Final Rule - Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 DGAs

Summary

This rulemaking finalizes long-term school nutrition requirements based on the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, robust stakeholder input, and lessons learned from prior rulemakings. Notably, this rulemaking gradually phases in added sugars limits for the school lunch and breakfast programs and in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, updates total sugars limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt to added sugars limits. As a reflection of feedback from stakeholders, this final rule implements a single sodium reduction in the school lunch and breakfast programs and commits to studying the potential associations between sodium reduction and student participation in the school lunch and breakfast programs. This rulemaking addresses a variety of other school meal requirements, including establishing long-term milk and whole grain requirements. Finally, this rule includes provisions that strengthen Buy American requirements. While this rulemaking takes effect school year 2024-25, the Department is gradually phasing in required changes over time. Program operators are not required to make any changes to their menus as a result of this rulemaking until school year 2025-26 at the earliest.

Dates

This final rule is effective July 1, 2024. Phased-in implementation dates for required changes are addressed in the Supplementary Information section of this rule.

Additional Resources

• Webpage – Final Updates to the School Nutrition Standards
• Media Toolkit – School Nutrition Standards Media Toolkit
• Comparison Chart – Proposed and Final School Meal Standards
• Infographic – How We Got Here: School Nutrition Standards Final Rule