Wayne Schools Ban Whole Milk, Candy

The Board of Education approved an updated version of the district’s nutrition policy Thursday that bans candy, whole milk and other foods with "minimal nutritional value" from Wayne schools.

Superintendent Ray Gonzalez said that the district approves policies such as this from time to time to ensure that it complies with federal nutritional regulations.

The policy bans the following items from being served, sold or given out anywhere on school property during school hours:

• Candy
• Foods that the DA defines as having “minimal nutritional value”
• All foods and beverages that list sugar, in any form, as the first ingredient.

All snack and beverage items sold or served on school property during the school day, including those sold in vending machines and fundraisers cannot have more than eight grams of total fat per serving, excluding nuts and seeds, and no more than two grams of saturated fat per serving.

Only milk, water, or 100-percent fruit and vegetable juices may be offered in the elementary schools. Whole and 2-percent milk are also prohibited from being offered.

In the and , at least 60 percent of all beverages, other than milk or water, need to be 100-percent fruit or vegetable juice.

Michael Schmidt, the district’s food services director, said that the district already complies with, or exceeds, many of the standards set forth in the policy.

“We want to set a guideline for students to follow that they hopefully follow on their own when they’re older,” Schmidt said.

At the middle and elementary schools, hamburgers and hot dogs are served on whole wheat buns. Vending machines at the middle schools already comply with the standards of how much fat can be in a particular item.

Schmidt said that the district’s food service advisory committee meets every few months to “try and determine ways of improving the quality of food we serve at the schools.”

“It’s also a great way to get feedback from our customers and find out there’s anything they want that we’re not offering, especially healthy foods,” Schmidt said.