Schools are not only a place for reading, writing and arithmetic; they also play a meaningful role in helping to teach children about the importance of a balanced diet and exercise. Because it’s National School Lunch Week, we thought we would take this opportunity to share some information about the significant changes our member companies successfully implemented in schools nationwide.

Through our School Beverage Guidelines, we removed full-calorie soft drinks from all schools and replaced them with more lower-calorie, smaller-portion options.  This initiative drove a 90 percent reduction in beverage calories shipped to schools between 2004 and the end of the 2009-2010 school year.  In fact, recently released USDA regulations for foods sold in schools closely mirror our guidelines.

After all, we recognize that schools are unique places.  And we delivered change that will have a meaningful and lasting impact for generations to come.  Learn more about our School Beverage Guidelines by clicking here.