WHO Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative
This initiative created a framework for addressing the double burden of student ill-health and aims to improve coordination among agencies. Refer to ‘NFSI Component 4: Creating a supportive environment’ in the evidence review.
WHO 5 keys to a healthy diet
Describes five key elements of a healthy diet.
Sustainable Healthy Diets – Guiding Principles (2019)
Guidance on what constitutes sustainable healthy diets.
Strengthening sector policies for better food security and nutrition results: Public food procurement (2018)
Part of a series to help policy makers address national food security and nutrition issues; guidance is focused on developing initiatives that support food purchases from small farms.
Set of Recommendations on the Marketing of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages to Children (2010)
Describes recommendations for marketing food to children, a complementary action to include in food procurement standards.
School policy framework: implementation of the WHO global strategy on diet, physical activity and health (2008)
Guide for policy makers at national and sub-national level to promote healthy eating and physical activity in schools settings.
Report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity. Implementation plan: executive summary (2017)
Includes standards (page 18) for food standards for healthy school environments for children and adolescents.
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.
NOURISHING Framework
Searchable database of implemented policies to promote healthy diets and reduce obesity. Use Section O (Offer healthy food and set standards in public institutions and other specific settings) to search for public food procurement examples.
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).
