Clear Creek ISD students will get nutrition lessons built into their health classes starting in the 2027-28 school year under new state guidelines released Wednesday, Sept. 16.

The Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee (TNAC) published the state's first dietary guidelines as part of its inaugural report, KHOU reported. The guidelines will shape what CCISD's roughly 39,700 students as of the 2024-25 school year, spread across 46 campuses, learn about food and health.

Senate Bill 25, authored by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, created the seven-member committee. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed its members. The law, which took effect Sept. 1, 2025, requires health curriculum standards known as TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) in kindergarten through eighth grade to include nutrition instruction based on the TNAC guidelines. That requirement takes effect in the 2027-28 school year.

For CCISD's 27 elementary schools and 10 middle schools, the changes also include expanded physical education. Students entering sixth grade during the 2026-27 school year or later must participate in at least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity daily for at least six semesters, up from four under prior law. The law also prohibits school employees from withholding recess or PE as punishment, effective in the 2026-27 school year.

At the high school level, districts must offer a half-credit elective course in nutrition and wellness. Students don't have to take it.

TNAC Chair Jaclyn Albin said the guidelines are meant to be realistic. "It isn't about perfection," Albin said Sept. 16. "Starting with one or two realistic changes and building from there can make healthy eating more achievable and sustainable for Texans and their families."

The committee's dietary recommendations center on six points: fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit at every meal, eat three or more servings of healthy proteins daily, include healthy fats every day, eat foods for healthy bones and teeth, choose whole grains and drink water, reducing or avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol.

Baylor College of Medicine registered dietitian Lisa Froechtenigt called the guidelines a positive public health message. She noted that frozen and canned fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious as fresh options. Cost and access to transportation remain barriers for some families, Froechtenigt said.

Kolkhorst cited the scale of the problem the law aims to address. The U.S. healthcare system spends $4.5 trillion annually, with 90% of those funds directed toward chronic and mental health conditions, the senator said Sept. 16.

CCISD and Superintendent Karen Engle have not publicly commented on how the district plans to implement the new requirements. The district, headquartered in League City, has until the 2027-28 school year to incorporate the nutrition standards into K-8 health classes.