Breakfast Meal Pattern: Short and Long Weeks

Overview

Program operators of the SBP are required to use meal patterns and dietary specifications established by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop menus and serve meals to students. On April 25, 2024, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service posted the Final Rule for Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The final rule offers new flexibilities for School Nutrition Programs (SNPs) to phase in over the next three school years (SY) to meet the needs of vegetarian diets and other dietary preferences, as well as to other program areas to support local food procurement. The final rule also made significant updates to nutrition standards, most notably for added sugar and sodium. Additionally, the final rule offers new flexibilities for Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs) to meet the needs of vegetarian diets and other dietary preferences and to support the procurement of fresh local foods. Further, foods sold or served in schools are also subject to state laws and regulations including the California Food Safety Act and the California School Food Safety Act.

Short and long week meal pattern charts have been established for schools that regularly operate on a shorter or longer weekly cycle. The following charts adjust the meal pattern components for short and long weeks and are rounded to nearest ½ ounce equivalent and ¼ cup. Since the dietary specifications are based on average daily amounts, these are unaffected by varying week lengths, (average over length of week, whether consisting of 3 to 7 days).

Meal Pattern Requirements

Measurement abbreviations: Cup = c, Ounce Equivalent = oz eq, Ounce = oz, Fluid Ounce = fl oz, Calories = kcal, Grams = g, and Milligrams = mg

Three Day School Week Meal Component Adjustments

Minimum Amount of Food^a Per Week

Four Day School Week Meal Component Adjustments

Minimum Amount of Food^a Per Week

Six Day School Week Meal Component Adjustments

Minimum Amount of Food^a Per Week

Seven Day School Week Meal Component Adjustments

Minimum Amount of Food^a Per Week

Dietary Specifications

* USDA has lifted the weekly maximums for grains. The daily and weekly minimums for grains and the weekly calorie ranges still apply. The maximums are used as a guide for menu planning purposes only.

a Food items included in each group and subgroup and amount equivalents are outlined in the USDA Food Buying Guide web page .

b One quarter (¼) cup of dried fruit counts as one half (½) cup of fruit; one (1) cup of leafy greens counts as ½ cup of vegetables. No more than half of the fruit or vegetable offerings may be in the form of juice. All juice must be pasteurized and 100 percent full-strength. The minimum creditable serving for a fruit or vegetable is at least one eighth (⅛) cup.

c Vegetables may be substituted for fruits. For SY 2024–25 only, schools may substitute any vegetable in place of fruit at breakfast on two or more days per school week without offering at least two different vegetable subgroups. Beginning SY 2025–26 (July 1, 2025), schools offering vegetables in place of fruit once per school week may offer any vegetable. Schools offering vegetables two or more times per week, in place of a fruit, must offer vegetables from at least two vegetable subgroups from the dark green, red/orange, beans, peas, and lentils, starchy or “Other Vegetables” subgroups, as defined in Title 7,Code of Federal Regulations (7CFR) Section 210.10(c)(2)(ii).

d At least 80 percent of all grains offered weekly must be whole grain-rich. The remaining 20 percent or less of grains, if any, must be enriched. A whole grain-rich product contains between 50 and 100 percent whole grain, with any remaining grains being enriched. Schools may offer grains, meats/meat alternates, or both to meet the daily and weekly ounce equivalent requirements. Grains or meats/meat alternates may be offered as an extra food item that does not count toward the grains or meats/meat alternates component or as food items for Offer Versus Serve (OVS). These extra food items need to be included in the weekly calculations for calories, sodium, saturated fat, and, upon implementation, added sugar. The minimum creditable serving for a grain, a meat, or a meat alternate is at least ¼ ounce equivalent.

e At least two milk choices must be offered. Pasteurized, fluid types of milk must meet state and local standards and contain vitamins A and D at levels specified by the Food and Drug Administration. All milk must be fat-free or low-fat. Milk with higher fat content is not allowed. Low-fat or fat-free lactose-free and reduced-lactose fluid milk may also be offered. Fat-free or low-fat cultured milk, fat-free or low-fat acidified milk, and Ultra High Temperature milk are also allowed. Fat-free and low-fat fluid milk may be flavored or unflavored. Beginning July 1, 2025, flavored milk offered must contain no more than 10 grams of added sugar per 8 fluid ounces.

f The average daily calories over the length of the school week must be within the range (at least the minimum and no more than the maximum values).

g Discretionary sources of calories (solid fats and added sugars) may be added to the meal pattern if within the specifications for calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and, when implemented, added sugars. Food products and ingredients must contain zero grams of trans fat (less than 0.5 grams) per serving, as per California Education Code Section 49430.7(c)(3). Products and ingredients served in California School Nutrition Programs must continue to follow this requirement despite the final rule elimination of the trans fat requirement.

h Effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027, the weekly sodium limit for school breakfast remains at Sodium Target 1. Beginning July 1, 2027 and beyond, the 10 percent reduction of sodium at breakfast must be implemented. Note that the sodium limit applies to the average meal offered during the school week, not daily or per meal.

i Nutrition label of manufacturer specifications must indicate zero grams of trans fat per serving.

Please note: If implementing offer versus serve, every student must take either ½ cup fruit (or substituted vegetable) or a combination of both fruits and vegetables to count as a reimbursable meal. OVS is not a requirement of the School Breakfast Program.

Additional Meal Pattern Requirements

In addition to ensuring federal requirements for meals served as a part of the CNPs are met, program operators must also meet state requirements. Recently two new acts were passed in California that impact foods served in schools:

California Food Safety Act (Health and Safety Code Section 109025)

Prohibits the manufacture, sale, or provision (delivering, distribution, holding, and offering) of food products that contain brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye number 3 beginning January 1, 2027.

California School Food Safety Act [California Education Code (EC) sections, 49431, 49431.2, 49431.5, 49501.5, and 49531]

Amends the definition of a nutritionally adequate breakfast and a nutritionally adequate lunch found in EC 49501.5, as of December 31, 2027, to meals that do not contain any of the following substances: Blue 1 (Chemical Abstracts Service [CAS] 3844-45-9), Blue 2 (CAS 860-22-0), Green 3 (CAS 2353-45-9), Red 40 (CAS 25956-17-6), Yellow 5 (CAS 1934-21-0), and Yellow 6 (CAS 2783-94-0). Additionally, the act amended EC sections 49431 and 49431.5 to prohibit, effective December 31, 2027, the same additives in competitive foods sold in elementary, middle and high schools.