Due to allergies or other medical issues, check with your the classroom teacher for any restrictions on food items allowed in a particular classroom.

Smart Snacks Product Calculator

SDA Smart Snacks in School: Food Standards

General Criteria

• Be whole grain-rich (50% or more whole grains by weight)
• Have fruit, vegetable, dairy, or protein as the first ingredient
• Be a combination food that contains at least ¼ cup of fruit or vegetable
• The foods must meet the nutrient standards as outlined in the table below:

                           Nutrient Standards (per item as packaged)                                                                                     

Beverage Standards (Elementary & Middle School)

• Water: Plain, with or without carbonation
• Milk: Unflavored low-fat or flavored/unflavored fat-free
• Juice: 100% fruit or vegetable juice (≤ 8 oz)
• Juice + Water: Diluted 100% juice with no added sweeteners

Additional Notes

• Portion sizes and compliance vary slightly by grade level (elementary, middle, high school)
• Foods sold à la carte, in vending machines, or school stores during the school day must meet these standards
• Competitive foods should not be sold during breakfast and/or lunch per Wellness guidelines.

Whole Grain Snacks

• Whole grain granola bars (e.g., Annie’s, Nature Valley, Kashi, Quaker)
• Whole grain snack bars (e.g., Fieldstone, Nutri-Grain)
• Whole grain crackers and chips (e.g., Cheez-It Whole Grain, Goldfish Whole Grain, Special K Cracker Chips)
• Whole grain cereals (reduced sugar varieties)

Fruit & Vegetable-Based Snacks

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Dried fruit (no added sugar)
• Fruit cups in water or 100% juice
• Fruit-based pouches (e.g., Fruit Squish’ems)
• 100% fruit juices (Dole)

Low-Fat Dairy & Yogurt

• Low-fat or non-fat yogurt (e.g., Dannon, Yoplait, Trix)
• Low-fat smoothies
• Low-fat frozen yogurt cups
• Low-fat ice cream (small portions, e.g., NorthStar 3 oz. cups).

Baked & Reduced-Fat Treats

• Baked chips (e.g., Lay’s, Doritos, Tostitos)
• Reduced-fat cheese snacks (e.g., Cheetos, Fantastix)
• Whole grain cookies and muffins (e.g., Otis Spunkmeyer)
• Rice Krispies Treats (whole grain version)

Savory Whole Grain Snacks

• Pretzels (e.g., Rold Gold Heartzels, Goldfish Pretzels)
• Simply Chex mixes (whole grain options)

Sweet Treats (Limited Portions)

• Breakfast cookies (e.g., Quaker Oatmeal Raisin)
• Cereal bars (e.g., General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios)
• Fruit snacks (e.g., Scooby Doo, Fruit Roll-Up, Fruit by the Foot – check sugar content)
• Poptarts (whole grain, single pastry only)