School Snacks and Nutrition Promotion

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.

Rewards and Incentives

Research indicates that using "treats" to incentivize or reward students has negative consequences. The District 286 Wellness Policy #533 states, "Staff will not use edible items as rewards for academic performance or good behavior. Rewards and incentives will not include edible items (including but not limited to candy, mints, snacks and beverages). Staff will not withhold food or beverages as punishment or as leverage with a student."
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has found that, "...the best policy is not to use food to reward children for good behavior or academic performance." The resources provided are intended to generate ideas, as not all the suggestions are aligned with procedures in the various Brooklyn Center Community School District buildings. Please consult with your building administration if you are unsure if a suggestion aligns with the building practices.
The 2022-23 Wellness Action Plans for all three BCCS school sites include goals to increase physical activity opportunities for students and staff during the school day. Understanding that Black, Indigenous and Students of Color are more likely to be negatively impacted by practices of withholding physical activity as a punishment, BCCS is committed to creating environments and opportunities for each student to utilize movement as needed for optimal academic growth and mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Physical activity may not be used as a negative consequence and withholding physical activity may not be used as a negative consequence. Offering movement opportunities as a reward or incentive is encouraged, when appropriate for the student.
See below for multiple resources to use instead of food for incentives or rewards.