Plan Meals

Sponsors of child nutrition programs are required to provide meals that meet the nutritional requirements of children and teens. Explore the resources below for information on the meal requirements for each program and menu planning resources.

Meal Patterns

Meal Pattern Timeline

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published the final rule titled, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which is the next step in continuing the science-based improvement of school meals. While this rulemaking is effective July 1, 2024, USDA is gradually phasing in required changes for added sugars and sodium as outlined in the table below.

Added Sugars (X indicates implementation date. Blank cells indicate no changes/no new requirements.

Requirements	SY 2024-25	SY 2025-26	SY 2026-27	SY 2027-28
Product-based limits for breakfast cereals, yogurt, and flavored milk (Cereal < 6 g per 1 oz, Yogurt < 12 g per 6 oz, Milk < 10 g per 8 oz)		X
Weekly limit (<10% weekly calories from added sugars for both lunch and breakfast programs)				X

Sodium

Requirements

SY 2024-25 SY 2025-26 SY 2026-27

SY 2027-28

Lunch - 15% reduction from current sodium limits:

Grades K-5:<935 mg
Grades 6-8: < 1,035 mg
Grades 9-12: < 1,080 mg

Continue sodium target 1A from transitional final rule while working toward meeting future requirement.

Breakfast - 10% reduction from current sodium limits:

Grades K-5: <485 mg
Grades 6-8: < 535 mg
Grades 9-12: <570 mg

Continue sodium target 1A from transitional final rule while working toward meeting future requirement.

USDA Meal Pattern Final Rule

USDA Timeline Meal Pattern Updates

National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program Meal Pattern Requirements

National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program sponsors must plan menus to meet the meal pattern and dietary specification requirements for the grade groups served.

4 Day Lunch Meal Pattern: English, Spanish
School Breakfast Program Meal Pattern: English, Spanish
National School Lunch Program Meal Pattern: English, Spanish
Vegetable Subgroups: English, Spanish

Pre-K Meal Pattern Requirements

School meal sponsors must plan menus to meet the pre-K meal pattern when serving pre-K students meals separately from older students.

Preschool Informational Chart
Breakfast Cereal Limit Worksheet
Grain-based Desserts
Serving Meals to Preschoolers
Yogurt Sugar Limit Worksheet
Pre-K Breakfast Meal Pattern: English, Spanish
Pre-K Lunch Meal Pattern: English, Spanish

Summer Food Service Program Meal Pattern Requirements

Summer Food Service Program sponsors plan meals that meet the nutritional and energy needs of kids and teens by following the SFSP meal pattern requirements.

SFSP Meal Pattern Requirements: English, Spanish

View the Meal Pattern Comparison Chart to compare requirements across the child nutrition programs.

Meal Pattern Comparison Chart: English, Spanish

Meal Pattern Requirements: Summer Food Service Program

Documentation & Crediting

Program sponsors must maintain documentation to show how meals meet all program requirements.

Meal Pattern Documentation Requirements

Acceptable Product Documentation for Meal Pattern Requirements

Crediting Guides & Calculators

Crediting Fruits and Vegetables: English
Crediting Grains: English
Crediting Meat/Meat Alternates: English
Calculate the Components in a Recipe: English
Calculate the Grain Component in a Recipe: English
Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Program English, Spanish
USDA Food Buying Guide: English

Offering Meats and Meat Alternatives at School Breakfast

Production Records - National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program

Template - Two Grade Groups Eng & Spa

Template - Three Grade Groups Eng & Spa

Salad Bar Production Record Eng & Spa

Production Record Instructions: English, Spanish
Production Record Example: English, Spanish

Production Records - Summer Food Service Program

SFSP Menu Production Record and Instructions: English & Spanish
SFSP Delivery Receipt: English

Standardized Recipes

Standardized Recipe Template: English
Standardized Recipe Example: English

Offer Versus Serve

Offer Versus Serve (OVS) allows students to decline some of the food offered in a reimbursable lunch or breakfast meal. OVS helps reduce food waste and allows students to choose the foods they want to eat.

National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program

Offer vs Serve Overview English Offer vs Serve Overview Spanish

Offer vs Serve USDA Guidance

Summer Food Service Program

SFSP Offer vs Serve Overview

Menu Planning & Recipe Resources

Culinary training videos, resources, and recipes: The Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition
Scratch cooking resources and recipes: The Lunch Box
USDA Standardized Recipes: Child Nutrition Recipe Box
Team Nutrition Posters, Recipes and Training Materials: Breakfast, Lunch

Special Dietary Needs

USDA’s non-discrimination regulation and the regulations governing the child nutrition programs mandate that substitutions to the regular meal must be made for children who are unable to eat meals because of their disabilities when that need is certified by a licensed healthcare professional.

Visit the Special Dietary Needs Online Training to learn more about accommodating special dietary needs.