Healthy Kids Act

The purpose of the Healthy Kids Act is to establish physical activity requirements for students in kindergarten through 12th grade and to establish nutritional content standards for food and beverages sold on or provided on school grounds during the school day (first bell to last bell).

The Healthy Kids Act was signed into law by Iowa Governor Culver on May 13, 2008. Specifically, the Healthy Kids Act:

• Established nutritional content standards for food and beverages sold or provided on school grounds during the school day - effective July 1, 2010.
• Requires school districts and accredited non-public schools to ensure every student in grades K-5 has 30 minutes per day of physical activity and every student in grades 6-12 has 120 minutes per week of physical activity - effective July 1, 2009.
• Requires every student to complete a course that leads to certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by the end of grade 12 - effective for the class of 2011-2012.
• Requires Iowa's Area Education Agencies (AEAs), or a consortium of two or AEAs, to contract with a licensed dietitian - effective July 1, 2009.

Full Text of Healthy Kids Act

Nutrition

One purpose of the Healthy Kids Act is to establish nutritional content standards for food and beverages sold or provided on school grounds during the school day. To give schools time to work with vendors, the nutrition content standards will be effective for the 2010-2011 school year.

School Breakfast and Lunch Program - Nutritional Content Standards

 
Nutrition Calculator will determine whether a food product meets the Healthy Kids Act Nutritional Content Standards for a la carte, vending, and regulated fundraising items sold to students during the school day.

Why was the Healthy Kids Act developed?

The number of youth who are overweight in Iowa now appears to outpace national rates, putting our students at an increased risk for chronic diseases. In addition to preventing overweight and obesity among children, this act was created to:

Help children develop healthy eating habits. Schools have a responsibility to create an environment that supports and encourages healthy eating. The Healthy Kids Nutritional Content Standards will maximize the availability of high nutrient dense foods while also helping students develop healthy eating habits. 

Promote active lifestyles. Current research makes it clear regular physical activity can help increase students' capacity for learning and improve academic performance. Additionally, physical activity has numerous health benefits, including improving muscular strength and endurance as well as reducing the risk for chronic disease.

Provide students with a solid foundation for a better future. Positive experiences with nutrition and physical activity help lay the foundation for maintaining those habits later in life.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Staff

• Choose nutritious foods and be physically active to be a role model for students.
• Involve students in school wellness.
• Offer healthy choices to students, in and out of the classroom.
• Remind parents to provide healthy treats for students during school parties.
• Educate students on the Local Wellness Policy and Healthy Kids Act as it relates to them.
• Start a worksite wellness initiative.

Students

• Be a role model for your peers.
• Be physically active every day.
• Select nutritious foods.
• Start or join your school's wellness team.
• Start a wellness initiative.
• Incorporate wellness into other activities.

Parents 

• Be a role model for your children.
• Eat family meals.
• Be active with your kids.
• Encourage healthy meals and snacks.
• Involve your children in meal planning.
• Send healthy foods to school.
• Support school wellness events or serve on your school's wellness team.

For more information, visit the  Healthy Kids Act Web Site .