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Nutrition

The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) is committed to a well-nourished and educated California. We support and protect access to nutritious meals for children in California to grow, learn, and thrive.

Our Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) offer meals and snacks in schools, parks, and other community agencies.

Each instructional day, California’s six million public school children have access to a nutritious breakfast and lunch as well as meals during the summer. Together, more than 630 million meals and snacks at over 22,000 sites were served through the course of the year.

How can we help? Share your experience with NSD. Take our survey.

Program News | Meal Programs | Education, Training, and Professional Development | Program Resources | Program Operator Feedback | Latest Tweets

Program News

  • Nutrition What's New
    News and announcements relating to disasters, recalls, policy requirements, management bulletins, trainings, funding opportunities, recognition, and other topics for program operators of the CNPs.

Meal Programs

  • School Nutrition Programs
    Information about meal, snack, and milk programs offered at public and private nonprofit schools and residential child care institutions. The School Nutrition Programs include the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Special Milk Program, Seamless Summer Option and State Meal Program.

  • Food Distribution Program
    Information about the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods, Department of Defense Fresh Program, distribution centers, and processing of USDA Foods.

  • Summer Food Service Programs
    Federal meal programs for children from low-income areas during vacation and off-track periods.

  • SUN Bucks (Summer EBT)
    Includes background, eligibility criteria, best practices, frequently asked questions (FAQ), resources, and contact information regarding SUN Bucks (Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer [EBT]).

  • After School
    Provides after school program operators with background information, a comparison chart of available programs, meal pattern charts, directions on how to apply, claiming instructions, policy guidance, resources, and more. 

  • Meal Programs–CalEdFacts page
    Summary of meal programs offered in California.

Education, Training, and Professional Development

  • Food Service Staff Education and Training
    Helpful information for new School Nutrition Program (SNP) professionals and includes an overview of the School Nutrition and Summer Nutrition Programs, recommended online trainings, key resources, and program contact information.

  • Course Catalog
    A catalog of online courses for program operators participating in the CNPs.

  • Resource Library
    A library of online resources for program operators participating in the CNPs.

  • Healthy Eating and Nutrition Education
    Information about improving nutrition and establishing healthy eating habits in school, child care, adult, and afterschool settings. Includes information about local school wellness policies.

Program Resources

  • Disaster Guidance
    Includes resources, claiming and reimbursement information, policy guidance, and contacts for all disasters that affect the CNPs.

  • Administrative Review
    An overview of the areas that will be reviewed during the Administrative Reviews by a Nutrition Program Consultant from the CDE NSD.

  • Appeal Process for CNPs
    An overview of the appeal process for the CNPs administered by the CDE.

  • Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS)
    The CNIPS is an online system for local sponsors of federal food programs to easily submit and track the status of their applications, claims, changes, and commodity requests to the CDE.

  • Claim Reimbursements
    Fiscal information to aid nutrition sponsors and to provide information about claiming meal reimbursements.

  • Food Program Data
    CNPs data and statistics, including county profiles, free and reduced-price meals data, school meal nutrition analysis, and summer meal service sites.

  • Grants, Recognition and Appropriations
    Information on grant opportunities, recognition programs, and appropriations available to program operators of the CNPs.

  • Legislation, Regulations, and Policies
    State and federal regulations and other CNP guidance including management bulletins and policy memoranda, proposed regulations, legislative reports, and policy recommendations for nutrition program administration.

  • Procurement in CNPs
    Federal and state information for the procurement of food service related goods and services across all federally funded CNPs and the USDA Foods Program.

  • Rates, Eligibility Scales, and Funding
    Reimbursement rates, annual eligibility scales, and funding information.

  • USDA Civil Rights and Complaints
    USDA Food and Nutrition Service policies and procedures about nondiscrimination in the administration of the CNPs and the Food Distribution Program.

Program Operator Feedback

  • NSD Customer Service Survey
    How can we help? Share your experience with us. Your experience with NSD and input is important to us. The NSD will use this feedback to improve our support and communication of information to CNP operators. This survey can be taken at any time.

CDE Nutrition on Twitter

For the latest CDE nutrition news and information, follow @CDENutrition External link opens in new window or tab. on Twitter.

Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609
Last Reviewed: Friday, November 01, 2024
Related Content
  • Community Eligibility Provision
    The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) provides School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors an alternative method for claiming student meals in high poverty schools.
  • Competitive Foods and Beverages
    Information on competitive foods and beverages including definitions, background, compliance, resources, policy guidance, and frequently asked questions for sponsors participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program.
  • Drinking Water for Students in Schools
    Provides background, health implications, policy guidance, best practices, and funding opportunities regarding the requirement for school districts to provide access to free, potable drinking water during meal times.
  • School Nutrition Programs Eligibility
    Each school year, local educational agencies must determine and certify a student’s eligibility to qualify for free and reduced-price meals or free milk benefits.
  • Summer Meal Service Sites
    Provides parents and referral agencies with a list of locations where children may receive free nutritious meals during school vacation and off-track periods.
Trending in Nutrition
Recently Posted in Nutrition
  • Waiver for Non-congregate Meals During Ramadan (added 14-Jan-2025)
    The Waiver for Non-congregate Meals During Ramadan allows approved school food authorities to offer non-congregate meals to students fasting during Ramadan.
  • Availability of the 2025-26 Breakfast Grant (added 14-Jan-2025)
    The School Breakfast Program (SBP) and Summer Meal Programs (SMP) Start-up and Expansion Grants, administered by the California Department of Education, provide schools with funding to start-up or expand their SBP and SMP.
  • NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant: Allowable Costs (added 10-Jan-2025)
    The USDA issued Policy Memo SP 06-2025: National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grants (EAG): Installation Expenditures which provides guidance on costs related to installing and using new equipment purchased with EAG funds.
  • Buy American Provision (added 10-Jan-2025)
    The Buy American provision is a procurement standard that SFAs must comply with when purchasing food products served in School Nutrition Programs (SNP). SFAs are required to purchase domestic commodities or products to the maximum extent practicable.
  • Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency (added 08-Jan-2025)
    Governor Newsom proclaims state of emergency to support the communities impacted by the Palisades Fire.

  • Buy American Provision (added 08-Jan-2025)
    This management bulletin provides school food authorities (SFAs) with updates to the Buy American requirements included in the final rule titled Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-25 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
  • FFAVORS new requirement (added 08-Jan-2025)
    Effective January 5, 2025, (FFAVORS) user are now required to receipt within 2 business days of receipt of product or required delivery date (RDD).
  • CNIPS Update (added 06-Jan-2025)
    Transition of Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) server hosting and maintenance from California Department of Technology to California Department of Education (CDE).
  • October 22, 2024 Tuesday at 2 Town Hall Resources (added 03-Jan-2025)
    The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) hosted the monthly Tuesday @ 2 School Nutrition Town Hall webinar October 22, 2024.
  • SNP-11-2024 Final Rule: Fluid Milk Substitutions (added 17-Dec-2024)
    This MB updates and replaces USDA-CNP-04-2010, related to Fluid Milk Substitutions in SNPs to align with the Final Rule.