Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

image of a healthy school lunch tray
News Item
Biden-Harris Administration Announces New School Meal Standards to Strengthen Child Nutrition

Secretary Tom Vilsack announced major steps to promote the health of America’s children through school meals. Nutrition standards for school meals will be gradually updated to include less sugar and flexibility with menu planning between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027. The Department arrived at these changes after listening closely to public feedback and considering the latest science-based recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

04/24/2024
USDA Support for School Meals

USDA works with states and school nutrition professionals to provide kids with nutritious school meals that support their health and well-being. Learn about the financial support USDA has offered schools across the country since January 2021.

School Nutrition Standards Media Toolkit

Media toolkit for USDA updates to the school nutrition standards in a few key areas to give kids the right balance of nutrients for healthy and appealing meals. 

lunch tray
Updates to the School Nutrition Standards

This final rule - Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans - is the next step in continuing the science-based improvement of school meals and advancing USDA’s commitment to nutrition security.

Implementation Timeline for Updating the School Meal Standards

School meals will continue to include fruits and vegetables, emphasize whole grains, and give kids the right balance of nutrients for healthy, tasty meals. For the first time, schools will focus on products with less added sugar, especially in school breakfast.

How We Got Here: School Nutrition Standards Final Rule

School nutrition professionals continue to make school meals the healthiest meals children eat in a day! To take school meals to the next level, USDA is updating the school nutrition standards after considering recommendations from the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans and listening to a diverse range of voices with experience in child nutrition and health.

Subscribe to Program Improvement