These regulations are aimed at improving the health of children, teaching students a lifelong lesson about good nutrition and prompting fund-raising groups to consider healthy ways to bring in donations.

The new rules limit all food and beverages sold to students on campuses during the daytime (midnight through 30 minutes after school ends) to those that meet strict nutritional guidelines governing calorie counts, sodium levels, trans fats and whole grains.

The rules effectively ban on-campus sales to students of such foods and beverages as candy, cookies, cookie dough, cupcakes, doughnuts, soda, energy drinks and other such snacks.

The regulations define sold as: “The exchange of food for money, coupons, vouchers or order forms on a school campus.”

The rules apply to:

• All foods sold to students before school, during school and through one-half hour after any after-school program ends
• All foods sold from a student store
• All foods sold to students for the purpose of fundraising
• Any fundraising that involves food sales (i.e. cookie dough) where order forms and money exchange occurs on campus by students 

The rules do not apply to:

• Food sold to adults
• Food sold and exchanged off campus
• Children’s lunches and snacks brought from home
• Food shared at holiday parties, potlucks and birthday parties
• Food sold at events, including sporting events, held at night or on the weekends

There are many opportunities for fundraising that do not include food that falls under these regulations.