Dive Brief:

• The Edmonds School District in Washington state is banning party snacks in an attempt to encourage healthier choices.  
• The ban mainly affects birthday celebrations, where students in the past have been known to bring desserts to share with their classmates.    
• According to the Daily Herald, the federal school Wellness Policy influenced the ban, as it mandates that superintendents oversee the nutritional standards for all food items on campus — not just the ones prepared by the cafeteria.  

​Dive Insight:

The Wellness Policy requires nutritional monitoring of all foods sold on campus, from food prepared by parent groups to the snacks in vending machines and student stores. This does not include party snacks given to students, but Edmonds School District decided to take the requirements to another level.  

Ideally, the ban won't just encourage healthy eating, but will also encourage students to focus less on the material aspects of birthday parties and more on the peer they are celebrating.