This guide informs small entities participating in child nutrition programs about the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and how to comply with it. This guide does not include any new requirements; it just summarizes existing guidance related to the final rule.
A webinar for state agency and school food authority staff focused on the Final Rule: Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines For Americans.
On April 25, 2024, FNS published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This rule includes minor updates to the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program to better align Child Nutrition Program requirements. These updates represent continued progress toward supporting the nutrition quality of school meals, strengthening the Child Nutrition Programs, and advancing USDA’s commitment to nutrition security.
This rulemaking finalizes long-term school nutrition requirements based on the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, robust stakeholder input, and lessons learned from prior rulemakings.
CACFP meal pattern tables for all infant meals and snacks.
CACFP nutrition standards for the snack meal pattern.
Meal pattern for children and adults in CACFP for lunch and supper.
Schools provide some of the healthiest meals that kids eat which play an important role in providing the nutrition they need to grow and learn and school meals are about to get even better We know you want the best for our nation's children and USDA is investing in school meals to make them even healthier over the next several years.