Use Recognition Programs

Strategize and Act on Food Service Guidelines

At a glance

Recognition programs can help facilitate food service guidelines. The publicity provided can encourage other settings to implement food service guidelines. There are several considerations for using recognition programs.

Chef and kitchen staff taking a selfie after receiving recognition with audience applauding.

Introduction

Recognition or certification programs can incentivize worksites or community facilities to implement food service guidelines. These programs encourage workplaces to go beyond minimum criteria and reward implementing food service guidelines more fully.

Recognition programs can be at the national, state, and community levels. They provide publicity, such as positive press or signage, for organizations meeting a minimum of food service standards or nutritional criteria. Sometimes, programs have tiered levels of certification, such as gold, silver, and bronze.

Worksite wellness programs often implement food service guidelines to meet recognition program requirements. Worksite wellness is usually part of a broader initiative. This broad initiative includes other health-related strategies such as promoting physical activity and breastfeeding and reducing stress and tobacco use.

Finally, recognition programs help recruit new settings. This is because leaders in these settings have likely witnessed the publicity other places received and want to be similarly recognized.

Four chefs or kitchen staff with healthy food giving a "thumbs up" sign.
Recognition programs may get more settings to adopt food service guidelines.

Considerations

When implementing recognition or certification programs, consider:

  • Offering technical assistance and resources in addition to publicity. Staff may not know how to implement without your help.
  • Identifying specific food and nutrition criteria for each level of certification.
  • Defining how you will determine that the food service guidelines are met.
  • Defining the length of time that the certification is valid and how renewal will occur.

Building Certification Programs‎

One path to operationalizing food service guidelines in a facility is through building certification programs such as Fitwel. Fitwel includes providing healthy food options as part of broader health and well-being certification standards. Examples of other standards are increasing physical activity, promoting occupant safety, and reducing morbidity and absenteeism. Facilities can apply for this certification.

Program successes

Watch the following videos to learn how Colorado used recognition criteria in hospitals across the state.

Next steps

Icon of a checklist and a file of papers against a peach colored background.
Monitor and Evaluate
Consider feasibility, data available, people affected, and any co-benefits.

Return to "Building Blocks"

Use the "Building Blocks of Food Service Guidelines" to navigate to other parts of the Food Service Guidelines Implementation Toolkit.

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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)