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School Nutrition Program Updates

FEBRUARY 2022

USDA Helps Schools Build Back Better, Issues Transitional Nutrition Standards for Coming School Years

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced updates to the school nutrition standards that give schools a clear path forward as they build back better from the pandemic. These actions provide support for the dedicated school meal program operators who provide critical nutrition to millions of children every school day.

By issuing transitional standards that will begin in school year (SY) 2022-2023 and that USDA intends to run through SY 2023-2024, USDA is giving schools time to transition from current, pandemic operations, toward more nutritious meals. In 2022, USDA will continue to prioritize supporting schools as they navigate the challenges of the pandemic and related operational issues while also ensuring children continue to enjoy healthy meals at school. The department is also planning for the future by engaging with school meal stakeholders to establish long-term nutrition standards beginning in SY 2024-2025 that will be achievable and put children’s health at the forefront. Together, these actions will pave the way to stronger, more resilient school meal programs.

“Nutritious school meals give America’s children the foundation for successful, healthy lives,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We applaud schools’ heroic efforts throughout the challenges of this pandemic to continue serving kids the most nutritious meals possible. The standards we’re putting in place for the next two school years will help schools transition to a future that builds on the tremendous strides they’ve made improving school meal nutrition over the past decade.”

Vilsack added that research shows that school children receive their healthiest meals of the day at school.

USDA previously updated the school nutrition standards in 2012. Schools were largely successful in implementing the standards, which had a proven, positive impact on students’ diets. However, due to specific implementation delays and pandemic challenges, some schools may not be prepared to fully meet the standards for milk, whole grain and sodium at this time. Today’s announcement gives schools clarity on those standards for the coming school years, allowing them to gradually transition from the extraordinary circumstances caused by the pandemic to normal program operations and meal standards that are consistent with the latest nutrition science, as required by law.

The new final rule – Child Nutrition Programs: Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium – establishes the following requirements beginning SY 2022-2023:

• Milk: Schools and child care providers serving participants ages six and older may offer flavored low-fat (1%) milk in addition to nonfat flavored milk and nonfat or low-fat unflavored milk; and as a competitive beverage.
• Whole Grains: At least 80% of the grains served in school lunch and breakfast each week must be whole grain-rich; and
• Sodium: The weekly sodium limit for school lunch and breakfast will remain at the current level (Target 1) in SY 2022-2023. For school lunch only, there will be a 10% decrease in the limit (Target 1A) in SY 2023-2024. This aligns with the U.S Food and Drug Administration’s recently released guidance that establishes voluntary sodium reduction targets for processed, packaged, and prepared foods in the U.S.

All other nutrition standards, including fruit and vegetable requirements, will remain the same as the 2012 standards.

Planning for the future, USDA intends to issue a proposed rule in fall 2022 that moves toward updating nutrition standards for the long term. USDA is required to update school nutrition standards based on recommendations from the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In doing so, USDA will prioritize seeking input from schools, industry and others to inform the process. The department expects to finalize that rule in time for schools to plan for SY 2024-2025.

DATES This final rule will become effective July 1, 2022. Written comments on this final rule should be received on or before 45 days after date of publication in the Federal Register to receive consideration.

ADDRESSES FNS invites interested persons to submit written comments on the provisions of this final rule. Interested persons are also invited to comment on considerations for future rulemaking related to the school nutrition requirements. In the coming months, the public will have an additional opportunity to comment when the FNS publishes a new proposed rule related to the school meal pattern requirements. Comments related to this final rule may be submitted in writing by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Send comments to Tina Namian, Chief, School Programs Branch, Policy and Program Development Division – 4th floor, Food and Nutrition Service, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone: 703-305-2590.

All written comments submitted in response to this final rule will be included in the record and will be made available to the public. Please be advised that the substance of the comments and the identity of the individuals or entities submitting the comments will be subject to public disclosure. FNS will make the written comments publicly available on the Internet via http://www.regulations.gov.

“These transitional standards are step one of a longer-term strategy to lean into the school meal programs as a crucial part of improving child health. Over the coming months and years, USDA will work closely with its school meal partners to develop the next iteration of nutrition requirements. We’ve got to find the right balance between standards that give our kids the best chance at a healthy future based on the latest nutrition science, and ensuring those standards are practical, built to last, and work for everyone,” said Vilsack.

“The creativity of schools and other local partners who understand what works best in practice will be key as we grow into this new generation of school meals. We are eager to listen and learn from their ideas because when it comes to the health and well-being of our nation’s children, we must always continue to aim high and strive for the best,” Vilsack added.

Mark your calendar "TAKE OFF with School Breakfast" for March 7-11th, 2022!

SNA’s theme “reminds parents and stakeholders that a healthy school breakfast helps ensure students’ academic success in school so they can ‘take off’ and reach their goals.”

If you would like more information, check out the NSBW website here: School Nutrition Association

You can find images to use for marketing or posting in the cafeteria, a toolkit (available now!) as well as NSBW merchandise available for sale.

Share your NSBW activities on the ‘North Dakota Kitchen Nutritional Staff’ Facebook Page or send to dpicnfd@nd.gov! We would love to see how you are celebrating!

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) hosted a kickoff webinar for NSBW  titled “Breakfast Trends that will Help POWER UP your Program for National Breakfast Week”.  It featured Chef Matt Jost from Kellogg’s Menuvation culinary center.  Chef Matt whipped up a wide variety of sauces to add POWER to your breakfast fare.  The bases to his sauces were all ingredients that schools would normally have in their pantry – mayo, yogurt and sour cream. These were good for breakfast burrito, some for eggs and other savory dishes. A few of the ideas are featured in the image below.

For the sweeter side, Chef Matt talked about cereal fondue using yogurt-based dips such as yogurt mixed into jam or an orange juice concentrate and yogurt.  He cautioned not to use runny additions to yogurt as yogurt is already a bit runny.  

Members of SNA/NDSNA can listen to this recorded webinar for free at Receive Some Culinary Inspiration For Breakfast and Beyond (schoolnutrition.org)   If you are not a member of SNA, you are missing out on some great tools and resources for your program.  Remember that the Foodservice account can be used for NDSNA/SNA membership dues for the entire kitchen staff.

Meal Claims in SSO

We are finding some mistakes on SSO lunch claims. Some schools are claiming seconds, adult meals and/or snacks in the total meals. USDA will only reimburse one lunch per student per day on SSO. We do realize this is confusing since the Summer Food Program did allow second meals. Adult meals are never reimbursed in any Child Nutrition Program. We do reimburse separately for snacks such as in the Afterschool Snack Program and the FFVP.

Please check the reports you take claim numbers from to ensure that only student lunches are claimed and only one lunch per student.

SNP Snack Claims

If you are claiming snacks under SNP, the snacks must be served after school in an enrichment program that is accessible to all students. The snack cannot be served during school hours. The snack cannot be served to just athletic teams.

Menu Myths

Students are not required to take the entrée or milk at lunch. They are required to take a half cup of fruit or vegetable and 2 other components of their choosing.

Afterschool Snack menus do not require milk. You could serve fruit and bread/grain or bread and meat or milk and fruit. Two (of the five) different components are required.

Students are not Required to Take Fruit AND Vegetable, just one.

Schools must offer a fruit and a vegetable at lunch. Students are required to take ½ cup of either one. We are still hearing reports of schools forcing students to take both. You are required to OFFER both; however, the student only needs to take one if that is what they want. 

Not a “One Size Fits All” Meal Pattern

There are three age/grade groups in the USDA meal pattern: K-5, 6-8, 9-12. Students in grades K-8 only need to be offered one ounce of grain and one ounce of meat/meat alternate per day. There are weekly minimums that average out higher than one ounce per day so not every day can be a one-ounce grain/one ounce meat entrée. If you serve pre-K through 5^th grade students, some items such as chicken burgers, hamburgers or pizza may be too big for little mouths. Most of those items can be cut in half and still credit as one ounce of grain and one ounce of meat. You can offer the half portion in the serving line and if students want both halves, they can request it or come back for the second. If the students are offered the second half, that credits as offering 2 ounces of meat and grain.

Do you have more than ONE MEAL SITE? Did you complete your Site Monitoring by February 1st?

Sponsors with more than one meal service site must complete an on-site review at each site prior to February 1^st of the program year.

Although by the time you are reading this newsletter, it is past February 1^st – consider this a kind reminder to complete this task, if you have not already.

You can find the site monitoring form in your Production Record Book or HERE.

NOTE: This was not a part of the USDA waivers this school year, per Q12 of the Q & A from April 19^th, 2021: USDA United States Department of Agriculture (azureedge.net)

If you have questions regarding the Site Monitoring Form, please reach out to our office at dpicnfd@nd.gov. Thank you!

Do You Have a Reimbursable Meal Poster in the Cafeteria?

While Reviewers have been conducting NSLP/SSO Reviews this year, they have found that some schools/sites have not been using the most updated Reimbursable Meal Poster (or do not have one posted at all!). All sites need to have signage explaining what consists of a reimbursable meal to students.

Each Sponsor received a poster for each site they operate, this summer (whether you attended our BTSW, or they were delivered to your school).

If you operate SFSP, you also received the posters for Breakfast and Lunch for SFSP. These posters should be used during the operation of SFSP this summer! 

If you need a copy of one of the reimbursable meal posters, please request one by emailing dpicnfd@nd.gov.

2022 Summer Food Service Program Updates

Renewals for SFSP will open in NDFoods in April 2022. We expect a return to normal SFSP program operations prior to COVID 19 without the additional waivers that were available in 2020 and 2021.  USDA could still offer flexibilities and provide additional waivers to SFSP operators this summer.  We will notify sponsors of any change or update to SFSP program operations for 2022. 

USDA will provide the following waivers to states.  These waivers were previously made available to SFSP states prior to COVID 19.  NDDPI plans to opt into all four of these waivers. 

• Waive mealtime restrictions in the SFSP to allow more meal accessibility.
• Waive first week site visits in the SFSP for experienced sponsors.
• Waive the restriction that only school food authorities may utilize offer vs serve in their meal service.
• Waive the restriction that closed enrolled sites must determine their eligibility based on free or reduced-price applications and may instead use area eligibility.

Under the SFSP guidelines, eligibility must be determined for each site operating the program.  Site eligibility will be published on the NDDPI website by Friday, February 11.  Sponsors may only operate at sites that have been determined eligible. 

• SFSP Site Eligibility 2022: https://www.nd.gov/dpi/districtsschools/child-nutrition-and-food-distribution/summer-food-service-program/site-eligibility

The 2022 SFSP reimbursement rates have been published on the NDDPI website:  https://www.nd.gov/dpi/districtsschools/child-nutrition-and-food-distribution/summer-food-service-program/sfsp

Non-congregate (grab and go) meals will not be allowed.  Meals must be served in a congregate setting with meals being consumed on site.  Sites offering summer school and want to participate in the SFSP program, must also be open to the public.  Offering the SFSP program to only children attending summer school is not allowed.  Please contact our office if you have questions or are interested in operating a SFSP program this summer.

Free, Virtual Training Opportunities

The Institute of Child Nutrition is offering “Virtual Instructor-Led Trainings” (VILTs) – which are live, interactive training sessions for child nutrition professionals. Registration is limited to 25 participants per session, so if you are interested, register soon!

Topics include:

Register here: Virtual Instructor Led Training - Institute of Child Nutrition (theicn.org)

Field to Fork Webinar Series with NDSU Extension

NDSU Extension is hosting a weekly webinar series, starting February 16, 2022. Although you may be interested in some of the topics for your own personal gardening, they are hosting a Farm to School webinar on April 13th, in which you may find relevance for your school kitchen. Here is the information on the topic for that day.

• April 13: Farm to School: Getting Started and Best Practices – Londa Nwadike, Extension associate professor and food safety specialist, Kansas State University and the University of Missouri, and Anna Barr, South Dakota State University Extension farm-to-school nutrition field specialist

 For more information and how to register, check out the website: 2022 Field to Fork Webinar Schedule Set — Extension and Ag Research News (ndsu.edu)

or To register, visit NDSU Extension’s website at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/events/2022-field-fork-webinar-series

All webinar sessions will be recorded, for later viewing, if you are not able to attend at the scheduled time.

Kitchen Counter Conversations Continue:

The third Tuesday of the month lands on February 15^th so grab your kitchen staff, load up the popcorn bowls and settle in at 2 p.m. Central Time to talk about what’s on your mind in the school nutrition world.  Deb Egeland, Kellen Leier, Amy Nelson and Rhonda Amundson will lead the conversation on the following:

• Supply Chain Assistance funds
• Reimbursement rates increased January 1^st
• Do you have excess funds in your food service account?
• Farm 2 School program – Beef, milk, ND products
• NDESC/CPC DTM – wow...This is the updated Foodservice Procurement Coop. Let's see what those letters mean!
• Are there any other issues you are struggling with now?

Please feel free to network with the other school nutrition professionals that day on questions you want answered.

Let’s talk on Tuesday, February 15^th at 2 PM (CST) over your favorite TEAMS channel:

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You are invited to a Webinar! 

Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium 

DATE: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
TIME: 2:00-3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Description: FNS is hosting a webinar on the Final Rule: Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium. This final rule is providing schools and their industry partners with the certainty they need for the upcoming school years, while FNS works collaboratively on permanent standards that will build on the progress that has been made over the past decade. The transitional standards established for milk, whole grains, and sodium are practical standards that continue to promote nutrition while reflecting the current realities and challenges schools are facing.

Do you need an alternative format or accessibility tools to help you participate in this event?

The USDA Child Nutrition Programs would like to share that the Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium webinar on February 16, 2022, 2-3pm (EST) will be offered with closed captioning. Participants who require a different accessibility tool to participate in this webinar, please reach out by Friday, February 11, 2022 to Sheila Kopczynski, FNS-RAC, our event accessibility point of contact for assistance at sheila.kopczynski@usda.gov or (208) 202-2811.

Target Audience: School Food Authorities and other local Program operators

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1616217461?pwd=SHJ6SVJ4TzN6RXlSdnVVSjhua3J6QT09

Passcode: 903860

Or One tap mobile:

    US: +16692545252,,1616217461#,,,,*903860#  or +16692161590,,1616217461#,,,,*903860#

Or Telephone:

    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

        US: +1-669-254-5252  or +1-669-216-1590  or +1-646-828-7666  or +1-551-285-1373

Webinar ID: 161 621 7461

Passcode: 903860

International numbers available: https://www.zoomgov.com/u/aAbgSXr4w

New School Meals Training Opportunities from Team Nutrition!

Join USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative for the new webinar series, Meal Talk Webinars. These webinars provide interactive trainings on hot topics related to school meals. FNS Regional Offices, State agencies, School Food Authorities (SFAs), and others who may be interested are invited to participate.

The first Meal Talk webinar will focus on School Breakfast, and will be held on Wednesday, March 9^th, from 3 to 4 pm Eastern Standard Time. For more information, and to register, please visit https://usda-fns-events.webex.com/usda-fns-events/onstage/g.php?MTID=e0e07d9670247b6a994e9d98a7d737f7f.

This webinar will be recorded and made available at a later date at on the Team Nutrition website. All who register will receive an email when the recording is available.

CONTACT OUR OFFICE: