parents or parent groups, guest speakers or any other person, company or organization.

• High schools may not serve or provide access to FMNV during meal periods in areas where reimbursable meals are served and/or consumed. Campus are expressly prohibit from the sale of sugared, carbonated beverages in containers larger than 12 ounces. No more than 30 percent of the beverages made available through each vending machine or other service point on high school campuses are allowed to be sugared, carbonated soft drinks. Sugared, carbonated beverages are limited to containers holding no more than 12 ounces.

• Vending machines, if accessible to students, must be stocked with appropriate healthy choices. For more information about the vending TDA Regulations effective August 2007 visit The Texas Department of Agriculture Website. (www.squaremeals.org)

• Students are permitted to bring FMNV foods or beverages from home as long as the student is not elling these items to or sharing these items with other students.

• FMNV food and beverages may not be made available to students on field trips or other school-sponsored function

FOODS OF MINIMAL NUTRITIONAL VALUE (FMNV)

Federal regulations prohibit the sale of certain foods, determined to be of minimal nutritional value, in the foodservice area during meal periods.

1. Soda Water

• Any carbonated beverage. No product shall be excluded from this definition because it contains discrete nutrients added to the food such as vitamins, minerals and protein.
• Carbonated beverages such as Coca-cola, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Diet Coke, Root Beer, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, etc.

2. Water Ices

• Any frozen, sweetened water such as “...sicles” and flavored ice with the exception of products that contain fruit or fruit juice.
• Snow cones, Slurpies, slushies, etc. (note: this does not include items of this type made with 100% fruit juices) 3. Chewing Gum: Any flavored products from natural or synthetic gums and other ingredients that form an insoluble mass for chewing.
• Bubble Yum, Hubba Bubba, Wrigley's chewing gum, Blow Pops

3. Certain Candies   Any processed foods made predominantly from sweeteners or artificial sweeteners with a variety of minor ingredients that characterize the following types:

Hard Candy: A product made predominantly from sugar (sucrose) and corn syrup that may be flavored and colored, is characterized by a hard, brittle texture and includes such items as sour balls, lollipops, fruit balls, candy sticks, starlight mints, after dinner mints, jaw breakers, sugar wafers, rock candy, cinnamon candies, breath mints and cough drops.

• Jolly Ranchers, Mega Warheads Black Cherry, Cherry Sours, Nerds, Runts, Gobstoppers, Sweet arts, 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.

Jellies and Gums: A mixture of carbohydrates that are combined to form a stable gelatinous system of jellylike character and are generally flavored and colored, and include gum drops, jelly beans, jellied and fruit-flavored slices.

• Gummy Apple Rings, Sour Worms, Orange Slices, Itsy Bitsy Gourmet Jelly Beans, Berry Fruit Snacks, Mike & Ike Original, Mike & Ike Sours, Hot Tamales, gumdrops, jelly beans, jellied and fruit-flavored slices, etc.

Marshmallow Candies: An aerated confection composed of sugar, corn syrup, invert sugar, 20 percent water, and gelatin or egg white to which flavors and colors may be added.

• Marshmallow cremes, Peeps, etc.

Fondant: A product consisting of microscopic-sized sugar crystals that are separated by a thin film of sugar and/or invert sugar in solution.

• Candy corn or soft mints

Licorice: A product made predominantly from sugar and corn syrup that is flavored with an extract made from the licorice root.

• Twizzlers (any flavor or filling), etc.

Spun Candy: A product that is made from sugar that has been boiled at high temperature and spun at a high speed in a special machine.

• Cotton candy g) Candy Coated Popcorn: Popcorn that is coated with a mixture made predominantly from sugar and corn syrup.
• Poppycock, Cracker Jacks, etc.

Examples of Healthiest/Healthier Snack Products:

Healthiest
• Animal crackers, Graham crackers
• Nuts and seeds - plain or with spices
• Trail mix (plain)
• Dried fruit - raisins, cranberries • Fat-free popcorn
• Beef jerky (95% fat free)

Healthier
• Granola bars, Whole grain fruit bars
• Baked chips, Cornnuts, Rice cakes, Cereal/nut mix
• Popcorn/nut mix
• Fruit-flavored snacks
• Pretzels - any flavor
• Light Popcorn

For more information about the TDA Regulations effective August 2007 visit The Texas Department of Agriculture Website. (www.squaremeals.org).

Did you know?

All meals served on NSLP must meet federal standards based on The Dietary Guidelines for Americans? This means no more than 30 percent of calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. School lunches also provide one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories.

School Meals are better than Bag Lunches. Research by Dr. Alice Jo Rainville of Eastern Michigan University concluded that students who eat school lunches consume 29% less calories from fat and that school lunches contain three times as many dairy products, twice as much fruit and seven times the vegetable amounts as lunches brought from home.

No super-sizing here. The meals served as part of the NSLP are provided in age-appropriate serving sizes - making schools one of the last places in the U.S. where you can purchase a meal with the recommended serving sizes.
School lunches make a significant contribution to children achieving “5 A Day” of fruits and vegetables. Many schools offer salad bars, entrée salads, shaker salads and fresh fruit daily.

In 180 School Days, 4.9 billion school lunches are served in 99,000 schools. That is approximately 29.6 million meals per day, supported by $7 Billion allotted to fund NSLP in FY 2005.

School Nutrition Professionals across the nation are leading the charge to improve the nutrition of children and implement wellness policies in schools. So, if you are looking for ways to support your child in developing healthy eating habits, stop by your school cafeteria and speak to the nutrition director to find out how School Lunch helps us all make the right food choices, together.

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