Overview
Nutrition standards are the foundation of federal school nutrition programs and reflect the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The standards were established for menu planning by studying the nutritional needs of groups of children at different ages. Nutrition standards consist of the required food components, levels of calories, and key nutrients to meet the nutrition goals for specific age or grade groups of children for breakfast and lunch over the course of one week.
The nutrition standards include:
- Ensuring students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week.
- Substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods.
- Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties.
- Limiting calories based on the age of the children being served to ensure proper portion size.
- Increasing the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats, and sodium
Less than 10% of calories should be from saturated fat over a school week. Nutrition label or manufacturer specifications must indicate zero grams of trans fat per serving.
Specific calorie levels are required for school meals depending on the age/grade group. These calorie levels are based on weekly averages.
|
Grade Levels
|
Breakfast
Calorie Ranges
|
Lunch
Calorie Ranges
|
|
K-5
|
350-500
|
550-650
|
|
6-8
|
400-550
|
600-700
|
|
9-12
|
450-600
|
750-850
|
School Breakfast Meal Pattern
|
Food Components
|
Grade K-5
|
Grade 6-8
|
Grade 9-12
|
|
Milk
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily)
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily)
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily)
|
|
Meat or Meat Alternates
|
None required but may substitute 1 oz. equivalent of meat/meat alternate for 1 oz. equivalent grains after minimum daily grain is met
|
None required but may substitute 1 oz. equivalent of meat/meat alternate for 1 oz. equivalent grains after minimum daily grain is met
|
None required but may substitute 1 oz. equivalent of meat/meat alternate for 1 oz. equivalent grains after minimum daily grain is met
|
|
Vegetables
|
May be substituted for fruits, but the first 2 cups/week must be from a subgroup other than starchy (dark green, red/orange, legumes, other)
|
May be substituted for fruits, but the first 2 cups/week must be from a subgroup other than starchy (dark green, red/orange, legumes, other)
|
May be substituted for fruits, but the first 2 cups/week must be from a subgroup other than starchy (dark green, red/orange, legumes, other)
|
|
Fruits
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily minimum)
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily minimum)
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily minimum)
|
|
Grains/Breads
- Minimum
- All whole grain beginning School Year 2014-2015
|
7-10 oz. equivalent/week
(1 oz. daily minimum)
|
8-10 oz. equivalent/week
(1 oz. daily minimum)
|
9-10 oz. equivalent/week
(1 oz. daily minimum)
|
|
Minimum – Maximum Calories (kcal)
Weekly average
|
350-500
|
400-550
|
450-600
|
|
Saturated Fat
(% of total calories)
Weekly average
|
<10%
|
<10%
|
<10%
|
|
Sodium
Weekly average
|
< 485 mg
|
< 535 mg
|
< 570 mg
|
|
Trans Fat
|
0 grams/serving
|
0 grams/serving
|
0 grams/serving
|
National School Lunch Meal Pattern
|
Food Components
|
Grade K-5
|
Grade 6-8
|
Grade 9-12
|
|
Milk
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily)
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily)
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily)
|
|
Meat or Meat Alternates
Weekly minimum
|
8-10 oz. equivalent/week
(1 oz. daily minimum)
|
9-10 oz. equivalent/week
(1 oz. daily minimum)
|
10-12 oz.
equivalent/week
(2 oz. daily minimum)
|
|
Vegetables
Weekly minimum
|
3 ¾ cups/week
(¾ cup daily minimum)
|
3 ¾ cups/week
(¾ cup daily minimum)
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily minimum)
|
|
Dark Green Subgroup
|
½ cup/week
|
½ cup/week
|
½ cup/week
|
|
Red/Orange Subgroup
|
¾ cup/week
|
¾ cup/week
|
1 ¼ cup/week
|
|
Legumes Subgroup
|
½ cup/week
|
½ cup/week
|
½ cup/week
|
|
Starchy Subgroup
|
½ cup/week
|
½ cup/week
|
½ cup/week
|
|
Other Subgroup
|
½ cup/week
|
½ cup/week
|
¾ cup/week
|
|
Fruits
|
2 ½ cups/week
(½ cup daily minimum)
|
2 ½ cups/week
(½ cup daily minimum)
|
5 cups/week
(1 cup daily minimum)
|
|
Grains/Breads
- Minimum
- All whole grain beginning School Year 2014-2015
|
8-9 oz. equivalent/week
(1 oz. daily minimum)
|
8-10 oz. equivalent/week
(1 oz. daily minimum)
|
10-12 oz. equivalent/week
(2 oz. daily minimum)
|
|
Minimum – Maximum Calories (kcal)
|
550-650
|
600-700
|
750-850
|
|
Saturated Fat (% of total calories)
Weekly average
|
<10%
|
<10%
|
<10%
|
|
Sodium
Weekly average
|
< 935 mg
|
< 1,035 mg
|
< 1,080 mg
|
|
Trans Fat
|
0 grams/serving
|
0 grams/serving
|
0 grams/serving
|
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 established a requirement for making water available to children during meal periods.
Revised 7-2022