Food Service Guidelines Implementation Toolkit

Introduction

Every day, millions of people get their food and beverages from worksites or public facilities. Implementing food service guidelines in these settings can set a positive example for employees, visitors, members of the community, and employers from other institutions. Changes in the type of food and beverages available in these settings can improve the diets of people who eat there and can contribute to their health and wellness.

How to use this toolkit

No matter where you are in your food service guidelines implementation process, you can get guidance and tools using this toolkit. The toolkit is organized around the Building Blocks of Food Service Guidelines.

To navigate through the toolkit, in the Building Blocks below you can click on:

• The main headings of each block for introductory information.
• The bulleted items under each block for specific information.

If you are just starting, begin with the links under “Build a Foundation.” If you want to add additional strategies to facilitate success of your initiative, pick a topic under "Strategize and Act." If you want to monitor and evaluate what you have done, you can go to that section of the toolkit. And finally, if you want to expand food service guidelines to other settings or venues, there is information for you.

Building Blocks of Food Service Guidelines

Build a Foundation	Strategize and Act	Monitor and Evaluate	Expand Your Initiative
Assess environment Select setting Identify your team Develop work plan	Add to policies and contracts Apply behavioral design Work with vendors Consider cultural foods Collaborate with wellness staff Use recognition programs	Monitor guidelines Evaluate guidelines Use multiple data sources Measure reach and impact Track other benefits	Apply to new settings or venues Adapt to places where food is served or distributed

Food service guidelines to use‎

Food service guidelines should align with the most current version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. If you are just starting this work, we recommend that you use the Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities. This is one of the most comprehensive sets of food service guidelines. It includes standards for food and nutrition, facility efficiency, environmental support, community development, food safety, and behavioral design.

The federal food service guidelines was written to improve access to healthier foods and beverages at federal facilities. However, this document is a model set of guidelines for other settings and can be used in your state or community.