…and tell your Members of Congress that you want to keep the school day healthy.
- USDA’s page on Nutrition Standards for School Meals (includes the final rule, implementation timeline, and frequently asked questions)
- Team Nutrition
- How Improving Federal Nutrition Program Access and Quality Work Together to Reduce Hunger and Promote Healthy Eating (pdf)
- Visit FRAC’s Publications page and Webinar Archive for More Information
Research Shows that the School Nutrition Standards Improve the School Nutrition Environment and Student Outcomes
New standards first took effect in the 2012 – 2013 school year for lunch, 2013 – 2014 school year for breakfast, and 2014 – 2015 school year for competitive foods. This brief highlights the evidence that the new standards for school meals are working.
The school day is healthier. The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make significant nutrition improvements in school meals, as well as to improve the overall quality of the food sold at school. Specifically, USDA was mandated to update nutrition standards for school lunch, breakfast, and competitive foods. Schools must make sure that water is available* free of charge during the meal service. FRAC advocated for these long-overdue improvements and then worked with USDA during the rulemaking process by providing input on the changes.
These new nutrition standards for school meals and competitive foods also have the potential to increase school meal participation. There is a growing body of evidence and local success stories that demonstrate that improving school meal quality and the overall school food environment improves school meal participation.
In January 2012, USDA issued the new standards which:
Learn more by reading FRAC’s analysis of the changes (pdf).
In June 2013, USDA issued the “Smart Snacks in School” rule which: