FNS Documents & Resources

Updated School Meal Standards: working towards a common goal of healthy children and helping them reach their full potential.

School meals will continue to include fruits and vegetables, emphasize whole grains, and give kids the right balance of nutrients for healthy, tasty meals. For the first time, schools will focus on products with less added sugar, especially in school breakfast.

School nutrition professionals continue to make school meals the healthiest meals children eat in a day! To take school meals to the next level, USDA is updating the school nutrition standards after considering recommendations from the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans and listening to a diverse range of voices with experience in child nutrition and health.

The purpose of the case management services is to guide E&T participants towards appropriate E&T components and activities based on the participant's needs and interests, to support the participant in the E&T program and to provide activities and resources that will assist the participant toward self-sufficiency.

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997, modified the Employment and Training (E&T) Program so that states' efforts are now focused on a particular segment of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) population—able-bodied adults without dependents.

State agencies must maintain quarterly E&T Program Activity Reports containing monthly figures for participation in the program. State agencies report this data using the online Food Program Reporting System.

School meals, and the school nutrition professionals that provide them, help children be strong physically and mentally. Celebrate the school community and promote healthy foods with these fun new school meals materials.

FNS plans to conduct an annual assessment through the School Meals Operations Study in SY 2023–24. This notice covers the fourth year of the SMO Study, which will collect data from state and local agencies on the CN COVID–19 waivers as well as data on state and local CN program operations during SY 2022–23. Data collection will occur in SY 2023–24.

The information collected from the individuals and households permits them to apply for benefits (including assistance during disasters or situations of distress) or to recertify their eligibility. FNS uses this information to manage the Food Distribution Programs and monitor the use of federal funds.

Tools for Schools offers topic-specific policy and resource materials to assist schools in meeting the new nutrition standards. Refer to the latest regulations, find free nutrition education curricula, or get ideas for adding tasty, kid-friendly foods to enhance your school meals program.