Policy and Guidelines on Healthy Food and Beverage Choices in Schools and in DepEd Offices.

The policy aims to promote healthy eating habits among students and Department of Education (DepEd) employees by ensuring the availability of nutritious, affordable, and safe food choices. The policy restricts the sale and advertising of foods high in fats, sugar, and salt in school canteens and DepEd offices and implements a color-coding scheme for foods. The guidelines also emphasize the importance of hygiene, proper food handling, safe drinking water, and the promotion of a clean and conducive eating environment. The policy provides specific food standards and encourages the use of the Pinggang Pinoy plate-based food guide for balanced meals. It requires schools and DepEd offices to develop healthy menus based on nutritional guidelines and to evaluate food products using nutrition facts and categorization schemes.