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Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Nutrition Standards for CACFP Meals and Snacks

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.

09/21/2023
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07/18/2023
Resource | Nutrition Education Healthy Eating Index (HEI)

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. 

07/14/2023
Resource | Nutrition Education How the HEI Is Scored

CNPP uses the Healthy Eating Index to provide a data-driven understanding of diet quality in the United States over time. The HEI-2015 can be used to see how well the diets of Americans align with the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

07/14/2023
Resource | Nutrition Education HEI Resources

The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 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. 

07/14/2023
Resource | Federal Register Documents Comment Request on Proposed Rule: Child Nutrition Programs - Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020 DGAs

This rulemaking proposes long-term school nutrition standards based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, and feedback the USDA received from child nutrition program stakeholders during a robust stakeholder engagement campaign. 

03/29/2023
Resource | Fact Sheets USDA Foods: A Resource for Maximizing Food Budgets To Buy Local

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.

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03/06/2023
Resource | Webinars/Videos School Meals Standards: 2023 Proposed Rule Stakeholder Briefing

FNS held a stakeholder briefing that outlines the changes the proposed rule, entitled “Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” makes to the school meals nutrition standards.

02/14/2023
Resource | Federal Register Documents Announcement of First Meeting of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and Request for Comments

The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture announce the first meeting of the newly appointed 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. This meeting will be open to the public virtually. Additionally, this notice opens a public comment period that will remain open until late 2024, throughout the Committee's deliberations.

01/19/2023
Resource | Research | Food/Nutrient Analysis Added Sugars in School Meals and Competitive Foods

This report responds to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which directs the FNS to provide a report on the amount of added sugars in school meals.

08/11/2022
Page updated: October 14, 2021