Competitive Food Initiatives in Rural School Districts

Childhood obesity still plagues the nation, as one in three children are obese or overweight. Multiple factors contribute to childhood obesity, including lack of physical activity and excessive amounts of highly caloric, nutrient-deficient foods. With children getting 35-50% of their daily caloric intake during the school day, the meals and snacks provided to children have been under scrutiny. USDA  recently gave breakfast, lunch, and competitive foods a make-over, mandating that foods contain less fat, sugar, and salt, and adding more whole grains and vegetables into meals and snacks.

Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, districts will have to comply with USDA’s Smart Snacks in Schools nutrition guidelines. Districts residing in states that do not have strong competitive food policies must revamp their wellness policies. Rural districts face different challenges than their urban counterparts, including food access issues, vendor availability, and lack of administrative resources. Since 2012, AASA, The School Superintendents Association, has been working with nine districts, five  of which are rural, to help them improve their competitive foods policies. A large component of the initiative has been the mentor/mentee program, in which districts that have been successful in changing their competitive foods policy are paired with districts who want to change their policy. This session will focus on: 1) the particular challenges rural districts encounter; 2) how the mentor/mentee partnership has been a powerful tool in assisting districts, and, 3) will showcase districts’ successes in improving their competitive foods policies.