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USDA announced today the launch of “SUN Programs: USDA’s Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids,” to help improve nutrition security during the summer months. Through the suite of SUN programs, families now have more choices and convenient ways to get summer nutrition support for their children and teens with new SUN Bucks, SUN Meals, and previously launched SUN Meals To-Go. 

FNS today announced $26 million in new grants to support schools’ efforts to serve nutritious and delicious foods to students. Headlining the new investments are nearly $6.5 million in grants that will increase healthy foods in the school meals marketplace by supporting collaboration between schools, food producers and suppliers, and other partners.

Secretary Tom Vilsack announced major steps to promote the health of America’s children through school meals. Nutrition standards for school meals will be gradually updated to include less sugar and flexibility with menu planning between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027. The Department arrived at these changes after listening closely to public feedback and considering the latest science-based recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that four school districts in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, and Ohio received awards for their trailblazing and innovative efforts to improve the nutritional quality of meals for their students.

The USDA Northeast Region announced today two new grant opportunities available through the School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants, part of USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative.

To further address food insecurity in American Samoa and provide more equitable resources for island communities, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will provide a higher benefit to American Samoa families, as compared to the U.S. mainland, through the new, permanent summer nutrition program for children – known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer. 

To further address food insecurity in Hawaii and provide more equitable resources for island communities, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will provide a higher benefit to Hawaii families, as compared to the U.S. mainland, through the new, permanent summer nutrition program for children – known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer.

USDA is marking the end of 2023 by highlighting on-the-ground projects and partnerships that are building economic prosperity for farmers, families, and communities nationwide. 

Today, USDA released the Household Food Security in the United States in 2022 report, which examined American households’ ability to access sufficient food last year. 

This week, USDA joined students, parents/caregivers, schools, communities, and partners across the country in recognizing National School Lunch Week, as proclaimed by President Biden. October is also Farm to School Month, which recognizes the benefits of incorporating healthy, locally grown foods into school meals.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today visited Annandale Terrace Elementary School in Annandale, Virginia, where he unveiled two new grant opportunities plus a training and technical assistance partnership to help schools continue to invest in nutritious school meals.

USDA today announced that it is giving an estimated 3,000 more school districts in high-need areas the option to serve breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost, by expanding the availability of the Community Eligibility Provision, commonly known as CEP.

USDA announced that low-income Hawaii residents recovering from the devastating wildfires beginning Aug. 8, 2023, could be eligible for assistance from the USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP.