FNS Documents & Resources

Attached are Q&As on the final rule Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements (83 FR 63775, Dec. 12, 2018), which provides menu planning flexibilities in the child nutrition programs beginning July 1, 2019.

This memorandum rescinds and replaces memorandum SP 10-2012 (v. 9), Questions and Answers on the Final Rule “Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs,” dated Aug. 3, 2015.

This memorandum rescinds and replaces SP19-2018, issued Aug. 6, 2018. This updated memorandum clarifies regulations that water made available to students in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program shall not compete with the milk requirement.

This memorandum supersedes policy memo SP 31-2013, “Salad Bars in the National School Lunch Program,” dated March 27, 2013. This revision includes policy changes and general updates to outdated resources/website links and updated questions and answers.

FNS is issuing a suite of memoranda providing updated guidance for operators in the child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program.

FNS is extending a waiver of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program meal pattern requirements to support access to nutritious meals while minimizing potential exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID–19) this summer.

This memorandum provides questions and answers on the meal pattern requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program. FNS collected and answered a variety of questions since the updated meal patterns were published in April 2016.

This waiver extends the SFSP Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs – Extension 5—granted on July 30, 2020, that expires on Aug. 31, 2020—through Sept. 30, 2020, or for the duration of summer operations, whichever is earlier.

Under this waiver, CACFP operators in states that elect to be subject to this waiver may serve meals that do not meet specified meal pattern requirements during the public health emergency due to COVID-19. 

FNS waives, for all states, the requirements to serve meals that meet specified meal pattern requirements during the public health emergency due to COVID–19. This waiver applies to state agencies administering and local organizations operating the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. These flexibilities also apply to the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option.