Improving Health and Sustainability in Food Choices

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The Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations were developed as an innovative means of supporting sustainability and employee wellness in federal facilities. This is the first time that the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been used as the basis for a set of food guidelines. The guidelines address both nutrition and environmental responsibility in the food choices and food service operations at all Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and General Service Administration (GSA) locations. The guidelines are a collaborative effort of HHS and GSA to work with vendors to provide healthy and sustainable food options for HHS and GSA employees.

These landmark guidelines uniquely address the nutritional and environmental impacts of food service while aligning employee health and dietary demands with cafeterias, snack bars, and vending operations. Released in March 2011, the guidelines have been successfully implemented in the Humphrey Café at HHS headquarters and in more than 10 other GSA facilities nationwide, and they will eventually be implemented in all HHS and GSA managed locations. As a result, the guidelines have the potential to not only to improve the health of the many thousands who eat at these facilities every day but also to conserve resources and reduce waste associated with food service operations.

Visit the CDC page on Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations for more information.

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