General Information | USDA School Meal Initiative Audits | NSLP Funding | Nutritional Requirements | Commodity and Bonus Foods | Cow’s Milk in School Lunch | Vegetarian Entrées | Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

USDA School Meal Initiative Audits

In 1995, USDA launched the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI) to improve the nutritional quality of school lunches and breakfasts. SMI nutrition standards require school meals to comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for children over age 2 and school meals must aim to :

• contain less than 30 percent of calories from fat and 10 percent of calories from saturated fat over the course of a week;
• meet one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and specific levels of calories for specified age groups; and
• comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for children over the age of two.