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Basic page Study Series: School Meal Program Operations

We have studied school meal program operations for a long time. You can access published reports that go back to school year 1988-89. Each study in this series focuses on topics that are important to program operations at the time. Sometimes the studies also collect information about other child nutrition programs, like the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program.

03/24/2026
Resource | Research and Data School Meal Program Operations, School Year 2022-23

We regularly collect information about the school meal programs and how they operate from the people who know best – the state agencies that oversee the programs in each state and territory and the school food authorities that manage the programs locally in one or more schools. 

03/24/2026
Resource | Research and Data A Feasibility Assessment of Alternative Approaches for Reevaluating the Thrifty Food Plan

This study is a follow-up to the 2024 Alternative Approaches to Reevaluating the Thrifty Food Plan report and implements the alternative approaches in a series of test cases to provide detailed information on the feasibility of each option.

02/17/2026
Resource | Policy Generic Clearance to Conduct Formative Research or Development of Nutrition Education and Promotion Materials and Related Tools and Grants for FNS Population Groups

This request for approval of information collection is necessary to obtain input into the development of nutrition education interventions for population groups served by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. FNS also uses this collection to obtain input that can be used to develop and assess grants. 

02/17/2026
Program Data
October 2025 Performance Report
01/22/2026
Program Data
October 2025 Keydata Report

Keydata Report-October 2025

01/22/2026
Resource | Research and Data Summary of Peer Review Comments on Systematic Reviews Conducted by the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee conducted 28 systematic reviews with support from USDA’s Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review branch within the Food and Nutrition Service, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

01/20/2026
Resource | Research and Data Summary of Peer Review Comments on Food Pattern Modeling Conducted by the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee conducted Food Pattern Modeling analyses across 12 protocols with support from staff from USDA’s Nutrition and Economic Analysis Branch within the Food and Nutrition Service, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

01/20/2026
Resource | Research and Data Understanding Risk Assessment in SNAP Payment Accuracy

This study provides an overview of the risk assessment tools currently used by the state agencies that administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to categorize those program applications more likely to incur payment errors and allocate resources to improve the accuracy of benefit payments to families participating in SNAP. 

12/30/2025
Resource | Research and Data Food Distribution Program Tables

Food distribution program data.

12/23/2025
Page updated: October 14, 2021