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).
Toward a Healthier City Nutrition Standards for New York City Government
Describes the development and implementation of required nutrition standards across all New York City agencies that purchase, prepare and/or serve food.
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.
The Global database on the Implementation of Food and Nutrition Action – Public Food Procurement
The data summary shows countries with mandatory and/or voluntary healthy public food procurement and service policies, with the setting covered indicated.
Estimating the Potential Health Impact and Costs of Implementing a Local Policy for Food Procurement to Reduce the Consumption of Sodium in the County of Los Angeles
Uses health impact assessment methods to simulate levels of reduction in the sodium content of food served by Los Angeles County. Analysis predicts that adults would consume, on average, 233 fewer milligrams of sodium each day, if specific food procurement sodium strategies were implemented and models impact on blood pressure, cases of uncontrolled hypertension, and […]
Public procurement as a policy tool to promote healthier food environments and choices
Proposes that the public procurement of food can incentivize food reformulation; urges consideration of economic, social, and environmental aspects of procurement. Includes examples of EU procurement directives.
Food Service Guidelines Resources website
Links to U.S. city and state initiatives, including for worksites, cafeterias, vending, meetings, hospitals, faith-based organizations, and community organizations. Includes resources to train vendors
Food Service Guidelines Organizational Policy Template
A template for organizational food policy guidelines adapted from the CDC
Food Service Guidelines Collaborative website
Resources that support implementation of the US federal nutrition standards in public places.
Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities (2017)
Standards for food, nutrition, facility efficiency, environmental support, community development, food safety and behavioral design for use in food service concession and vending operations.
Food-based Dietary Guidelines
Database of food-based dietary guidelines for over 100 countries and regions.
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.
Eating well for under-5s in child care: Practical and nutritional guidelines
Guide on nutrient-based standards and menu plans for children under 5, with implementation guidance.
Eating Well in Government Venues website
Model policies for policymakers. Website links to resources on creating healthy food service on government property and an infographic on buying food for health and equity.
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.
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.
Healthier Food Choices for Public Places website
Resources for improving food and beverage options for vending machines, cafeterias, concession stands, meetings, and events; includes messaging tips, model policies, and implementation resources.
The Power of Procurement
Provides an argument for: sourcing preferentially from small-scale food producers, guaranteeing fair wages and prices along the food supply chain, nutrition standards, sourcing locally whenever possible and expecting suppliers to produce food sustainably, increasing participation and accountability in the food system.
CDC’s Sodium Reduction in Communities Program: Evaluating Differential Effects in Food Service Settings, 2013–2016
Evaluation results on sodium reduction of CDC-funded state and local health departments implementing policies including food standards among institutional food settings.
CDC Sodium Reduction Tools and Training for Health Professionals website
Includes links to implementation and training guidance for implementing sodium reduction in foodservice settings.
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.
Population-level interventions in government jurisdictions for dietary sodium reduction: a Cochrane Review
Describes the impact of population-level dietary sodium reduction interventions and concludes that multicomponent initiatives taking a structural approach (such as public procurement policies), have the potential to reduce dietary salt intake.
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 […]
CDC Healthy Food Environments website
Resources to support implementation and evaluation of nutrition standards in childcare site, schools, hospitals and workplaces.
CDC Heathy Foodservice Guidelines website
Guide to implementing the US Food Service Guidelines, including cafeterias, concession stands, snack bars, and vending machines; includes link to Smart Food Choices (Assessment Tool, page 30).
Action framework for developing and implementing public food procurement and service policies for a healthy diet
Provides an overview of how to develop, implement, assess compliance with, and evaluate the effectiveness of a healthy public food procurement and service policy. It is intended for government policy makers or program managers working on public food procurement or service, at either a national or a subnational level, including at regional, provincial and city […]
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.
Audits and Inspections Toolkit (2011)
Checklist for schools and catering providers to demonstrate compliance with school food standards.
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.
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)