FNS Documents & Resources

We encourage our partners, schools and the community to share these graphics and messages on their social media platforms to help spread the word about the benefits of school lunch.

This page contains regulations, policy memos, and other guidance materials relating to the nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

Each year we ask child nutrition professionals to inspire other foodservice professionals and submit a picture of your most creative meal utilizing USDA Foods.  With more than 200 USDA Foods items available, we want to highlight each food group and the innovative ways in which they can be used.

These School Breakfast posters were co-developed by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. 

Attached are revised Questions and Answers related to the final rule entitled, Certification of Compliance with Meal Requirements for the National School Lunch Program under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

This final rule adopts, with some revisions, changes to the NSLP regulations, as set forth in the interim final rule published in the Federal Register on April 27, 2012. The changes conform to requirements contained in the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act of 2010 regarding performance-based cash assistance for school food authorities certified compliant with meal pattern and nutrition standards.

The National School Lunch Program Afterschool Snack Service is a federally-assisted snack service that provides cash reimbursement to encourage or assist schools in serving snacks to children after the regular school day. The afterschool snack component of the NSLP helps children fully engage in afterschool programming by filling the hunger gap many children face in the afternoon and early evening. Children participating in an approved afterschool care program age 18 and under, and participating children who turn 19 during the school year, are eligible to receive reimbursable snacks through the NSLP.

These materials were compiled to assist companies who are developing or revising certification of compliance/menu planning software for USDA to approve for use in certification of compliance with the National School Lunch Program meal pattern requirements.

The Food and Nutrition Service published an interim final rule entitled "Certification of Compliance with Meal Requirements for the National School Lunch Program under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010'' on April 27, 2012. 

FNS recently released the new Administrative Review Guidance Manual, which includes four options that state agencies may use to assess compliance with Dietary Specifications – calories, saturated fat, and sodium – requirements.