Kids, let the hoarding commence. A recent government program called "Smart Snacks in Schools" has future plans to limit students' access to unhealthy snack options, starting with banning all junk food in schools nationwide.

In announcing Smart Snacks in Schools, the government has focused its attention on what it calls "competitive foods," foods that do not comprise the normal school lunch. These include the myriad snacks that kids consume throughout the day, which are sold a la carte in lunch lines, in vending machines, and perhaps even at bake sales depending on how much control the states receive. Cookies, candy, soft drinks, full-fat chips, and a handful of others will all be given the axe come the start of the 2014-2015 school year.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke to the growing health concern of America's youth.

"Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children," he said in a statement.

In addition to cutting out high-calorie sports drinks and candy bars, the government plans to replace the unhealthy options with diet-conscious alternatives. Vending machine items that fail to cut the mustard will be replaced with healthier choices, like granola bars and low-fat chips.

The earliest roots of the program trace back to December 2010 when Congress first passed a bill to expand the school lunch program and improve its quality with more fruits and vegetables. At $4.5 billion, about half the cost is being financed by a cut in food stamps. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law under its current name, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

Now its implementation has started showing early life. Several criteria must be met under the Smart Snacks in Schools program, according to USA Today's report:

Under the new nutrition standards, all competitive foods must:

-Have no more than 200 calories for snacks and side dishes; and no more than 350 calories for entrees that are not part of the school-meal program.

-Meet requirements for fat, saturated fat, and sugar. They can contain no trans-fat. Some exceptions on the fat limits will be allowed for foods such as reduced-fat cheese and nuts.

-Be a fruit, vegetable, dairy product, protein food, whole-grain-rich grain product, or a combination food that contains at least ¼ cup of fruit or vegetable. For the first two years after the standards go into effect, foods can qualify as a competitive food if they contain at least 10 percent of a nutrient that's been designated as public health concern for children such as calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or fiber.

Roughly one-third of all American children are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the past 30 years, obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents, lending credence to the timeliness of the governmental program.

"It's great to be one step closer to getting junk food out of schools," said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Eventually all school foods will have to contain real food - fruit, vegetable or other healthy food component. Companies won't be able to just fortify snacks with cheap nutrients and then sell them in schools as healthy."

The new guidelines stipulate that a la carte options can also include certain foods if they're being served as regular entrées, such as hamburgers or tacos. Beverages will be limited to carbonated water, spring water, unflavored low-fat milk, flavored fat-free or soy milk, and 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices.

Schools can elect to start phasing in healthier breakfast alternatives this fall, with the rest of the competitive foods coming in late 2014.

"School cafeterias are still in the midst of making school lunch changes. Breakfast regulations go into effect this fall, and new sodium limits will phase in at the same time as the competitive food rule," said Sandra Ford, president of the School Nutrition Association, a non-profit group representing school food-service professionals. "We need time to evaluate the impact of these changes on school meal programs and to encourage students to accept these healthier choices."