Smart Snacks Guidelines

USDA's Smart Snacks in School guidelines, which went into effect July 1, 2014, require all food and beverages sold, served and/or distributed to students, such as food on snack carts, a la carte lines, in the classrooms, and through fundraisers need to meet the USDA nutrition requirements, Smart Snack guidelines and state laws. Click here to visit the USDA Smart Snack Guidelines Information website for more information. A 2019-20 updated guide is also available with suggestions and resources. 

The district's Smart Snacks Shopping List offers suggested items available at the Brooklyn Center Cub Foods, as well as other grocery store locations. The list is not comprehensive, but a sampling of various items that meet Smart Snack standards. To check the compliance of other products, please use the Alliance For A Healthier Generation's Smart Snack calculator or contact Michelle Auld, Wellbeing Specialist, at mauld@bccs286.org.

This resource out of the Connecticut Official State Website offers a comprehensive list of Smart Snack food and beverage items. Please note that BCCS district requests no soda at events, meetings, or group gatherings. 

Nutrition Education Support

Learn about  our Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing project with LifeTime Foundation and Chef Ann Foundation on the Wellness Projects with Partners page.

Our Farm To School program is instrumental in providing nutrition education and manages the school gardens at the schools. Click here to learn more about the Farm to School program.

BCCS Wellness programs include nutrition education and cooking instruction. We are proud to partner with local, BIPOC-owned small businesses to help promote culturally-diverse nutrition information and global foods. 

The Wellbeing Specialist and the Farm to School Coordinator have collaborated to create a "Food For Thought" nutrition program and videos. Video 1: Reading Nutrition Labels, video 2: Added Sugar, video 3: Recipe Demo, video 4: Nutrient Dense Recipe Demo, video 5: What's In Your Cupboard Q&A, video 6: Farm to School, Local Sourcing.

Smarter Lunchroom Strategies

Brooklyn Center Community Schools' kitchens practice Smarter Lunchroom Strategies during the lunch programs. The practices encourage students to choose more of the less-processed foods, such as fresh vegetables and fruit options

Brooklyn Center Community Schools strives to plan and schedule for the most beneficial meal times. Making Time For School Lunch offers information about school meal times best practices.