Documents/Forms
Meal Pattern Changes for School Year 2020-21
On August 21, 2020, the USDA released information about a decision in April 2020 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland that vacates (cancels) the USDA’s 2018 final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements (83 FR 63775). This eliminates the previously approved meal pattern flexibilities, and reverts back to the 2012 NSLP and SBP meal patterns for grades K-12. Therefore, for school year 2020-21 (July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021), flavored milk must be fat-free; all grains must be whole-grain rich (WGR); and school lunches and breakfasts must meet sodium target 2, as defined in 7 CFR 210.10(c) and 220.8(c). These are the meal pattern requirements that were in effect with the 2012 meal patterns, prior to final rule 83 FR 63775. For more information, see question 7 in USDA Memo SP 24-2020, CACFP 13-2020 and SFSP 13-2020: Questions and Answers for the Child Nutrition Programs during School Year 2020-21 – #5.
Meal Pattern Waiver Option
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the USDA’s COVID–19: Child Nutrition Response #36, Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs – Extension #4 waives the requirements to serve meals that meet the meal patterns during school year 2020-21. The USDA is allowing school food authorities (SFAs) to use this meal pattern flexibility if they cannot meet the 2012 meal pattern requirements (i.e., flavored milk must be fat-free; all grains must be WGR; and meals must meet sodium target 2). SFAs must apply to the CSDE to implement this waiver. The CSDE waiver application is available in the “Current Waivers and Applications for the NSLP and SBP (School Year 2020-21)” section of the CSDE’s Child Nutrition Programs webpage.
Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 for School Year 2020-21
(July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021)
Lunch Meal Patterns (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12) |
Lunch Meal Pattern for K-8 Option
Breakfast Meal Patterns (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12) |
Breakfast Meal Patterns for Multiple Grades
Dietary Specifications |
RCCI Exemption
The lunch and breakfast meal patterns for grades K-12 use a food-based menu planning approach and include three required grade groups (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12). The meal patterns require daily and weekly amounts of five food components for lunch (milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat/meat alternates) and three food components for breakfast (milk, fruits, and grains). In addition to the required food components, the average weekly nutrition content of all lunches for each grade group, and separately for all breakfasts for each grade group, must meet the USDA's dietary specifications (nutrition standards). On a weekly average, the lunch meal patterns are designed to provide about one-third, and the breakfast meal patterns are designed to provide about one-fourth, of children’s total daily calories and other key nutrients.
The lunch and breakfast meal patterns are based on a five-day week. When a school week regularly operates on a shorter or longer cycle, menu planners must increase or decrease the weekly requirements by 20 percent for each day that deviates from the standard five-day week. The links below include lunch and breakfast meal patterns for four-day, five-day, and seven-day weeks.
2020-21 Lunch Meal Patterns for Grades K-8 Option |
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The grades K-8 meal pattern option is for schools with grade configurations that prevent students from being separated into the required grade groups for K-5 and 6-8. This meal pattern requires a narrower calorie range and more restrictive sodium limit. The 2020-21 NSLP meal patterns apply unless the SFA has a CSDE-approved meal pattern flexibility waiver. | |
NSLP Meal Patterns | Waiver NSLP Meal Patterns |
These meal patterns apply to all SFAs, except those that have received approval from the CSDE for a meal pattern flexibility waiver. | These meal patterns apply only to SFAs that have submitted and received CSDE approval for a meal pattern flexibility waiver. |
4-day Lunch Grades K-8 Option | Waiver Meal Pattern: 4-day Lunch Grades K-8 Option |
5-day Lunch Grades K-8 Option | Waiver Meal Pattern: 5-day Lunch Grades K-8 Option |
7-day Lunch Grades K-8 Option | Waiver Meal Pattern: 7-day Lunch Grades K-8 Option |
Dietary Specifications (Nutrition Standards for School Meals)
School meals must meet weekly dietary specifications for calories (minimum and maximum levels), saturated fats, and sodium. In addition, all food products and ingredients used to prepare school meals must contain zero grams of trans fats per serving, as indicated by the Nutrition Facts label or manufacturer’s specifications. The dietary specifications for each meal and grade group are indicated at the bottom of the meal patterns. For detailed guidance on the dietary specifications, see section 6 of the CSDE's Menu Planning Guide for Schools Meals for Grades K-12.
- Checking for Dietary Specifications (in chapter 3 of the USDA's Menu Planner for School Meals)
- Dietary Specifications for Grade Groups (in chapter 2 of the USDA's Menu Planner for School Meals)
- Final Rule (77 FR 4087): Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs
- Menu Planning Guide for Schools Meals for Grades K-12: Section 6 (CSDE)
- Nutrition Standards for School Meals (SNA)
- Calories
- Fact Sheet: Calories in School Meals (USDA)
- Increasing or decreasing calories in school meals: See Section 6 - Dietary Specifications of the CSDE's Menu Planning Guide for School Meals for Grades K-12
- USDA Memo SP 38-2019: Meal Requirements under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program: Questions and Answers for Program Operators (see "Calories and Trans Fat")
- Weekly Calorie Ranges for School Meals for Grades K-12 in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
- Saturated Fat and Trans Fat
- All About Oils (USDA Choose MyPlate)
- Reducing saturated and trans fats in school meals: See Section 6 - Dietary Specifications of the CSDE's Menu Planning Guide for School Meals for Grades K-12
- Saturated, Unsaturated, and Trans Fats (USDA Choose MyPlate)
- USDA Memo SP 38-2019: Meal Requirements under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program: Questions and Answers for Program Operators (see "Calories and Trans Fat")
- What are Solid Fats (USDA Choose MyPlate)
- Note: If finalized, the USDA’s proposed rule, Simplifying Meal Service and Monitoring Requirements in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs (85 FR 4094), would remove trans fat as a dietary specification, effective July 1, 2021. The USDA indicates that this dietary specification is no longer needed because the FDA is regulating trans fat out of U.S. food supply.
- Sodium
- Get the Facts: Sources of Sodium in Your Diet (CDC)
- Just the Facts: Be Salt Savvy – Cut Back on Sodium for Healthier School Meals (USDA)
- Lowering Sodium in School Foods (AHA)
- Reducing Sodium in Children's Diets infographic (CDC)
- Reducing sodium in school meals: See Section 6 - Dietary Specifications of the CSDE's Menu Planning Guide for School Meals for Grades K-12
- Reducing Sodium in the Diets of American Children (AHA)
- Sodium and Children (CDC)
- Sodium (USDA Choose MyPlate)
- School Lunch and Breakfast Sodium Limits and Timeline (USDA)
- Sodium Reduction Timeline for NSLP and SBP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
- Sodium Resources for School Nutrition Professionals (ICN)
- Strategies for Successful Implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act: Sodium (USDA)
- USDA Final Rule (83 FR 63775): Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements
- USDA Memo SP 37-2019 and CACFP 16-2019: Questions and Answers on the Final Rule Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements
- What's Shaking: Creative Ways to Boost Flavor with Less Sodium (USDA)
For more resources on the dietary specifications, see "Limiting Added Sugars," "Limiting Fat," and "Limiting Sodium"in the CSDE's Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production in Child Nutrition Programs.
Meal Pattern Exemption for RCCIs with Multiple Age Groups
The USDA allows RCCIs that meet certain criteria to serve one meal pattern even when the ages/grades being served span more than one age/grade group. This exemption is allowed when the RCCI meets one of the two conditions below:
- The RCCI meets the following three criteria:
- is a juvenile detention or correctional facility;
- consists of more than one age/grade group; and
- has legitimate safety concerns or state juvenile justice laws or regulations related to offering meals with varying amounts of food within the same meal period.
- The RCCI is NOT a juvenile detention or correctional facility but can demonstrate operational limitations to separating age/grade groups and can show legitimate safety concerns if students are served meals with different portion sizes.
Eligible RCCIs must submit a written waiver request to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) using the CSDE's Meal Pattern Exception Request Form. For more information, review the CSDE memos below.
- CSDE Operational Memo No.40-13: Extending Flexibility for Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs) in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
- CSDE Operational Memo No. 36-12: Residential Child Care Institutions Exception for Safety if Serving Multiple Age/Grade Groups
- USDA Memo SP 48-2013: Extending Flexibility for RCCIs in the NSLP
- USDA Memo SP 38-2012: Residential Child Care Institutions Exception for Safety if Serving Multiple Age/Grade Groups