FNS Documents & Resources

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program aims to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among students in the nation’s poorest elementary schools by providing free fresh fruits and vegetables to students outside of regular school meals. The results presented in this interim report, for the 2010-2011 school year, focus on the total quantity of fruits and vegetables consumed and total energy intake (also referred to as total caloric intake), allowing the assessment of whether any additional fruit and vegetable consumption was in addition to or in place of other foods consumed.

This final rule incorporates into the regulations governing the programs authorized under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) two nondiscretionary provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFK Act).

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) provides all children in participating schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school day.  It is an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options. 

Effective Oct.1, 2008, institutions receiving funds through the child nutrition programs may apply an optional geographic preference in the procurement of unprocessed locally grown or locally raised agricultural products.

This document informs the public about a change in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that affects the proposed rule "Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs'' issued by the Department of Agriculture and published in the Federal Register on Jan. 13, 2011.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010  clarifies requirements for participation in evaluations and research in the child nutrition programs. The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance on the implementation of this provision

This memorandum provides clarification on the statutory requirements for selecting schools and reiterates information from the Sept. 29, 2009 FFVP webinar on the targeting and outreach process that states must conduct in order to select schools.

The purpose of this memorandum is to update the definition of what is considered “unprocessed” for the purposes of applying the optional geographic preference for procurement in the child nutrition programs.

This memorandum updates and revises memoranda SP30-2008: Applying Geographic Preferences in Procurements for the Child Nutrition Programs, SP08-2009: Procurement Questions, and SP28-2009: Procurement Questions, regarding school food authorities’ and other institutions’ application of a geographic preference in procurements for the child nutrition programs.

This memorandum is to inform you of a recent change to the list of USDA-approved Nutrient Standard Menu Planning and School Meals Initiative nutrient analysis software programs available to state agencies, school food authorities and local schools to meet SMI requirements.