Parents, students and staff may notice changes in the foods being sold during the school day this year.

As of July 1, 2010, the Healthy Kids Act Nutritional Content Standards became effective in Iowa Schools. The standards apply to vending, a la carte, and regulated fundraising (any foods/beverages sold to students between the first and last bell) items sold to students during the school day.

Schools have a responsibility to create an environment that supports and encourages healthy eating.  The Healthy Kids Act Nutritional Content Standards will maximize the availability of high nutrient dense foods while also helping students develop healthy habits.  Regulated food categories include; calories, sodium, total fat, saturated fat, trans-fat, sugar and dietary fiber/whole grain.  Regulated beverage categories include; milk, 100% juice, water, sports drinks/flavored water, caffeinated beverages and sodas/carbonated beverages.

To see the comprehensive list of Healthy Kids Act Nutritional Content Standards as they apply to each of these categories, visit the Iowa Department of Education’s Healthy Kids Act web site.

The Healthy Kids Act (Senate File 2425) was signed into law by Governor Culver to address the issue of overweight and obesity among Iowa youth by setting physical activity requirements and nutritional content standards for schools.  The Healthy Kids Act was created to help children develop healthy eating habits, to promote active lifestyles, and to provide students with a solid foundation for a better future.  The Iowa Healthy Kids Act will affect Iowa’s K-12 schools in the following ways:
•    Established nutritional content standards for food and beverages sold or provided on school grounds during the school day. Effective July 1, 2010.
•    Requires school districts and accredited non-public schools to ensure every student in grades K-5 has 30 minutes per day of physical activity and every student in grades 6-12 has 120 minutes per week of physical activity. Effective July 1, 2009.
•    Requires every student to complete a course that leads to certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by the end of grade 12. Effective for the class of 2011-2012.
•    Requires Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs), or a consortium of two or more AEAs, to contract with a licensed dietitian. Effective July 1, 2009.

School districts across the state are now preparing to implement the nutritional content standards to ensure their vending machines, a la carte lines, and regulated fundraisers are in compliance with the law.  As schools make changes in the foods they sell to students during the school day and to the amount of physical activity they offer, they are also in an ideal position to re-examine their Local Wellness Policies to make sure they comply with the Healthy Kids Act.

The new Iowa law does necessitate that all districts update Local Wellness Policies to reflect the changes initiated by the Healthy Kids Act. The Healthy Kids Act standards should be stated in school district Local Wellness Policies, and shared with staff members, parents, school board members, and students. Making wellness policies available to adults and youth in a community is an excellent way to communicate school wellness environment expectations.

School boards should be anticipating reports as a result of the Healthy Kids Act nutritional content standards becoming effective this fall. Now is an ideal time to closely evaluate school policy effectiveness and to set new goals for the future in school wellness.

The Healthy Kids Act was created to improve students’ school health environment. However, parents are their child’s first teacher and can significantly impact their health and wellness at home. Here are some simple ways parents can start their children on a path toward a healthy life:

Make Nutrition a Priority
•    Involve children in meal planning
•    Eat at least one meal as a family every day
•    Have healthy snacks available at home
•    Send healthy meals/snacks to school
•    Be a role model and choose nutritious foods themselves

Make Physical Activity a Family Affair
•    Take walks with children
•    Play games and be active outside
•    Make family outings activity-focused
•    Be a role model by exercising on a regular basis

Schools can encourage parents to send healthy foods to school in sack lunches and for classroom parties. School staff can be encouraged to model healthy food choices and activity behaviors to students.

Many tools and resources are available for schools to use at the Iowa Department of Education’s Healthy Kids Act web site. Included on the site is a Healthy Kids Act Nutrition Calculator – which should be used to determine foods’ compliance with the law – a toolkit with resources for school staff, parents, and students, as well as other helpful documents. Questions may be directed to Jennifer Neal at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 515-281-6192 or to Patti Delger at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 515-281-5676.

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Healthy Kids Act Impacts Iowa Schools