If you are interested in seeing healthier food in schools, you may want to tell your legislators what you think about State Senate Bill (SB) 139, which has already passed the State Senate, and is being considered by the State House of Representatives Education Committee. To review the full text of the bill, as well as nonpartisan analyses, go to: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(xhm3ewfvscliylg2po2f15xr))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=2015-SB-0139
Contact your representatives in the State House of Representatives if you would like to weigh-in on this bill, which would allow for up to three bake sales per week that do not meet Federal Nutrition Guidelines for healthy snacks. We can be more creative with our fundraising, especially since healthy habits need to be reinforced throughout the school and home environments. There are so many other ways to raise money for our school programs besides selling junk food. One example is FarmRaiser – check it out here: http://www.farmraiser.com.
Here’s a little bit more background on this issue:
The federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (otherwise known as the Child Nutrition Reauthorization) included “Smart Snacks In School” nutrition standards for all foods and beverages sold in school during the school day, including through school fundraisers. These standards went into effect this school year (2014/2015).
To learn more about the Smart Snack standards, see these links:
- Smart Snacks in School: Fundraisers, USDA
- Smart Snacks in School: USDA’s “All Foods Sold in Schools” Standards, USDA
- Smart Snacks in Schools, Michigan Department of Education
See recent news stories about this proposed bill in the Michigan legislature below:
- Michigan Senate passes bill allowing 3 bake sales per week in schools, MLive
- Bring back bake sales? Michigan lawmaker wants to let schools sell sweets at fundraisers, MLive
- Cupcakes, doughnuts make comeback in Michigan schools?, Detroit Free Press
- School bake sales to return?,WILX
See previous national news articles about the launch of the Smart Snacks rules here:
- U.S. Standards for School Snacks Move Beyond Cafeteria to Fight Obesity– New York Times
- Put Down the Cupcake: New Ban Hits School Bake Sales– Wall Street Journal
- School snack foods: In or out?– CNN