On April 25, 2024, FNS published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. While most provisions in the 2024 final rule focus on the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, this rule also includes limited updates to the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program to better align child nutrition programs requirements. These updates represent continued progress toward supporting the nutritional quality of meals offered through the CNPs and meeting cultural food preferences of program participants.
This memorandum details the nutrition requirements for fluid milk and fluid milk substitutes in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and includes a series of frequently asked questions and answers. This memorandum supersedes CACFP 17-2016, Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk and Fluid Milk Substitutions in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Questions and Answers, July 14, 2016.
The purpose of this memorandum is to outline the use of Offer Versus Serve in the adult day care and at-risk afterschool settings, as well as the use of family style meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
The USDA FNS Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program awards grants annually to support schools, non-profits, Indian Tribal Organizations, state agencies, producers, and other entities who are planning, developing, and implementing farm to school programs. This report presents findings of the FNS evaluation of the fiscal year 2018 and 2019 Farm to School grantees, highlighting their activities, achievements, and challenges.
The 2023 Farm to School Census collected information on farm to school participation by school food authorities (SFAs) in school year 2022–23. Every SFA participating in the National School Lunch Program in the 50 states, Washington, DC, and five territories received an online survey asking about the farm to school activities they participated in, details of their participation, and their perspectives on farm to school.
The Statewide Thrifty Food Plan Cost Estimate for Hawaii report describes the process used to calculate a new Thrifty Food Plan cost estimate for Hawaii that is based on the best currently available food price data from throughout the state of Hawaii in alignment with the proposed rule. This report uses the same peer-reviewed methodology as the Thrifty Food Plan Cost Estimates for Alaska and Hawaii report, published by FNS in 2023.
This annual Report to Congress offers a description of nutrition education within the USDA and a summary of coordinated nutrition education activities completed for fiscal year 2023. Activities include nutrition education defined by statute, policies that encourage nutrition education or promotion, and USDA priorities to promote healthy food choices. As required, the report is prepared by FNS in cooperation with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
On April 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The 2024 final rule included an optional provision that continues to allow the substitution of vegetables for fruits at breakfast and provides schools with greater menu planning flexibility at breakfast as compared to the previous regulations. This memorandum provides updated guidance on the substitution of vegetables for fruits in the School Breakfast Program.
On April 25, 2024, FNS published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The rule finalized practical, science-based, long-term school nutrition requirements based on the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, extensive partner input, and lessons learned from prior rulemakings. This memorandum updates and clarifies current guidance for fluid milk requirements in school meal programs following publication of the 2024 final rule.
Millions of children participate in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) every day – but millions more children are still missing out! These resources can help program operators discover ideas to increase participation in school breakfast programs and help administrators, teachers, students, and families learn about the benefits of participating in the SBP.