Access to Healthy Beverages

Action steps to increase access to healthy beverages in local schools include:

Work with s school wellness councils/school officials to require that all schools provide students with low-fat or non-fat milk.
The AAP-endorsed Dietary Recommendations for Children and Adolescents: A Guide for Practitioners recommends that school-aged children consume 2-3 servings of low-fat or non-fat milk. Schools should provide only low-fat and non-fat milk to students during school breakfast and lunch programs.

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Work with school wellness councils to ensure that schools have access to clean drinking water.
Schools in rural or unincorporated areas may not have access to municipal water sources and schools in impoverished districts may suffer from dilapidated plumbing causing water discoloration or contamination. These limitations discourage or in some cases prohibit students from accessing drinking water, instead encouraging the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages or juices.

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Limit Access to Unhealthy Beverages​

Action steps to limit access to unhealthy beverages in local schools include:

Work with school wellness councils/school officials to eliminate the sale of soft drinks in schools during school and non-school hours.
Many school districts offer sugar-sweetened soft-drinks and other beverages in vending machines during school and non-school hours. Cash-strapped school districts find that these vending machines are sources of additional revenue, and often times fund after school programs with money raised from the vending machines. Eliminating unhealthy options in these vending machines and/or replacing the vending machines with other revenue streams can encourage healthy habits among students.

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Point of Purchase

Action steps for point of purchase in the local schools include:

Work with school wellness councils/school officials to promote healthy beverages in school cafeterias.
Many school districts offer sugar-sweetened soft-drinks and other beverages in vending machines during school and non-school hours. Cash-strapped school districts find that these vending machines are sources of additional revenue and often time fund after school programs with money raised from the vending machines. Eliminating unhealthy options in these vending machines and/or replacing the vending machines with other revenue streams can encourage healthy habits among students.

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Change Relative Pricing

Action steps for point of purchase in the local schools include:

Work with school wellness councils/school officials s to provide discounts for milk and other healthy beverages in schools.
Schools can encourage milk consumption among students by reducing or eliminating the cost of milk to students and their families. Providing milk at a substantially reduced price can encourage the consumption of milk over sugar-sweetened beverages and soft drinks.

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Media Campaigns

Action steps to develop media campaigns in the local schools include:

Work with school wellness councils/school officials s to ensure that schools are free of marketing from soft drink companies, including vending machines.
Many school districts offer sugar-sweetened soft-drinks and other beverages in vending machines during school and non-school hours. Cash-strapped school districts find that these vending machines are sources of additional revenue and often time fund after school programs with money raised from the vending machines. Eliminating unhealthy options in these vending machines and/or replacing the vending machines with other revenue streams can encourage healthy habits among students.

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Last Updated

03/15/2022

Source

American Academy of Pediatrics