Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Smart Snacks in School standards, beverages sold in schools are restricted to water, flavored or unflavored non-fat milk or unflavored low-fat milk (and milk alternatives), and 100% fruit and vegetable juices; and, at the high school level, diet (≤10 kcal), low-calorie (≤60 kcal), and caffeinated beverages may also be sold. Using data from the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study, this study examined whether secondary school student beverage consumption was associated with school-level à la carte and vending machine beverage availability, controlling for district, school, and student characteristics. On average, most beverages sold in middle schools (84.54%) and high schools (74.11%) were Smart Snacks compliant; while 24.06 percent of middle school students and 14.64 percent of high school students reported consuming non-compliant beverages, including non-compliant milk, fruit drinks, and sports or energy drinks. School beverage availability was not related to consumption among middle school students; however, high school students were less likely to consume non-compliant beverages when enrolled in schools that sold a higher proportion of compliant beverages (Range: OR = 0.97-0.98, 95% CI = 0.95, 1.00). Findings from this study build upon prior research illustrating the role that schools can play in influencing student dietary intake.
Keywords: Smart Snacks; beverage; dietary intake; nutrition; school policy.