Help make the healthy choice

the easy choice for kids at school

A Guide to Smart 

Snacks in School
Learn About 

Smart Snacks

1

Do you...

Coordinate school fundraisers,

Manage a school store or snack bar,

Sell food during the school day on campus,

Manage school vending machines, or

Want healthier foods on your school’s campus?

If you checked any of the boxes above, then the foods and beverages you’re 

selling need to meet the Smart Snacks in School Standards. You play an 

important role in helping kids get the nutrition they need to grow and learn. 

Use this guide to learn how!

If you didn’t check a box and still want to learn more about encouraging kids to 

choose Smart Snacks in school, see the resources on page 14.
Why are Smart Snacks 

important?

11 More than a quarter of kids’ daily calories may come 

from snacks.

2 Kids who have healthy eating patterns are more likely to

perform better academically.

13 Kids consume more healthy foods and beverages during the 

school day. When they are Smart Snacks, the healthy choice is 

the easy choice.

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2

Smart Snacks Standards are a Federal requirement for all foods 

sold outside the National School Lunch Program and School 

Breakfast Program.
Which food and beverages 

sold at school need to meet the 

Smart Snacks Standards?

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1

Any food and beverage sold to students at schools during the 

school day,* other than those foods provided as part of the school 

meal programs.

2 Examples include à la carte items sold in the cafeteria and foods

sold in school stores, snack bars, and vending machines.

13 Foods and beverages sold during fundraisers, unless these items 

are not intended for consumption at school or are otherwise 

exempt by your state.

* The school day is defined as the midnight before to 30 minutes after the

end of the school day.

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The Smart Snacks Standards apply only to locations on 

the school campus that are accessible to students. So, this 

does not include places like the teachers’ lounge, although 

you may choose to vend healthy snacks there too.
How can I tell if my snack meets 

the Smart Snacks Standards?

11 See if your snack is listed in the Products section of the 

Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Smart Food Planner 

(https://foodplanner.healthiergeneration.org/products). These 

products were determined to meet the Smart Snacks Standards based 

on the product’s ingredient statement and Nutrition Facts panel.

12 Enter information from the food or beverage’s Nutrition 

Facts panel and ingredients list into the Alliance for a 

Healthier Generation’s Smart Snacks Product Calculator 

(https://foodplanner.healthiergeneration.org/calculator). It 

is important to note that the standards are for the food items as 

packaged and sold. Therefore, if the item is labeled as having 

two servings per package, then the information in the Nutrition 

Facts panel must be multiplied by two. The Smart Snacks Product 

Calculator does this math for you.

If your snack doesn’t have a nutrition label because it is made 

13 from scratch, use the MyRecipe feature in the SuperTracker 

(https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/myrecipe.aspx) to 

calculate the nutrition information. Your school nutrition

program may also have nutrient analysis software approved

by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA; 

http://go.usa.gov/cvNaC) which can be used to evaluate recipes.

Look for the blue information icons 

in the Smart Snacks Product 

Calculator! These helpful bubbles 

include additional information and 

regulatory guidance so you can enter 

product information correctly and get 

an accurate result. 4
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Does USDA have a list of 

approved foods and beverages?

USDA does not approve individual foods or beverages. Even if 

a food says “Smart Snacks approved,” you should still evaluate 

the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredients list.

You can find examples of foods and beverages that meet

the standards by browsing the Products section of the

Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Smart Food Planner

(https://foodplanner.healthiergeneration.org/products).

If you still have questions about a food or beverage, refer to 

the Smart Snacks in Schools: Questions and Answers (http://

www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/cn/SP23-2014v3os.pdf) 

and consult your State agency (http://www.fns.usda.gov/

school-meals/school-meals-contacts).

Fruits, vegetables, and water with no added ingredients are 

always Smart Snacks!

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2

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How do I find out if my granola 

bar is a Smart Snack? 

Granola bars and other snack bars that have as a first 

ingredient a whole grain (e.g., whole grain rolled oats), 

protein food (e.g., nuts), dairy, fruit, or vegetable will 

meet the general standards. Then, the product must 

be measured against the nutrient snack standards 

for calories, sodium, sugar, and fats. You can use the 

Smart Snacks Product Calculator to assist you with 

evaluating the product against the snack standards.

Tip:

When checking to see if your snack meets the standards, be 

sure to consider both how it is packaged as well as how it is 

sold, including all accompaniments. For example, if butter is 

added to popcorn, or ranch dressing is sold along with veggies, 

be sure to count the nutrition information for these condiments 

when determining if your snack meets the standards.

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What are the Smart Snacks 

Standards for foods?

To qualify as a Smart Snack, a snack or entrée must first meet the general 

nutrition standards:

• Be a grain product that contains 50 percent or more whole grains by

weight (have a whole grain as the first ingredient); or

• Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a

protein food; or

• Be a combination food that contains at least 1⁄4 cup of fruit and/or

vegetable; and

• The food must meet the nutrient standards for calories, sodium, sugar,

and fats:

Nutrient Snack Entrée

Calories 200 calories or less 350 calories or less

Sodium 200 mg or less 480 mg or less

Total Fat 35% of calories or less 35% of calories or less

Saturated Fat Less than 10% of calories Less than 10% of calories 

Trans Fat 0 g 0 g

Sugar 35% by weight or less 35% by weight or less

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What is an entrée? 

For purposes of Smart Snacks, an entrée is defined as the main course of a 

meal that has a combination of: 

• meat/meat alternate + whole grain-rich food;

• vegetable + meat/meat alternate;

• fruit + meat/meat alternate;

• meat/meat alternate alone, except for meat snacks (e.g., beef jerky),

yogurt, cheese, nuts, seeds, and nut or seed butters; and

• a grain only, whole grain-rich entrée that is served as the main dish of

the School Breakfast Program reimbursable meal.

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Finding Information on the 

Nutrition Facts Panel and 

Ingredients List

Enter this information into the Smart Snacks Product Calculator 

(https://foodplanner.healthiergeneration.org/calculator) to see if

your snack meets the standards.

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Serving Size & 

Servings Per 

Container

Calories

Total Fat

Saturated Fat

Trans Fat

Sodium

Sugars

First Ingredient
10

Are there healthy exemptions to 

certain nutrient requirements?

The Smart Snacks Standards reflect practical and flexible solutions for 

healthy eating. A few foods or combinations of foods are exempt from certain 

nutrient standards. Refer to the table below for examples of these exemptions. 

For additional information, refer to the Smart Snacks Summary Chart at 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/allfoods_summarychart.pdf.

Food Smart Snacks 

Standards Exemptions

Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, with no added 

ingredients

Canned fruits packed in 100% juice or light syrup, with no 

added ingredients except water

Canned vegetables (no salt added/low sodium), with no 

added fats

Exempt from all 

nutrient standards

Reduced-fat cheese (including part-skim mozzarella)

Nuts, seeds, or nut/seed butters

Apples with reduced-fat cheese*

Celery with peanut butter (and unsweetened raisins)*

Whole eggs with no added fat

Exempt from the total fat and 

saturated fat standards, but 

must meet all other nutrient 

standards

Seafood with no added fat (e.g., canned tuna packed

in water)

Exempt from the total fat 

standard, but must meet all 

other nutrient standards

Dried fruits with no added sugars Exempt from the sugar 

standards, but must meet all 

Dried cranberries, tart cherries, or blueberries, sweetened other nutrient standards

only for processing and/or palatability, with no added fats

Trail mix of only dried fruits and nuts and/or seeds, with no 

added sugars or fats 

Exempt from the total fat, 

saturated fat, and sugar 

standards, but must meet all 

other nutrient standards

*Paired exemptions are always required to meet the calorie and sodium limits for Smart Snacks.
What are the 

Smart Snacks 

Standards for

Beverages?

Water

Plain, with or without 

carbonation

No Limit

100% fruit or vegetable juice, with or without carbonation

Juice

Elementary School Middle School High School

8 fl oz 8 oz

12 fl oz 12 fl oz

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Milk

Unflavored low-fat, unflavored fat-free, or flavored fat-free milk; milk 

alternatives as permitted by the National School Lunch Program/School 

Breakfast Program

Elementary School

8 fl oz

Middle School

12 fl oz 12 fl oz

High School
Elementary School

8 fl oz

Middle School

12 fl oz 12 fl oz

High School

100% fruit or vegetable juice diluted with water, with or without 

carbonation and with no added sweeteners

Diluted Juice

Low- and no-calorie beverages, with or without caffeine and/or 

carbonation; calorie-free, flavored water

Low- and No-Calorie Beverages (High School Only)

“Lower Calorie” Maximum 40 

calories/8 fl oz. Maximum 60 

calories/12 fl oz. (Equivalent 

to 5 calories per fluid ounce).

“No Calorie” Less than 5 

calories/8 fl oz. Maximum 

10 calories/20 fl oz.

12 fl oz 20 fl oz

Do you have questions about Smart Snacks Standards? Get more 

information by reviewing the Smart Snacks in School: Questions and 

Answers (http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SP23-2014os.

pdf) or contact your State agency (http://www.fns.usda.gov/schoolmeals/school-meals-contacts).

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How do the Smart Snacks 

Standards affect school 

fundraisers?

11 Sales of foods and beverages that meet the Smart Snacks 

Standards and sales of nonfood items (e.g., wrapping paper and 

apparel) are not limited under the Federal policy. 

2 Fundraising activities that occur during nonschool hours, on 

weekends, or at off-campus events are not limited under the 

Federal policy. 

13 Fundraisers selling foods that are intended to be consumed 

outside the school day are not limited under the Federal policy.

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13

Some States allow a certain number of in-school fundraisers to 

be exempt from the Smart Snacks Standards. Contact your State 

agency for more information.
What if my school district wants 

to have stricter standards?

These Federal standards are the minimum requirements. State agencies and/

or local school districts can establish stricter standards, if desired. Consult your 

school’s Local School Wellness Policy for more information.

What are some other resources?

Team Nutrition 

http://teamnutrition.usda.gov 

Access free nutrition education resources like this Guide to Smart Snacks in 

School handout.

Tools for Schools

http://www.fns.usda.gov/healthierschoolday/tools-schools-focusingsmart-snacks

Read more about Smart Snacks regulations and policies and get answers to 

common questions.

Healthy Meals Resource System: Healthy Fundraising

http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/local-wellness-policy-resources/

wellness-policy-elements/healthy-fundraising

Get ideas for healthier fundraising activities.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture

Food and Nutrition Service

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

FNS-623 | July 2016