What are values-aligned foods? 

Values-aligned food items are foods that support a multitude of values such as foods grown according to environmental sustainability practices, meats that have been raised with care and concern for animal welfare, foods that honor human and workers rights, or perhaps foods grown in accordance with climate-smart agriculture practices and more.

When getting started, CAF recommends:

1. Establishing a department vision 
2. Drafting or updating the district wellness policy (which is a federal requirement) 
3. Drafting or updating food standards that reflect the department’s vision and not only the federal meal guidelines 
4. Setting procurement goals for how much and what type of local and/or values-aligned foods the department wishes to buy and serve as part of this transition

Establishing a Vision

A program vision is a declaration of a department’s objectives. In this case, regarding scratch cooking and food quality, it outlines a desired future state for these meals. An example of what a department’s vision might look like is: 

This School Food & Nutrition Services Department is committed to advancing student academic achievement by providing meals that are delicious, nutritious, and culturally appropriate. We will ensure that fresh, local, organic, and climate-smart fruits, vegetables, dairy, and other foods that make up the school meal programs are included in every meal, daily. In doing so, we will turn our cafeterias into classrooms and leverage the story of our values-aligned foods as another tool our district can use to advance students’ academic success.

Wellness Policy

All SFAs participating in the NSLP and the SBP are required by federal law to establish a local school wellness policy (LSWP) for all schools under its jurisdiction. On July 29, 2016, the USDA FNS released finalized regulations to create a framework and guidelines for written LSWP entitled Final Rule: Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the HHFKA of 2010. This document intends to define a school district’s effort to establish a school environment that promotes student health, well being and ability to learn. 

What a strong wellness policy can do for an SFA:

1. Limit or eliminate the number and type of unhealthy and competitive foods sold or served on campus, like classroom parties or vending machines 
2. Ensure bell schedules take into account mealtimes, and the length of lunch and breakfast periods 
3. Support the use of gardens as nutrition education tools and opportunities 

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation provides resources to help a district put an effective LSWP into practice.

Once you have developed these standards, an SFA may want to: 

1. Post them on the SFAs webpage 
2. Include them as an addendum or cover page for future solicitations 
3. Include them in the SFAs Local School Wellness Policy

Some SFAs draft these procurement goals and turn them into action plans, while others use them as a North Star to guide procurements and/or others share them with board members and the community to solicit support for these goals when appropriate. An example of an SFA’s procurement goals can be found here.

CAF also recommends that SFAs set up systems to track the amount of money spent on local or values-aligned foods during this step.