New Hampshire schools already set on snack guidelines

Feb. 11—The U.S. government is taking steps to further limit junk food in school vending machines and cafeteria lines, but it won’t mean a big change for New Hampshire students.

At the beginning of February, the Department of Agriculture released its “Smart Snacks in Schools” proposal that promotes replacing sugary options like cookies, cake and snack bars with whole-grain, lower sugar items like granola bars. However, when those changes take place, New Hampshire students may not see much of a change in their vending machine or lunch line choices.

“Our current snack program does conform to the strictest criteria for snack items that’s currently available,” said Chris Faro, district manager for dining management provider Cafe Services, The Dover and Somersworth school districts outsource to Cafe Services to handle all food service needs, including vending machines.