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Meal Pattern and Nutritional Quality

Dietary Specifications and Nutrient Analysis

By law, USDA is required to develop school nutrition standards that reflect the goals of the most recent edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Dietary Specifications include upper limits saturated fat, sodium, added sugar and a minimum and maximum requirement for calories. The dietary specifications for the National School Lunch Program are described in  7 CFR 210.10 (f). The dietary specification for the School Breakfast Program are described in 7 CFR 220.8(c). The dietary specifications for both meals are included in the USDA Meal Pattern Charts for Lunch and Breakfast.

Meal Components and Quantities

School Food Authorities (SFAs) operating the National School Lunch Program and/or the School Breakfast Program must follow meal pattern requirements for each age/grade group within all reimbursable meal service lines. (7 CFR 210.10 and 220.8)

The meal pattern is the foundation of Federal school nutrition programs, and State Agency staff must ensure SFAs are offering reimbursable meals at breakfast and lunch according to the regulations. 

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The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program for schools and residential child-care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.

​The School Breakfast Program (SBP) is a federally assisted meal program for schools and residential child-care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced breakfasts to children each school day. The SBP started in 1966 as a pilot project and was made a permanent entitlement program by Congress in 1975.

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​Research shows that school breakfast is good for students, classrooms, and communities. Making breakfast a part of the school day increases access to breakfast so more hungry students get fed.

​Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but too many hungry students miss a morning meal. Schools that offer a Breakfast After the Bell (BAtB​) program by implementing models such as Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC), Grab and Go to the Classroom, and Second Chance Breakfast, are able to increase access to school breakfast and provide more kids with the healthy food they need to learn and grow.

The Student Success Act (SSA) was adopted during the 2019 legislative session and its passage represented a real commitment by Oregon's leaders to our children, our educators, our schools, and our state. The SSA included expansion of school breakfast programs through the Breakfast after the Bell (BAtB) requirement.

School districts, public charter schools, and education service districts must make breakfast accessibleafter the bell, at a school site, if 70% or more of the students at that school site, from a previous year, were “eligible students". “Eligible students" are those students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's guidelines.

The Required and Exempt Eligible Site lists below show which sites are required to provide Breakfast after the Bell and which sites are eligible for the exemption from that requirement.

As part of the Student Success Act, there is grant funding available to support Breakfast After the Bell Implementation.  Breakfast After the Bell (BAtB) equipment grant funding is for those sponsors operating the National School Lunch Program/School Breakfast Program who are required to implement Breakfast After the Bell.  Please see the BAtB Equipment Grant section below.

Resource​s

​Implementation Guidance​​

Teachers Guides

Time spent by students consuming breakfast can be considered instructional time when students consume breakfast in the classroom while instruction is being provided. No more than 15 minutes may be considered instructional time when students are consuming breakfast. (ORS 327.535)​

Breakfast After the Bell Equipment Grant 2023-2025

The BAtB Equipment Grant is a non-competitive grant. For School Year 2023-2024, $3158.00 was provided to eligible recipients for the purchase of new equipment, repair of current equipment, renovation or upgrade of equipment required to serve students breakfast after the bell.   OAR 581-051-0605.  An additional supplement of $83.70 was added to the $3158.00 award for a total of $3241.70 award for school years 23-24 and 24-25.

The 2023-2025 BAtB equipment grant only applies to sponsors/sites that are required and are operating the Breakfast After the Bell listed on the 2024-2025 Breakfast After the Bell Required Site List. Students must be on campus for in-person learning for the Breakfast After the Bell implementation and grant to be applicable. 

Equipment Grant Process

Recipient will:

Equipment Grant Resources

​USDA and ODE Crediting Tools:

USDA Food Buying Guide (FBG) is available as an Interactive Web-based Tool, Mobile App, and downloadable PDF.  It contains:
  1. The FBG Calculator
  2. Exhibit A Grains Tool
  3. Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW)
  4. Product Formulation Statement (PFS) Workbook

Purchased Product Crediting Documentation

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Meal Accommodations and Modifications

Child Nutrition Programs aim to provide nutritious meals and snacks for all participants regardless of background. Federal regulations require all Sponsoring Organizations to offer meals and snacks that meet meal pattern requirements while also providing an equal opportunity for participants with disabilities to take part in this benefit. Sponsoring Organizations are required to provide reasonable modifications for participants with medical requests while non-medical requests can be made at the discretion of the Sponsoring Organization’s policy.

Please visit the CNP Meal Accommodations and Modifications web page for more resources.

Offer versus Serve

Offer versus Serve (OVS) is a provision in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) that allows students to decline some of the food offered. The goals of OVS are to reduce food waste in the school meals programs while permitting students to decline foods they do not intend to eat. Offer versus Serve is required for grades 9-12 for lunch but optional for breakfast.  Offer versus serve is optional for grades K-8 for breakfast and lunch.