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. 

Sodium 

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 

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

Production Records - National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program

• 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

Summer Food Service Program

Menu Planning & Recipe Resources

• The Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition
• The Lunch Box
• Child Nutrition Recipe Box
• USDA Team Nutrition: 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.