Meat/Meat Alternate and Grain Maximums Now More Flexible

Since the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was passed and the USDA implemented new final rule standards, food service directors across the country were required to meet daily and weekly minimums and maximums for meal components. This has proved particularly challenging for the Grain and Meat/Meat Alternate components, so earlier this month the USDA released a statement lifting the maximums on those meal components.

As long as the daily and weekly minimums are being met for these components and you are already certified as eligible to the 6 cent reimbursement, there is no need for your School Food Authority to be recertified by a state agency.

For more information, see the official USDA Memo.

Ensuring your meals are meeting the meal pattern requirements doesn’t have to cause headaches! Check out the Meals Plus Menu Planning and Nutrient Analysis software programs that can make your job of managing school meals much easier.