Schools must provide nutritious and well-balanced meals to all the children they serve.  Participating schools must serve meals that are consistent with the applicable recommendations of the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans including: eat a variety of foods; choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits; choose a diet moderate in sugars and salt; and choose a diet with 30% or less of calories from fat and less than 10% of calories from saturated fat. 

In addition, lunches must provide, on average over each school week, at least 1/3 of the daily Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C.   While breakfasts must provide, on average over each school week, at least 1/4 of the daily RDAs for protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C.  To provide local food service professionals with flexibility, there are four menu planning approaches to plan healthful and appealing meals. Schools must choose one of the approaches.

• Menu Planning System
• Weights of Commercially Prepared Grains/Breads for the Child Nutrition Programs
• USDA Menu Planning under the National School Lunch Program

Food Production Record Information

School Food Authorities must complete daily food production records to document the food items offered, portion sizes, amount of food used, and how many students were served.  This document is required to prove that enough food was prepared and that the meal pattern was followed.

• Instructions for Daily Food Production Records
• Daily Food Production Record
• NFSMI Codes for Corrective Actions for HACCP-Based SOPs
• Menu Production Records Tutorial
• Production Record Powerpoint from Summer Workshop June 2007

Offer vs Serve Information

• USDA Offer versus Serve Manual

Student Parent Input

School Food Authorities should promote activities to involve students and parents in the Program.  Such activities may include menu planning, enhancement of the eating environment, program promotion, and related student-community support activities.  School food authorities are encouraged to use the school food service program to teach students about good nutrition practices and to involve the school faculty and the general community in activities to enhance the program

School food authorities contracting with a food service management company should comply with the provisions of 210.16(a) regarding the establishment of an advisory board of parents, teachers, and students.

• Compliance Guidance for Student and Parent Input