National School Lunch Program

 In FY 2018, schools served over 4.8 billion lunches to children nationwide.

 In FY 2018, schools served over 4.8 billion lunches to children nationwide.

Feeding the Future with Healthy School Lunches

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.

Program Fact Sheet
lunch line

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State Agency Program Operator Household

What's New?

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NSLP USDA Foods Product Information Sheets - Grains
Info Sheets
Child Nutrition Tables
Data
Team Nutrition E-STAR Training Grants for State Agencies
Grant
Prior Year NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants
Grants
FNS-101: National School Lunch Program
Fact Sheets
Evaluation of the Direct Certification with Medicaid for Free and Reduced-Price Meals Demonstration - Year 1
Research
USDA/USDC Authorized Labels and Manufacturers
Technical Assistance & Guidance
Crediting Coconut, Hominy, Corn Masa, and Masa Harina in the Child Nutrition Programs
Policy Memos
Tools for Schools: Focusing on Smart Snacks
Toolkits
SP 33-2019 Updated Local Agency Procurement Review Tool for School Food Authorities for School Year 2019-2020
Policy Memos
Buy American and the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
Policy Memos
Food Distribution Program: Value of Donated Foods (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020)
Notice
Method II ART Grant Summaries
Grants
Demonstration Project for Non-Congregate Feeding for Outdoor Summer Meal Sites Experiencing Excessive Heat with Questions & Answers
Policy
USDA FNS Data Validation Service Information for Vendors and State System Owners
Webinars/Videos
Evaluation of the School Meal Data Collection Process
Research

Spotlights

Smart Snacks in Schools

Tools for Schools: Focusing on Smart Snacks

A number of tools and resources are available to help schools identify food items that meet Smart Snacks criteria. See the resources below for information about the Smart Snacks requirement, helpful tools, and ways to encourage children to make healthier snack choices that give them the nutrition they need to grow and learn.

Verification Toolkit
Community Eligibility Provision