Public Procurement of Food for Health: Technical report on the school setting (2017)
Support for translating national school food standards into food procurement specifications. Includes contract evaluation guidance, scoring grid, and logic model.
Policy and Guidelines on Healthy Food and Beverage Choices in Schools and in DepEd Offices
Describes the policy and guidelines on healthy food and beverage choices in schools and in Department of Education offices.
Pilas con Vitaminas (campaign to support healthier school canteens)
Initiative to improve the healthfulness of food sold at school canteens, consistent with national policy; includes marketing and branding materials; website in Spanish.
Nutrition guidelines and standards for school meals: A report from 33 low and middle-income countries (2019)
Results of global survey on school meals; report identifies key aspects to consider when developing or updating school meal program standards.
Implementation Guide for School Food Standards in Uruguay
Implementation guide for implementing school nutrition standards. Training materials, for food handlers are also available. (Spanish)
NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy
This website contains a variety of resources for schools implementing the strategy, including webinars, guidance on how to develop menus, sample recipes, portion size guides, etc., as well as a link to the Food and Drink Criteria booklet summarizing the criteria and providing implementation guidance.
New York City Food Standards website
Describes comprehensive standards that apply to all food purchased and served by city agencies, including specific standards and implementation guides, along with communications materials.
The School Food Trust: transforming school lunches in England
Reports evidence of the improvements in provision, choice and consumption of food in schools following the introduction of legislation and a national programme of work to change catering practices and the attitudes of pupils, parents and others to healthier food provision in schools. It also provides objective evidence of the impact of healthier food on […]
National Healthy Schools Canteen Evaluation Toolkit (2010)
Toolkit includes logic model, research framework, and focus group questions to guide process evaluation and short-term impact evaluation.
National Healthy School Canteens Guidelines
Website describes guidelines and resources to help canteen managers across Australia offer healthier food and drink options.
Effectiveness of school food environment policies on children’s dietary behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Systematic review includes 12 studies evaluating school meal standards implemented in the US, Canada, or UK, which were found to: increase fruit intake, reduce total fat, saturated fat, and sodium (but not total calories), and decrease BMI (although other adiposity measures evaluated were unchanged).
Legal guide on school food and nutrition: Guide on legislating for a healthy school food environment
Provides practical information and guidance for developing or revising national legal frameworks related to school food and nutrition.
Effect of changes to the school food environment on eating behaviours and/or body weight in children: a systematic review
Reviews the evidence for the effect of isolated food environment interventions on both eating behaviors (including food purchasing) and/or body weight (all examples from US/UK). Seventeen of 18 papers reported a positive outcome on either BMI (or change in BMI) or the healthfulness of food sold or consumed.
Food and Nutrition Policy for Schools: A Tool for the Development of School Nutrition Programmes in the European Region (2006)
Recommendations on how schools can best promote health through offering education and practice of good nutrition.
Enablers and barriers to implementation of and compliance with school-based healthy food and beverage policies: a systematic literature review and meta-synthesis
This study explores the enablers and barriers to effective implementation of and compliance with school-based food and beverage policies from countries around the world.
City of Philadelphia Nutrition Standards website
Includes links to the city’s Executive Order, nutrition standards, and implementation resources, such as a menu planning toolkit.
CDC Healthy Food Environments website
Resources to support implementation and evaluation of nutrition standards in childcare site, schools, hospitals and workplaces.
Healthy school meals and educational outcomes
Provides evidence on the effects of diet on educational outcomes, using a campaign lead in the UK in 2004, which introduced changes in the meals offered in schools – shifting from low-budget processed meals toward healthier options. Educational outcomes improved significantly in English and Science, and authorized absences, which are most likely linked to illness […]
Audits and Inspections Toolkit (2011)
Checklist for schools and catering providers to demonstrate compliance with school food standards.
At the crossroads: new paradigms of food security, public health nutrition and school food
Describes the emerging dynamics of the new food insecurity crisis and its implications for public health nutritionists; suggests the adoption of a systemic approach and uses school food systems as an example.
ACT Public School Food and Drink Policy
Describes nutrition standards for schools, including links to legislation.
Uruguayan Schools Slowly Say Goodbye to Junk Food.
Describes the bill passed by the Chamber of Deputies to prohibit the promotion and advertising of junk food on school premises. Law 19.140: “Proteccion de la Salud de la Poblacion Infantil y Adolescente a Traves de la Promocion de Habitos Alimenticios Saludables.” (2014)
A review of food procurement and provision in hospitals and schools in Sri Lanka
An assessment of the food procurement environment in Sri Lankan schools and hospitals. Reviews existing policies, guidelines, evaluations, as well as recommendations for promiting healthy diets in schools and hospitals.