USDA
Meal Programs
The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in more than 97,000 public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced low-cost or free lunches to more than 27 million children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946. In 1998, Congress expanded the program to include reimbursement for snacks served to children in after school educational and enrichment programs.
The National School Breakfast Program is a Federal entitlement program that provides states with cash assistance for nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential child care institutions. It began as a pilot project in 1966, and was made permanent in 1975.
Both meal programs are administered by the Food and Nutrition Service at the Federal level. At the State level, the programs are administered by the State education agencies, which operate the programs through agreements with school food authorities.
School districts and independent schools that choose to take part in the programs get cash subsidies and donated commodities from the US Department of Agriculture, (USDA), for each meal they serve. In return, they must serve meals that meet Federal Requirements, and they must offer free or reduced-price meals to eligible children.
School lunches must meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend that no more than 30 percent of an individual's calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. Regulation also establishes a standard for school lunches to provide one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories.
School lunches must meet Federal nutrition requirements, but decisions about what specific foods to serve and how they are prepared are made by local school food authorities. The USDA works with State agencies and local school food authorities through the Team Nutrition initiative to teach and motivate children to make healthy food choices and to provide school food service staff with training and technical support.
Contact the USDA http://www.usda.gov