Creating Policies, Technical Assistance, and Resources for Schools Participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

background:
Following the passage of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, USDA was charged with updating the nutrition standards for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, including guidelines to improve consumption of whole grain-rich products and lower sodium meals. Upon review of the scientific literature and after gathering extensive input from the public and private sectors, the Final Rule was released in January 2012. Implementation of the Final Rule started in school year (SY) 2012-2013 and is slated to continue through SY 2022-23.

approach:
To assist schools participating in the federally funded meal programs with meeting the revised meal standards, USDA Food and Nutrition Service updated and developed a variety of nutrition education and technical assistance resources for food service and other school personnel. Prior to developing resources, needs assessments and concept testing were conducted with the target audience. In addition, the Agency reviewed popular Team Nutrition materials (i.e., nutrition education curriculum, cookbooks) and developed strategies to update and align these materials with the new meal standards using evidence-based activities.

results:
Since implementation of the updated federal school meal standards, USDA FNS has expanded their portfolio of free resources to include theory-driven nutrition education curriculum, evidence-based trainings for food service personnel, and school/community engagement toolkits. In addition, participation in the Team Nutrition initiative and other school-related FNS trainings remains high, indicating a sustained interest in the incorporation of health and nutrition into school meals programs.