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Smart Snacks in Schools
Smart Snacks in Schools helps ensure that foods sold to students during the school day support healthy choices and reinforce nutrition goals on campus. If your school sells food outside of school meals—such as à la carte items, vending machines, or school stores—these standards apply.
Smart Snacks Requirements
All foods sold to students on school property during the school day must meet Smart Snacks nutrition standards. This includes foods sold à la carte, in school stores, vending machines and any other locations where food is sold to students.
When Smart Snacks Applies
- Applies to all foods sold to students during the school day.
- Includes à la carte items, school stores, vending machines, and other food sales venues.
- Competitive foods may not be sold within 30 minutes before or after scheduled meal service in areas accessible to students. This restriction does not apply to mechanically vended beverages sold to high school students.
School Events & Fundraisers
- School Events: Beverages that do not meet Smart Snacks standards may be sold at school-related events attended by parents and adults.
- Fundraisers: Each school building may hold up to three exempt fundraisers per year. Exempt fundraisers must still comply with the Colorado Competitive Food Service Policy.
A la Carte Revenue & Purchasing
- A la carte revenue from the school food service department must be deposited into the nonprofit school food service account as nonprogram revenue.
- The school food service department may purchase food and beverages for other school groups to sell, following SP 13-2014 guidance.
Coffee & Caffeinated Beverages (High School Only)
Caffeinated beverages are allowed only in high schools.
Allowable ingredients: Fat-free or 1% milk, 100% or diluted juice, black coffee, Americano, or plain tea.
Portion limits:
- No-calorie beverages: up to 20 fl oz
- Low-calorie beverages (e.g., lattes, hot chocolate): up to 12 fl oz and ≤5 calories per fl oz
Fat-free or low-fat milk calories may be subtracted from total beverage calories when used in coffee drinks. Milk flavoring may not count as a milk component for reimbursable meals.
Examples:
- 12 oz latte with whipped cream: only calories from whipped cream count towards the total.
- 8 oz iced caramel mocha: includes ice in the volume and counts caramel syrup in the calorie total.
- High school students can select milk with their reimbursable meal, buy coffee a la carte, and mix them together after the point of sale.