Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010: Nutrition Standards (Meal Pattern Requirements)

• Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs Final Rule - Federal Register 7 CFR Parts 210 and 220
  • Most Current Guidance on Nutrition Standard Including Available Resources

Competitive Foods

• Competitive Foods and Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value: Fostering Nutrition Integrity DPI/SNT, October 2001. Updated USDA Competitive Food Listing on pages 12-14 February 2009. For most current competitive foods exemption listing see USDA Guidance Memorandum listed below.
• Exemptions Under the Competitive Food Service Regulation USDA Guidance Memorandum - April 19, 2012
• Clarification of Competitive Foods and Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value USDA Guidance Memorandum - November 12, 2010
• Aerated Beverages Categorized as "Soda Water" from the Competitive Food Services Regulation USDA Guidance Memorandum - September 15, 2008
• Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value USDA Guidance Memorandum - January 16, 2001

Components of Food Based Menu Planning

• Meal Pattern Table and Meal Pattern Chart Including K-8 Grade Grouping
• USDA and NFSMI's New Meal Pattern Training Resource
• 7/16/2012 USDA Guidance Memo Sp 38-2012: Residential Child Care Institutions exception for safety if serving Multiple Age/Grade Groups
• DPI SNT Webcasts on Menu Planning - Four recorded presentations taped in August 2011 as part of the summer School Nutrition Skills Development Courses (SNSDC)
• Child Nutrition (CN) Labels and Product Fact Sheets
  • Child Nutrition (CN) Labeling Program Reminders - USDA Guidance Memo, November 29, 2011
  •  Guidance for Accepting Processed Product Documentation for Meal Pattern Requirements (MPR) - USDA Guidance Memo - January 15, 2013
    •  Guidance for Accepting Processed Product Documentation for Meal Pattern Requirements (MPR) - USDA Guidance Memo - June 3, 2010
  • Required Documentation for Crediting of Food Items - Memo from June Paul, SNT Director, April 27, 2010
    • Sample Product Formulation Statement
    • Sample Product Formulation Statements for Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, and Meat/Meat Alternates - USDA CN Labeling Website
• Meat/Meat Alternates
  • 12/14/2012  SP 16-2013: Revised Meat/Meat Alternates and Milk Charts in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
    • Updated Section 1: Meat/Meat Alternates
  • Crediting Tofu and Soy Yogurt Products - USDA Guidance Memo, February 22, 2012
  • Shelf-stable, Dried Snacks Made from Meat, Poultry, or Seafood - USDA Technical Assistance, June 15, 2011
  • Questions and Answers on Alternate Protein Products
  • Sample Product Formulation Statement (Product Analysis) for Meat/Meat Alternate (M/MA) Products
  • USDA Q & A on Yogurt Regulation
  • Kraft American Singles - USDA Guidance Memorandum
• Grains/Breads
  • Grain Requirements for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program - USDA Guidance Memo SP 30-2012, 4/26/2012
  • Grains/Bread Section (3) of the Food Buying Guide - For assistance with calculating grains/bread component for Child Nutrition Programs.
  • Key Points of the Grains/Breads Instruction
  • Worksheets for Crediting Grains/Breads Products
    • Purchased Products
    • Recipes
  • Procurement and Service of Whole Grain Products - USDA Policy Memorandum
  • Prorated Quantities of Vegetables/Fruits and Grains/Breads For Weeks With Other Than Five Serving Days - Enhanced Menu Planning
  • Prorated Quantities of Vegetables/Fruits and Grains/Breads For Weeks With Other Than Five Serving Days - Traditional Menu Planning
• Fruits
  • Smoothies Offered in Child Nutrition Programs - USDA Guidance Memo SP 36-2012 - 7/11/2012
  • Separation of Vegetables/Fruits in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs - USDA Guidance Memo SP 37-2012 - 7/12/2012
    • Revised Section 2: Vegetables and Fruits Section of the USDA Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
  • Frozen Fruit Products and Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs - USDA Guidance Memo, February 24, 2012 (Revised September 11, 2012)
• Vegetables
  • Vegetable Subgroups Handout - Connecticut State Department of Education
  • Separation of Vegetables/Fruit in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs - USDA Guidance Memo SP 37-2012 (3rd Revision) - 1/18/2013
    •  Revised Section 2 - Vegetables - Dark Green Subgroup
    •  Revised Section 2 - Vegetables - Other Subgroup
  • Smoothies Offered in Child Nutrition Programs - USDA Guidance Memo SP 36-2012 - 7/11/2012
  • Separation of Vegetables/Fruits in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs - USDA Guidance Memo SP 37-2012 - 7/12/2012
    • Revised Section 2: Vegetables and Fruits Section of the USDA Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
  • Vegetable Subgroup Chart
  • 2010 Dietary Guidelines Food Group Listing Including Vegetable Subgroups
• Milk
  • 12/14/2012  SP 16-2013: Revised Meat/Meat Alternates and Milk Charts in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
    • Updated Section 4: Milk  
  • Smoothies Offered in Child Nutrition Programs - USDA Guidance Memo SP 36-2012 - 7/11/2012
  • Regulations on Fluid Milk Substitutions
  • Fluid Milk and Other Food Components/Menu Items in Reimbursable Lunches - USDA Guidance Memo (March 21, 2007)
  • Fluid Milk Provisions -- Reauthorization 2004: Implementation Memo - USDA Guidance Memo (September 23, 2004)
• Offer Versus Serve
  • Clarification on the Use of Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meal Service - USDA Guidance Memo (May 17, 2011)
  • Offer Versus Serve: Meal or No Meal - June 2012 DPI Child Nutrition Reauthorization Conference Breakout Session
  • Meal Tray Graphics
    1. Tray requiring 5 of 5 components be selected
    2. Tray requiring 3 of 5 components be selected
• Nutrient Standards
  • Nutrient Standards for Food-Based Menu Planning
  • School Meals Initiative Nutrient Standard Guidelines
• Pre-Packaged Commercially Purchased Meals

Nutrient Standard Menu Planning and Nutrient Analysis

• Nutrient Analysis Protocol: How to Analyze Menus for USDA's School Meals Programs This SMI guidance manual is available on the Team Nutrition website.
• Child Nutrition (CN) Database Release 15 USDA Policy Memorandum - April 15, 2011
• Nutrikids Download of WI Processed Commodities
• School Meals Initiative Nutrient Standard Guidelines
• USDA-Approved Nutrient Analysis Software

Menu Planning Assistance

• USDA and NFSMI's New Meal Pattern Training Resource
• Webinar: Best Practices in Menu Planning: New Meal Pattern Flexibilities - Hear from the USDA and a panel of child nutrition directors from SNA on ways to successfully implement the new meal pattern on all levels.
• Menu Planning Worksheets for Lunch
  • K-5 Elementary School
  • 6-8 Middle School
  • K-8 School
  • 9-12 High School
  • Menu Planning Tool - Includes Worksheets and Production Records (Source: Kansas Department of Education)
• Production Records for Lunch
  • Production Record Templates (Based on Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Prototype)
    • Grades K-5 and 6-8
    • Grades 9-12 
  • Production Record Resources
    • Production Record Template (Source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction)
    • Production Record Template (Source: Minnesota Department of Education)
    • Production Record Template (Source: Kansas Department of Education)
    • Production Plan Template (Schools) - July 2011 Version
    • Production Plan Template in Spanish (Schools) - July 2011 Version
• Signage Samples:
  • DPI - Lunch
  • State of Washington’s Child Nutrition Services Ideas
• Menu Planning Tool - Includes Production Records and Menu Planning Worksheets (Source: Kansas Department of Education)
• The Ohio Department of Education’s Menus that Move is a set of seasonal cycle menus to help schools serve tasty meals that fit within the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new meal guidelines. Each seasonal cycle menu contains five weekly menus that have been entered into the USDA Menu Certification Worksheet and meet both the required meal components and nutrient analysis.
• Kansas Department of Education Six Week Lunch Cycle Menu
• Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (Revised January 2008)
• Replacement pages for latest update can be downloaded and inserted into current Food Buying Guide or download complete publication.
• Food Buying Guide Online Calculator - This interactive and simple to use calculator allows child nutrition professionals to build shopping lists of foods from the FBG and determine how much of each item to purchase to provide enough servings for the children in their program.
• Salad Bars
  • Salad Bars in the National School Lunch Program, USDA Guidance Memo SP-31-2013 - March 27, 2013 
  • Salad Bar Reimbursable Meal Option Graphics
  • Creating a Healthy, Affordable, and Manageable Menu Choice
  • Salad Bars - How Do They Measure Up
  • Production Usage Records
    • Salad Bar Production Usage Record
    • Modified Salad Bar Production Usage Record
    • Garden Bar Record
  • Salad Bars in the National School Lunch Program Updated USDA Guidance Memorandum - January 21, 2011
  • Fruits and Vegetables Galore
  • Fruit and Vegetable Safety
  • Offer Vs. Serve Manual
  • Nutrient Analysis Protocol: How to Analyze Menus for USDA's School Meals Programs - Chapter 7 - Gives guidance to schools using Nutrient Standard Menu Planning when entering a salad bar recipe.
  • School Lunch Salad Bars - USDA Executive Summary - April 2002
  • Several Strategies May Lower Plate Waste in School Feeding Programs Report - September 2002
• Under Pressure: Sodium Reduction in the School Environment - This Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guide offers practical strategies for those working to improve the school food environment through sodium reduction. It is the first in a series of venue-based guides offering strategies for sodium reduction in various settings and is an outcome of CDC's 2010 Public Health Law Summit on Sodium Reduction. More related information may be found on the CDC salt website.
• Nutrient Fact Sheets from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction School Nutrition Team
  • Calcium and School Meals
  • Fiber and School Meals
  • Guide for Reducing Salt and Other Sodium Containing Additives in School Meals
  • Iron and School Meals
  • Tips for Lowering Fat and Saturated Fat in School Meals
  • Vitamin A and School Meals
  • Vitamin C and School Meals
  • Whole Grains
• Dietary Guidelines Fact Sheet from USDA
  • Be Salt Savvy - cut Back on Sodium for Healthier School Meals
  • Include Fiber-Rich Foods for Healthier School Meals
  • Jazz Up Your Menu With Fruits for Healthier School Meals
  • Limit Saturated Fat & Cholesterol for Healthier School Meals
  • Meeting the Challenge of Rising Food Costs for Healthier School Meals
  • Serve More Dry Beans and Peas for Healthier School Meals
  • Serve More Whole Grains for Healthier School Meals
  • Trans Fats
  • Trim Trans Fats for Healthier School Meals
  • Use Low-fat Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt for Healthier School Meals
  • Vary Your Vegetables for Healthier School Meals
• Sample Prototype Daily Menu Production Plan and Prototype Transport Sheet for Lunch, Breakfast or After School Snack Program

School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI) Information

Miscellaneous

• Family Style Meals: Benefits and Considerations
• Healthier Middle Schools: Everyone can Help - USDA's Team Nutrition resource focused at middle school parents, students, teachers, food service managers and principals with new video and print communication tools.
• DPI SNT Webcast Dietary Guidelines for Americans - 2010 August 18, 2011
• DPI SNT Webcast What's the Scoop on Portion Control? August 23, 2011
• DPI SNT Webcast The Perfect Production or 30 minutes to Keeping "Great" Production Records! August 22, 2011
• Directory of Chefs and Chef in the Cafeteria Internet Tool - This USDA Team Nutrition initiative connects Chefs to schools and schools to chefs to find ways to work together, share best practices, and help get nutritious foods to our nation's kids.
  • ChefTalk - ChefTalk is an email discussion group intended as a communication tool to link chefs who are working with schools in the Chefs Move to Schools Initiative, so that they can share ideas and resources, innovative solutions to challenges, and success stories. Membership in the group is restricted to those who are currently signed up for the Chefs Move to Schools Initiative.