Nutrition Program Bulletin – Week of February 23, 2026
Each section contains updates relevant to those nutrition programs. You can jump to the section you're interested in by clicking the link.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 Memo
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, were released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on January 7, 2026. The USDA released a memo summarizing the new guidelines, announcing upcoming rulemaking, and highlighting related child nutrition program resources. To learn more, please review the memo Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 – Eat Real Food.
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Market Report Summary Reminders for School Food Authorities (SFAs) Participating in the Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program
Many factors are impacting the availability and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables through DoD.
- Extreme weather conditions are impacting availability and pricing across key growing regions.
- Participating sponsors are reminded that supplies remain tight, and prices are elevated due to limited volume and quality challenges.
- SFAs can take the following actions to ensure product availability:
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Plan orders early to secure product availability and avoid disruptions.
- Monitor updates regularly and adjust menus as needed.
- For the latest details and product availability, check the FFAVORS link to read the latest USDA Market Report.
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Buy American
The School Meal Program’s Buy American provision applies to purchases made for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the School Breakfast Program (SBP), the NSLP Afterschool Snack Program, and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
The Buy American Provision does not apply to non-program foods, such as catering or à la carte, or the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). It also does not apply to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) or the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
As of July 1, 2025, 10% or less of the total commercial food costs for SBP, NSLP, and SSO may be spent on non-domestic foods.
Non-domestic foods include:
- Agricultural commodities grown outside of the U.S.; and
- Food products processed in the U.S. containing 50% or more of agricultural commodities grown outside of the U.S.
Non-domestic foods may only be purchased if they meet one of the following exceptions:
- Exception 1: The product is listed on the Federal Acquisitions Regulations (FAR) Nonavailable articles list and/or is not produced or manufactured in the U.S. in sufficient and reasonably available quantities of a satisfactory quality.
- Exception 2: Competitive bids reveal the cost of a U.S. product is significantly higher than the non-domestic product.
Non-domestic foods purchased for the School Meal Programs included in the Buy American provision must be tracked using the USDA Exception Log.
Schools may apply for a temporary accommodation from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) for School Year (SY) 2025-26 if they are unable to meet the 10% cap on non-domestic purchases. Products listed on the FAR list count toward the 10% cap.
As part of the temporary accommodation request, schools will be required to provide the following information on purchases for the SBP, NSLP, and SSO:
- Total annual commercial and non-domestic food costs for SY 2025-26 to date;
- A completed up to date USDA Exception Log showing that non-domestic food purchases are greater than 10% of food purchases;
- The school’s plan to meet the 10% purchasing cap requirement; and
- Information about the school’s non-domestic food purchases.
Apply for a temporary accommodation for SY 2025-26.
Clarifications for Implementing Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act
At lunch, schools may offer whole, reduced-fat (2%), low-fat (1%), and fat-free fluid milk, lactose-free fluid milk, and nondairy beverages that are nutritionally equivalent to fluid milk.
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CLARIFICATION: These changes do not apply to the School Breakfast Program, the NSLP Afterschool Snack Program, or Smart Snack standards as the federal change did not include these.
At lunch, schools must now provide a substitute for fluid milk for students whose disability restricts their diet upon receipt of a written statement from a parent or guardian.
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CLARIFICATION: This written statement must follow the same core principles as one provided by a medical professional that identifies the student’s impairment and explains how it restricts their diet. The school must accommodate the disability at lunch, however, they are not required to provide the specific item requested, such as a particular non-dairy beverage or juice if it creates an undue burden. Program operators can use their discretion to offer a reasonable alternative that safely meets the student’s needs.
- Since this only applies to lunch, schools must continue to obtain a written statement from an authorized medical professional to accommodate requests for milk substitutes that cannot be met with a fluid milk substitute that is nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk for all other programs.
For more information, please read the Whole Milk for Health Kids Act of 2025 – Implementation Requirements for the National School Lunch.
Guidance for SFAs with Excess Net Cash Resources (NCR) in Fund 02
The allowable NCR threshold remains six months of average operating expenditures through SY 2026-27.
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Calculation: Compare year-end Restricted Fund Balance in Fund 02 (Nonprofit School Food Service Account) to six-month average operating expenses.
- Any amount above this threshold equals excess funds.
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Action Required: SFAs with excess funds were notified in January 2026 and must develop and implement a plan to reduce the balance per federal requirements for nonprofit school food service operations and improvements.
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Technical Assistance Available:
Save the Dates! School Nutrition Programs In-Person Summer Trainings
The SNP team at MDE will be offering two different types of training this summer across the state. Registration will be available in the Nutrition Program Bulletin in April 2026.
School Nutrition Program Basics will focus on the basics of operating the School Nutrition Programs. Individuals new to operating the SNP, or those who would like a refresher, are invited to attend. This is a full day training.
Dates/Locations:
- Minneapolis - Tuesday June 9
- Marshall - Wednesday June 10
- Rochester - Wednesday August 12
- Mountain Iron - Thursday August 13
- Fergus Falls - Tuesday August 18
- Minneapolis - Wednesday August 19
Student Eligibility and Meal Counts will focus on processing direct certification and Applications for Educational Benefits and counting meals at the point of service. This is a half day training.
Dates/Locations:
- Minneapolis - Wednesday June 10
- Marshall - Thursday June 11
- Mountain Iron - Thursday August 6
- Minneapolis - Tuesday August 11
- Detroit Lakes - Thursday August 20
Share Your Success Story – Inspire and Support Fellow School Nutrition Professionals!
Every day, school nutrition staff find creative ways to serve healthy meals, connect with students, and promote wellness opportunities. MDE wants to share those stories on the Minnesota Healthy Schools: Spotlight on Success map featured on the MDE’s Healthy Schools webpage.
Your story could inspire others and spark new approaches in other schools. Schools/Districts can complete the interest form for consideration of being added to the interactive map.
Potential stories could include, but are not limited to:
- How you engaged students in providing input for your menu;
- How you expanded local food purchases;
- How you offer nutrition education inside or outside the cafeteria; or
- How your school wellness committee is improving student and staff wellness.
For questions, contact Gail Anderson (gail.c.anderson@state.mn.us).
Training Videos Posted
Updated videos have been posted to the new School Nutrition Program Training Library on the MDE website.
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Processing Applications for Educational Benefits
- Households can qualify their students for eligibility using an Application for Educational Benefits. This training describes the steps for distributing, receiving, and processing Application for Educational Benefits. (40 minutes, Training Topic: 3310)
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SFSP Online Application Updates
The Cyber Linked Interactive Child Nutrition System (CLiCS) online application system used to submit applications is being updated. This summer, the SFSP application screens will have a different look and will also collect additional application information. Here are some of the updates you can expect to see:
- The new application screens will have a streamlined look using shades of blue, gray, and white to easily navigate.
- Each section of the application has been designed as a drop-down accordion to be able to open or hide sections of the application, as desired.
- All sponsors will be required to report information for principal individuals in the application. Principal individuals are those in a leadership role and/or those who have financial responsibility in the organization. Information requested will include name, other names used, personal address, personal email and date of birth.
- For sponsors required to submit a management plan, there will be a new feature within the application to upload the annual requirements including the Management Plan Certification Form, the Budget Detail Excel Worksheet, and documentation of board approval for the Program budget.
- Sponsors that obtain meals through a contract (i.e. from a vendor or Food Service Management Company) will need to complete the “Meal Contracts” section in the sponsor application before submitting the site application. Sponsors will submit the company information and upload the associated contract in the sponsor “Meal Contracts” section and then select the contract name from a dropdown menu on the site application.
SFSP applications will be available in CLiCS in late March. Additional details and resources on how to submit applications will be coming soon.
2026 SFSP Reimbursement Rates
The USDA has announced the SFSP reimbursement rates for calendar year 2026; view the Summer Food Service Program Reimbursement Rates 2026.
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Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Webinar
Join us for an informative webinar on the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), on March 5 at 2 p.m. This session is ideal for current school food authorities participating in FFVP as well as those considering participation in the program in SY 2026-27.
Register for the FFVP Overview and Application Process webinar on Thursday, March 5, at 2 p.m.
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