USDA Smart Snacks in Schools - Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools - Smart Snacks Rules

Q: What foods sold in schools must meet Smart Snacks Rules?

Any food sold in schools must be whole grain-rich or have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food, or be a combination food with at least 1/4 cup of fruit and/or vegetable. Foods must also meet the listed calorie, sodium, fat, trans fat, and sugar limits.

Q: What beverage options are allowed under the rules, and are there portion limits?

Schools may sell plain water, unflavored low fat milk, unflavored or flavored fat free milk and permitted milk alternatives, 100% fruit or vegetable juice, and 100% juice diluted with water with no added sweeteners. Elementary schools are limited to 8-ounce portions, middle/high schools to 12-ounce portions, with no portion limit for plain water.

Q: How do exempted fundraising days affect compliance requirements?

Fundraiser sales of food items that meet nutrition requirements are not limited under the standards. The standards do not apply 30 minutes after the end of the school day, on weekends, or at off-campus fundraising events, and a special exemption exists for infrequent fundraisers that do not meet the nutrition standards, with state agencies determining allowable frequency. Illinois limits exempted fundraising days for grades 9 through 12 to no more than nine (9) days, and grades 8 and below are prohibited.

Oct 10, 2026

Upload by Cipher

USDA Smart Snacks in Schools sets enforceable nutrition standards for all foods and beverages sold in participating schools outside of, or in addition to, reimbursable meals. Standards apply throughout the school day (from midnight to 30 minutes after the end of the day) and define where noncompliant items may be sold, including evenings, weekends, off-campus locations, and approved exempted fundraising days. The document specifies whole-grain-rich and ingredient-based requirements for foods, calorie, sodium, fat, trans fat, and sugar limits, plus beverage allowances, milk and juice rules, and high school “no calorie/low calorie” option thresholds, along with fundraisers and accompaniment profiling guidance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

USDA Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools (Smart Snacks Rules)

Nutrition Standards for Foods

Nutrition Standards for Beverages

Other Requirements

Alliance for a Healthier Generation Smart Snacks Product Calculator

Illinois Exempted Fundraising Days – Illinois 305 School Food Service Rules

USDA Smart Snacks in Schools Competitive Foods and A La Carte Sales USDA Smart Snacks in Schools – Competitive Foods and A La Carte Sales USDA Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools (Smart Snacks Rules) ................. D-1 Nutrition Standards for Foods ................................................................................. D-1 Nutrition Standards for Beverages .......................................................................... D-2 Other Requirements ................................................................................................ D-2 Alliance for a Healthier Generation Smart Snacks Product Calculator ................. D-3 Illinois Exempted Fundraising Days –Illinois 305 School Food Service Rules ........ D-3 Potable Water Requirements .............................................................................................. D-4 􀀛 Additional Resources • USDA Smart Snacks in Schools Website [https://www.fns. usda.gov/school-meals/tools-schools-focusing-smart-snacks](https://www.fns. usda.gov/school-meals/tools-schools-focusing-smart-snacks) • Alliance for a Healthier Generation: Smart Snack Calculator [https://foodplanner.healthiergeneration.org/calculator/](https://foodplanner.healthiergeneration.org/calculator/) • Illinois Administrative Rules – Part 305 [https://www.isbe.net/Documents/305ark.pdf](https://www.isbe.net/Documents/305ark.pdf) • USDA Policy Memo – SP49-2016 (July 20, 2016) Resources for Making Potable Water Available in Schools and Child Care Facilities [https://fns-prod.azureedge. net/sites/default/fi](https://fns-prod.azureedge. net/sites/default/fi)les/cn/SP49_CACFP18_ 2016os.pdf • Illinois Department of Public Health – School Water Testing [http://www.dph.illinois.gov/content/school-water-testing](http://www.dph.illinois.gov/content/school-water-testing) USDA Smart Snacks in SchoolsNutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools All schools that participate in the National School Lunch and/or School Breakfast Programs are required to follow standards for all foods and beverages sold outside of or in addition to thereimbursable meal. These foods and beverages must meet the standards listed below. These standards apply during the school day anywhere on school campus/grounds. A school day is defined as midnight to 30 minutes after the end of the school day. Foods and beverages that do not meet the following standards may only be sold: • In the evenings, 30 minutes after the end of the school day; • On weekends; • Off campus; or • On approved exempted fundraising days. See the Illinois Exempted Fundraising Days information at the end of this section. Nutrition Standards for Foods 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 Foods must also meet several nutrient requirements: • Calorie limits: o Snack items: ≤ 200 calories o Entrée items: ≤ 350 calories • Sodium limits: o Snack items: ≤ 200 mg o Entrée items: ≤ 480 mg • Fat limits: o Total fat: ≤35% of calories o Saturated fat: < 10% of calories o Trans fat: zero grams • Sugar limit: o ≤ 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. Middle schools and high schools may sell up to 12-ounce portions. There is no portion size limit for plain water. High schools may sell additional “no calorie” and “low calorie” bev

FAQs

What foods sold in schools must meet Smart Snacks Rules?

Any food sold in schools must be whole grain-rich or have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food, or be a combination food with at least 1/4 cup of fruit and/or vegetable. Foods must also meet the listed calorie, sodium, fat, trans fat, and sugar limits.

What beverage options are allowed under the rules, and are there portion limits?

Schools may sell plain water, unflavored low fat milk, unflavored or flavored fat free milk and permitted milk alternatives, 100% fruit or vegetable juice, and 100% juice diluted with water with no added sweeteners. Elementary schools are limited to 8-ounce portions, middle/high schools to 12-ounce portions, with no portion limit for plain water.

How do exempted fundraising days affect compliance requirements?

Fundraiser sales of food items that meet nutrition requirements are not limited under the standards. The standards do not apply 30 minutes after the end of the school day, on weekends, or at off-campus fundraising events, and a special exemption exists for infrequent fundraisers that do not meet the nutrition standards, with state agencies determining allowable frequency. Illinois limits exempted fundraising days for grades 9 through 12 to no more than nine (9) days, and grades 8 and below are prohibited.

Oct 10, 2026

Upload by Cipher