WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today joined the U.S. Department of Education along with education, parent, and school meal partner organizations to host a virtual pep rally to celebrate the back-to-school season and thank the champions that educate and nourish our nation’s school children. The pep rally highlighted key steps the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to support school meals and nutrition as a key educational tool that kids need to be successful in the classroom.
“Healthy school meals are an essential part of the educational environment and fuel children to learn, grow and thrive,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA is fully committed to setting kids up for success and this rally gives us the opportunity to come together and encourage one another to raise the bar for school meals in this new school year and beyond. We’re grateful to our partners at the Department of Education, along with all the schools, districts, states, and industry who care so much about the connection between healthy meals and our children’s futures, and we’re excited to continue to work together to make this back-to-school season a success.
“As someone who’s been a teacher and a school principal, I’ve seen how hard our school nutrition professionals work every day – and I’ve seen the incredible difference it makes when a student comes to class after a healthy meal, energized, with a smile on their face, ready to learn,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, “This rally is a reminder: school is not just a place where students go to learn reading and math. At its best, a school is a hub of the community, and one of the first places that a student and their family can get their most basic needs met.”
Earlier this year, USDA announced updated nutrition standards, which include changes that provide schools more options to successfully plan and prepare healthy meals. K-12 schools serve nutritious meals to about 30 million children every school day and these meals are an important source of nutrition for many children.
What’s New: Tastier, Healthier Options for Schools
Beginning this school year, schools have more options to:
- Serve protein-rich breakfast foods such as yogurt, tofu, eggs, nuts and seeds, which can help them offer less sugary foods, while also supporting vegetarian diets and other food preferences.
- Buy local foods. Schools can require unprocessed agricultural products to be locally grown, raised or caught when making purchases for school meal programs. More information about these new options is available on the Procuring Local Foods webpage.
Learn about how some school districts are already cutting down on added sugars and bringing more local foods into the cafeteria, with support from USDA:
Regional School Unit (RSU) #89, Maine
“We are no longer offering breakfast bars that had so much sugar in them. Our lunches feature either USDA meats or meats from our local butcher. We also use vegetables, eggs, potatoes, and fresh sausages and bacon from local farms. We are constantly trying to reduce sugar and sodium in all our foods and use more local foods.” – Denise Tapley Proctor, food service director
Visit this video blog to learn more about RSU #89’s strategies for improving their school meals.
Thornton Fractional High School District (HSD) #215, Illinois
“We have started to revamp our breakfast menu by removing sugary cereal items and adding more protein breakfast items. We have added yogurt parfaits, overnight oats, egg bites and boiled eggs to our breakfast charcuterie.” – Phylicia Burford, director of food services
Visit this video blog to learn more about Thornton Fractional HSD #215’s strategies for improving their school meals.
Both RSU #89 and Thornton HSD #215 received USDA Healthy Meals Incentives grants to improve their school meal operations — part of the largest targeted investment USDA has ever made for school meal programs in small and- rural communities — and have been recognized for their progress. USDA, in partnership with Action for Healthy Kids, also provides grants, technical assistance and shares innovative ideas and practices through the $100 million initiative. To learn more about other award-winning school districts, please visit the HMI Awardee Spotlight webpage.
Healthy School Meals for All
Advancing a pathway to free healthy school meals for all is a priority set forth in the Biden-Harris Administration’s White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.
Eight states have taken permanent actions to provide healthy school meals at no cost to all their students: California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont.
Meanwhile, in other states, many schools in high-need areas provide free meals to all their students through the Community Eligibility Provision, commonly known as CEP. Last year, USDA gave an estimated 3,000 more school districts the option to serve breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost, by expanding the availability of CEP.
Next Steps in Strengthening School Meals
School meals will also be strengthened in upcoming years through gradual reductions to added sugars and sodium. For information about how these updates will be implemented, see this video:
Support for Healthy Kids
USDA is committed to helping kids lead healthy lives. The Department has taken several actions to bolster the programs that provide critical nutrition to infants and children.
Through a variety of programs and initiatives, USDA has provided nearly $13.7 billion in financial support to schools across the country since January 2021. Some investments that USDA has made in school meals this year include:
- Awarding a record-breaking $14.3 million in Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants to 154 projects in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. These investments will help 1.9 million children eat more tasty, nutritious foods in school, while supporting farmers and producers in their local and regional communities.
- Awarding nearly $16.5 million in Healthy Meals Incentives grants to spark innovation in the school meals marketplace by incentivizing collaboration between schools, the food industry and other stakeholders. Learn about the grant recipients.
- Providing $10 million in grants for schools to invest in new food service equipment that will enable them to continue serving nutritious meals.
- Opened applications to award a $600,000 cooperative agreement for an organization to provide trainings that will improve food safety knowledge and communications for school nutrition professionals.
Additional Resources
- Infographic – The Biden-Harris Administration Supports Healthy Kids
- Webpage – Back to School Toolkit
- Webpage – Updates to the School Nutrition Standards
- Webpage – Healthy Meals Incentives
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
In July, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service served up this inspiring story on Prospect Charter School’s experience obtaining new cooking equipment for their school kitchen:
As any parent can attest, the ability to get nutritio
us food on the table fast is key. But when you’re cooking for not just your family but a whole school – efficiency is everything.
That’s why something as simple as some new, highly efficient cooking equipment can make a world of a difference for school nutrition professionals, dedicated to getting healthy and tasty meals to the children in their care each day.
Prospect Charter School, a small school district in the southern part of Oregon, received a U.S. Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant for fiscal year 2019. These funds allow schools to purchase equipment to serve healthier meals and improve food safety.
The school district had tried to use the grant funding before the deadline, but due to supply chain issues, they were unable to get the equipment in time. Despite this, the Oregon Department of Education’s worked with Food and Nutrition Service to come up with a way to extend the funding so the school could use their grant to purchase a new stove.
“The staff love the new stove! Much more efficient. Instead of 45 minutes to boil water, it is 10,” said the school’s Business Manager Sheri Eary. “They have access to four burners now and two ovens that actually work!”
School meal programs help provide critical nutrition to students, while exposing them to healthy foods and nurturing healthy habits they can carry throughout their lives. Equipment grants are one of many resources USDA offers to help schools operate successful meal programs.
Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Specialist Jennifer Parenteau said, “My personal goal for equipment grants is to award every dollar to Oregon sponsors who need equipment like Prospect [School District] did.”
Take Action on a new school nutrition waiver bill introduced in the Senate today!
The Support Kids Not Red Tape Act is critical to sustaining school nutrition programs, ensuring children have access to school meals and preventing substantial financial losses for schools nationwide.
We know this is an exceptionally hectic time – which makes it even more important that we raise our voices in support of extending school nutrition program waivers for schools facing acute supply chain disruptions, persistent labor shortages and escalating costs. Currently, waivers will expire June 30th resulting in devastating consequences for these programs and the hungry students that rely on them.
The Support Kids Not Red Tape Act:
- Extends USDA’s waiver authority through September 30, 2023.
- Directs states to submit a transition plan to USDA so that schools will be prepared and supported when transitioning back to normal National School Lunch Program operations after the waivers end.
- Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide technical assistance to states on drafting transition plans and to School Food Authorities on meeting meal standards during the waiver period.
- Prevents schools from being penalized for not meeting meal pattern requirements during the waiver period if the violations are due to supply chain disruptions.
Take action today!
On Sept. 8, USDA issued a press release announcing that some of Oregon’s neediest children will be able to enjoy uninterrupted meal service in the midst of wildfires thanks to a demonstration project approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).
FNS has approved the State of Oregon’s request to operate meal service through a Summer Food Service Program demonstration project that allows them to take meals home with them. FNS offers the option for summer meal sponsors to operate this program during the school year when there are unexpected school closures. In Oregon, due to current conditions, it is expected that a number of schools will not be in session. Under this demo, children will be able to take home individually sealed meals served through the program rather than having to eat them on site. FNS is allowing the State of Oregon to use this demo in specific impacted areas on days where there are air quality alerts from the National Weather Service. The approval is effective through October 16.
“USDA strives to ensure all Americans have access to food, especially in times of crisis,” said Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “This Summer Food Service Program demo offers the agility to provide meals to children – away from sites – under extraordinary circumstances, including extreme weather situations.”
Visit the USDA Communications web page to read the full press release.
On July 21, 2016, the Obama Administration announced four final rules that implement important provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) building on the progress schools across the country have already made in the improved nutritional quality of meals served in schools. The four are Smart Snacks in School, Local School Wellness Policy, Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), and the Administrative Review final rules.
As a key component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to raise a healthier generation, the rules will ensure that children have access to healthy snacks and that nutrition standards for the foods marketed and served in schools are consistent. The rules will also promote integrity across the school meals programs.
“I am thrilled with the progress we continue to make in building healthier learning environments for our kids with science-based nutrition standards for all food sold and marketed in schools. As a mom, I know how hard parents work to provide nutritious meals and snacks to their kids, and we want to make sure we support those efforts with healthy choices at school,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “I am inspired by the tremendous work that’s being done in schools across the country to provide our kids healthy food to fuel them throughout the day so that they can grow up healthy and fulfill their boundless promise.”
Read the press release here…
What’s shaking in USDA’s school meals programs? Check out the USDA Blog to find out what you can do this school year to “spice” things up and take school meals to the next level. A free USDA infographic “What’s Shaking?” illustrates ways to boost flavor while reducing sodium. Visit the blog to choose from various sizes.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Sept. 8 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be awarding over $8 million in grants to help school nutrition professionals better prepare healthy meals for their students. Approximately $2.6 million dollars in grants will support implementation of new national professional standards for all school nutrition employees who manage and operate the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, and $5.6 million will go to help states expand and enhance food service training programs and provide nutrition education in school, child care, and summer meal settings.
“For the past three years, kids have eaten healthier breakfasts, lunches and snacks at school thanks to the bipartisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which made the first meaningful improvements to the nutrition of foods and beverages served in cafeterias and sold in vending machines in 30 years. Nearly all schools are successfully meeting the standards, and these grants part of our ongoing commitment to give states and schools the additional resources they need,” said Vilsack. “Parents, teachers, principals, and school nutrition professionals want the best for their children. Together we can make sure we’re giving our kids the healthy start in life they deserve.”
In February, USDA announced national professional standards for school nutrition employees that went into effect on July 1, 2015. These standards, which vary according to position and job requirements, ensure that school nutrition professionals have the training and skills they need to plan, prepare, purchase, and promote healthy meals. In addition to several built-in flexibilities intended to facilitate the first year of implementation and address the challenges faced by smaller school districts, USDA is providing a total of $2.6 million to 19 state agencies to develop and enhance existing trainings within their state that will allow school nutrition professionals to meet these standards. The Professional Standards Training Grants promote training in nutrition; operations; administration; and communications and marketing.
In addition, 19 states received a 2015 Team Nutrition Training Grant of up to $350,000 – $5.6 million in total – to support trainings that focus on encouraging healthy eating. Those efforts could include:
- using Smarter Lunchrooms strategies that use principles from behavioral economics to encourage healthy choices,
- meeting meal pattern requirements for school meals,
- delivering interactive nutrition education activities, and
- providing schools and child care providers with technical assistance to create and maintain a healthier environment.
Grants activities must be sustainable and achieve measurable outcomes. For example, the Oregon Department of Education will use the grant funds to hold 10 Smarter Lunchroom workshops on strategies for arranging the lunchroom that promote healthy choices. As a result, at least 120 school food authorities and child nutrition program sponsors will receive training and follow-up assistance. A summary of previous years’ grant activities by state can be found at the Team Nutrition Training Grants website.
The Team Nutrition Training Grants are awarded as part of USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative, which provides resources, training, and nutrition education lessons for schools and child care providers. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Team Nutrition initiative. In that time, Team Nutrition has provided nearly $90 million in grant funds to state agencies that implement USDA Child Nutrition Programs.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2015 – In preparation for the 2015 school year, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, Kevin Concannon, encourages schools to maintain momentum and continue striving toward a healthier generation by offering nutritious, balanced meals to all students.
“I applaud our partners and school foodservice staff for all the hard work they do to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation’s children. School audits and data show that more than 95 percent of schools are successfully meeting the updated meal standards,” said Undersecretary Concannon. “This school year we will work together to continue making historic steps, ensuring that the healthy choice for students is the easy choice in schools. USDA is committed to helping school meal programs fulfill their highest potential, and we look forward to this upcoming school year and the promise it offers for our nation’s youth.”
In the coming year, USDA will continue to make access to nutritious food in high-poverty communities a priority. Across the country, schools and districts of all sizes have successfully implemented the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), and many are seeing increased participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), and serving more meals than in previous years. CEP allows low-income districts or schools the option to eliminate household applications for free and reduced price meals and provide meals at no cost to all students. This greatly reduces administrative burden on schools and eliminates stigma associated with free or reduced priced meals.
In the first year of nationwide CEP implementation, over 14,000 schools in high-poverty areas offered nutritious meals at no cost to more than 6.8 million students. An evaluation of schools that implemented CEP experienced average increases in participation of nine percent in school breakfast and five percent in school lunch. Research has shown that students who consume breakfast make greater strides on standardized tests, pay attention and behave better in class, and are less frequently tardy, absent or visiting the nurse’s office.
Heading into school year 2015-16, schools or districts in all 50 states and the District of Columbia will participate in CEP. USDA is committed to ensuring those schools have the support they need to be successful and other eligible schools have all the information to make an informed decision about joining the program.
Recent research shows that some schools need more training to maximize the benefits of the updated meal standards. USDA’s Team Up for School Nutrition Success initiative, launched in November 2014, aims to give schools the opportunity to learn from each other on topics such as financial stability and strong student participation. This school year, USDA will expand the effort to include “Train the Trainer” instruction to develop more mentors at the state and local level who can provide personalized support.
In addition, USDA’s “Tools for Schools” online toolkit has several resources, including recipes and tips for good procurement practices, that states and school nutrition professionals can reference to help offer healthier and more appealing meals and snacks that meet the nutrition standards. As in previous school years, USDA will continue to listen to stakeholders throughout this school year and provide assistance as needed to help schools continue the progress they have made in serving nutritious food to students. USDA has also provided flexibilities, technical assistance, and grants to help schools succeed.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs. In addition to NSLP and SBP, these programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Summer Food Service Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) which together comprise America’s nutrition safety net. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov.
Agriculture Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced the availability of up to $4 million in funding for states to support implementation of new national professional standards for all school nutrition employees who manage and operate the National School Lunch (NSLP) and School Breakfast Programs (SBP). The new standards, also announced today, through the final Professional Standards rule, are a key provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA).
“Each and every school day, thousands of compassionate and hard working women and men devote themselves to making sure that more than 50 million schoolchildren have healthy meals to help them learn and grow to their fullest potential,” said Concannon. “These grants and new standards will ensure that school nutrition personnel have the training and tools they need to plan, prepare, and purchase healthy products to create nutritious and enjoyable school meals.”
USDA will competitively-award Fiscal Year 2015 funds to help state agencies develop and implement trainings that satisfy the requirements of the professional standards rule. A key component of the rule, establishing minimum education and training requirements ensures that school nutrition personnel have the knowledge and skills necessary to perform their duties and responsibilities effectively. Read more…
