FNS Documents & Resources

FNS staff discuss the updated preschool meal patterns in the National School Lunch Program (including snack service) and School Breakfast Program, as well as the updated milk requirements in the Special Milk Program, which went into effect on Oct. 1, 2017.

On April 25, 2016, FNS published the final rule, “Child and Adult Care Food Program: Meal Pattern Revisions Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010” to update the National School Lunch Program’s and School Breakfast Program’s meal pattern requirements for infants and preschoolers.

This memorandum provides guidance on meals served to preschoolers when they are in the same service area at the same time as grade K-5 students, and it includes Questions and Answers. Additional guidance on the National School Lunch Program’s and School Breakfast Program’s infant and preschool meal pattern requirements will be issued soon.

This memorandum, which was in effect from May 10, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018, outlined a transition period for implementing the updated CACFP meal patterns and the updated infant and preschool meal patterns in the national school lunch and school breakfast programs.

To assist state agencies and FNS to better monitor the use of Section 201 funds, as mentioned in our August 15, 2014 memorandum SP60-2014 (Second Extension of Grant Period for State Administrative Funds to Implement New Meal Pattern Requirements), FNS has changed the frequency of financial reporting from annual reporting to quarterly reporting beginning with the fiscal year (FY) 2015.

The attached Questions & Answers provide guidance on the meal patterns and dietary specifications for meals offered under the School Breakfast Program. The meal requirements for the SBP were established by the final rule Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.