Nutrition Program Bulletin – Week of June 16, 2025
Each section contains updates relevant to those nutrition programs. You can jump to the section you're interested in by clicking the link.
Office Closed
Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) will be closed Friday, July 4, 2025, due to Independence Day holiday.
2025–26 Application for Educational Benefits Packet
The 2025–26 Application for Educational Benefits Packet for households to apply for free and reduced-price benefits for school year (SY) 2025–26 is available on the MDE website. The earliest date that application packets can be distributed is July 1, 2025. Refer to the Requirements for Annual Distribution of the Application for Educational Benefits Packet for additional information.
Beginning in SY 2025-26, there is a single Application for Educational Benefits packet. There is no longer an alternate application for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools. CEP schools now distribute the Application for Educational Benefits Packet available from the Student Meal Applications page for households that are not already directly certified.
The 2025–26 Application for Educational Benefits packet includes:
- A letter to households explaining free or reduced-price eligibility benefits.
- Instructions on how to complete the Application for Educational Benefits, which includes the updated household income guidelines. This page may be printed on the backside of the household letter.
- Application for Educational Benefits form (two pages). Both pages must be distributed.
The application packet may include School Breakfast Program Marketing Resources that School Food Authorities (SFAs) are required to distribute at the beginning of the school year.
The 2025-26 application packets in Hmong, Somali, and Spanish will be available in July from the bottom section of the MDE Student Meal Applications page under Translated Documents. For other languages, use translations of the USDA prototype application packet. The USDA application packet is available in about 50 languages on the USDA website.
For information on processing applications, refer to the Procedures for approval/denial of Applications for Educational Benefits. Additionally, the USDA Eligibility Manual for School Meals serves as the most comprehensive resource on processing student meal applications.
Food Distribution Program Reminders
- The last produce orders and DoD Fresh receipts must be entered into the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Order Receipt System (FFAVORS) before June 30, 2025, for this school year.
- For school year 2025-26, ensure any site additions or changes in FFAVORS are completed 30 days prior to start of school to obtain accurate deliveries.
- Sponsors must update their CLiCS sponsor contact information and ensure they have selected and confirmed a distributor in CLiCS by June 30, 2025, to avoid delivery delays at the start of SY 2025–26. View the instructions for updating and confirming distributors found on page 31 of the Food Distribution Program Handbook. Sponsors contracting with a vended meal provider or foodservice management company are responsible for ensuring the company has the correct distributor information.
USDA Foods in Schools Product Information Sheets
Want to know more about what’s in your USDA Foods? Check out USDA Foods in Schools Product Information Sheets and the USDA Foods Database.
- USDA Foods in Schools Product Information Sheets provide a basic overview of USDA Foods product information including a product description, crediting and yield information, culinary tips, and nutrition information.
- The Nutrition Facts provided on Product Information Sheets is a compilation of multiple vendors’ information and could differ slightly from the actual product received.
- These can be useful in finding general information about USDA Foods products but do not provide specific details, such as allergens or ingredients.
Claim Change for Rural Non-Congregate Meal Sites
New this summer! Sponsors operating rural non-congregate sites will now report meals within the month in which they are served. For example, if five days’ worth of meals are provided on Monday, June 30, all meals should be claimed in June—even if they are intended to be consumed in July.
When submitting the monthly claim, enter the number of operational days for the month (as listed in the site application under #6: Number of Operational Days in which Meals are Served Per Month) along with the total number of meals served during that month.
Promote Open SFSP Sites to the Public
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Households can use the following resources to locate open SFSP sites throughout Minnesota. These resources rely on information from CLiCS, so keep your CLiCS applications up to date to ensure accurate information is shared with the public.
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Call the 211 Hotline. From a cell phone – Twin Cities Metro Area: 651-291-0211, Greater Minnesota: 1-800-543-7709, TTY: 651-291-8440.
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Call the Minnesota Food HelpLine at 1-888-711-1151, available from Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Central Time.
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Text USDA to texting service. Text Summer Meals to 914-342-7744. Spanish speakers, text Verano to 914-342-7744.
UPDATED LINK: Off-Site Field Trip Notification
Meals taken off-site on a field trip can be claimed for reimbursement if notice is provided to MDE by 8 a.m. the morning of the field trip, using the updated Field Trip Notification Form.
Unallowable Costs for Additional Foods
Additional foods, such as an extra cheese stick or an additional fruit/vegetable, may be served with a reimbursable SFSP meal and/or snack to improve the nutrition of children participating in the SFSP. However, any additional food items purchased with SFSP funds must be creditable under the SFSP meal pattern requirements.
Non-creditable food items, such as such as baked potato chips or commercially prepared beef sticks without a product formulation statement, are considered unallowable costs and must be purchased using non-program funds. Condiments served with a creditable food item are exempt from this restriction. Review creditable and noncreditable foods in the SFSP (not exhaustive list) for more information.
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