In this program guidance, Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke L. Rollins, strongly encourages child nutrition program operators to familiarize themselves with the key recommendations and consider how the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 can be incorporated into program meals and snacks to promote healthy outcomes and healthy families.
As a reminder, meals and snacks offered through the child nutrition programs may be claimed for federal reimbursement if they meet the federal nutrition requirements and other federal regulations. State agencies may not withhold federal reimbursement for meals that meet the federal requirements, even if additional state requirements are not met. However, if a state provides an additional reimbursement above the federal reimbursement, they may withhold the state reimbursement.
This training series is designed to assist school food authorities, state agencies, and others in implementing the updated nutrition standards for school meals.
Back to school means back to tasty, healthy meals served to nearly 30 million children every school day.
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.
This interactive webinar series highlights resources and materials that address hot topics in school meals. FNS regional offices, state agencies, school food authorities and others who may be interested are invited to participate.
USDA Foods in Schools product information sheets with description and WBSCM ID for vegetables.
USDA Foods product information sheets containing USDA Foods description and WBSCM ID for fruits.
USDA Foods in Schools Foods product information sheets containing USDA Foods description and WBSCM ID for meat/meat alternates.