On July 1, 2008, California banned all public schools from selling junk food under the Food Nutrition Standards Bill. The purpose of this bill was to reduce the rate of childhood obesity. As a result, food manufacturers have tried to change their snacks to meet the standards in the bill.

A quick overview of the bill:

• snacks have to be under 250 calories for middle and high schools and 175 calories for elementary schools
• all sodas are banned
• individual entrees, such pizza and hamburgers have to be under 400 calories and less than 4 grams of fat per 100 calories

However, since food from home is excluded from the standards, many students are getting around the ban by bringing unhealthy food from home.

Some ways to support the law:

• Monitor meals and snacks sold outside of the school program, such as fundraisers and vending machines
• Check wellness policies to see what snacks and foods are included
• Pack healthier snacks and lunches for your child whenever possible

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