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 final rule - Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans - is the next step in continuing the science-based improvement of school meals and advancing USDA’s commitment to nutrition security.
Healthy Eating Index scores range from 0 to 100 and are a measure of diet quality used to assess how well a set of foods aligns with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A higher score is ideal. The FDPIR Food Package scores an 84. This is higher than the average U.S. diet, which scores a 59.
This webinar gives an overview of the rulemaking process, highlights specific regulatory changes and provisions that impact the school meal programs, and provides information regarding resources for the final rule.
Check out this database to access vendor-specific product information for all direct delivered USDA Foods for the National School Lunch Program.
These resources provide school nutrition professionals with the knowledge and tools to implement and meet the professional standards requirements within their programs.
List of NPA approved processors for USDA Foods in Schools by school year.
The average material prices are listed by school year and used by processors participating in the USDA Foods processing program.
FNS is aware that schools in multiple states are experiencing milk supply chain challenges related to packaging issues. This memorandum provides state agencies with information about existing authority related to schools and other child nutrition program operators experiencing inadequate milk supply. FNS encourages state agencies to use this authority when needed to support program operators impacted by the current milk packaging challenges.
This gallery features links to outside organizations that provide programming, funding, or resources specifically tailored to ITOs. These organizations often link to additional resources and can be a source to help identify partners for future nutrition-related projects or initiatives.