School meals are healthy meals. To receive federal reimbursements for each meal they serve, school meal programs must offer 鈥渞eimbursable鈥 meals that meet strict federal nutrition standards, aligned with the聽Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These standards, also referred to as 鈥渢he meal pattern,鈥 require schools to offer students the right balance of fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free milk, whole grains and lean protein.
School Meal Standards
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released long-term federal nutrition standards for school meals, updating rules established following passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). New mandates include sugar limits and further sodium reductions to be phased in beginning in 2025.聽 Get details on school lunch and breakfast standards.
Snack Standards
To ensure all foods and beverages sold in school during the school day are healthy choices, HHFKA also required USDA to create nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold in competition to reimbursable meals. These 鈥渃ompetitive foods鈥 are sold in vending machines, snack bars and a la carte lines. USDA鈥檚 鈥淪mart Snacks in School鈥 standards took effect on July 1, 2014.聽Get details on the competitive foods rule.
