FNS Documents & Resources

Check out this database to access vendor-specific product information for all direct delivered USDA Foods for the National School Lunch Program.

Guidance, resources, best practices, and training for CACFP operators to support them in providing healthy, balanced meals and snacks to the children and adults they serve.

The Healthy Eating Index is a measure of diet quality used to assess how well a set of foods aligns with key recommendations and dietary patterns published in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines). The Dietary Guidelines is designed for nutrition and health professionals to help individuals and families consume a healthful and nutritionally adequate diet. 

This factsheet reviews best practices for producers to learn about how to sell local food to schools.

This factsheet explains how USDA Foods support the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the school meal pattern requirements to make it easier for schools to prepare healthy meals using local foods.

The State of Origin data report for each fiscal year includes information on states where USDA purchased foods in that year. Learn where your USDA Foods are likely to come from, and what the top food is in your state!

The previous version of this memorandum contained incorrect references to state agencies throughout. FNS is correcting this memorandum to remove the incorrect references and so that it more clearly and accurately reflects the federal regulations. This memorandum notifies state agencies and child nutrition program operators of the changes made by OMB to the federal informal procurement method, micro-purchases and the micro-purchase threshold.

The Study of School Food Authority (SFA) Procurement Practices is the first study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service to comprehensively describe and assess the decision-making process regarding school food procurement practices at the SFA level. The sample for this study was a subset of the 1,679 SFAs that participated in the Child Nutrition Operations Study II (CN-OPS-II), which included a module on SFA procurement practices in school year (SY) 2016–17. Findings are based on the perceptions and experiences of the SFA and they may not reflect actual regulations and policies; this study was not an audit. 

This webinar discusses school meal procurement strategies and USDA school meal program flexibilities, waivers and training resources for school year 2021-22. 

This webinar focuses on USDA school meal program flexibilities, waivers, and training resources to help state and school food authorities navigate supply chain issues during school year 2021-22.