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Separation of Vegetables/Fruit in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs

EO Guidance Document #
FNS-GD-2013-0004
FNS Document #
SP37-2012
Resource type
Policy Memos
Guidance Documents
Resource Materials
PDF Icon Policy Memo (114.72 KB)
PDF Icon FBG - Other Subgroup (598.75 KB)

The Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs final rule was published on Jan; 26, 2012. The final rule requires that fruits and vegetables be offered as separate meal components in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. This provision requires schools to offer all the vegetable subgroups identified by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans over the course of the week in minimum required quantities as part of the lunch menus effective July 1, 2012, (SY 2012-2013).

DATE: January 18, 2013
POLICY MEMO: SP 37-2012 (3rd Revision)
SUBJECT: Separation of Vegetables/Fruit in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
TO: Regional Directors
Special Nutrition Programs
All Regions
State Directors
Child Nutrition Programs
All States

Attached is the Revised Chart of the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. We have updated information on the following: Bok Choy, Fresh, Whole and Cabbage, Chinese or Celery entry on pages 2-16 and 2-18, respectively.

Bok Choy, Fresh, Whole has been updated to reflect the serving sizes for raw leafy vegetables. Raw bok choy credits as half the volume served. Therefore, 1 cup of raw bok choy will credit in the NSLP as ½ cup dark green vegetable. To reduce confusion among the various varieties of Chinese cabbage including celery cabbage, school food authorities (SFA) will see the previous entry “Cabbage, Chinese or Celery” listed in the FBG as “Cabbage, Celery or Napa.” The crediting information has also been modified to reflect that of other cabbages. Celery (Napa) cabbage credits as volume served. Additionally, celery (Napa) cabbage is an “Other Vegetable” and has been moved from the “Dark Green Subgroup” chart and listed in the “Other Vegetable Subgroup” chart.

The revised Vegetables and Fruits Section of the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs can be accessed online at:http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/resources/foodbuyingguide.html.

School food authorities should contact their state agencies for additional information. State agencies may direct any questions concerning this guidance to the appropriateFNS regional office.

Cynthia Long
Director
Child Nutrition Division

 

Attachment
Page updated: April 07, 2023

The contents of this guidance document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.