Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon.gov Homepage

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 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.​​

​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 accessible after 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 2025-2027

The purpose of the Breakfast After the Bell Equipment Grant is to assist school districts with paying the costs they incur purchasing or upgrading necessary equipment required to provide breakfast after the beginning of the school day (OAR 581-051-0605). The BAtB Equipment Grant is a non-competitive, biennial grant. Funding for the amount of 1.3 million dollars is available for the 2025-2027 biennial. The amount for each site has not yet been determined.

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.  .  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.

2025-2027 BAtB equipment grant applies to sponsors/sites that are required and are operating the Breakfast After the Bell listed on the SY 2025-26 Breakfast After the Bell Required and Exempt Eligible Site List. Students must be on campus for in-person learning for the Breakfast After the Bell implementation and grant to be applicable.  


BAtB Equipment Grant Process

  • Sponsors will receive email notification of their sites eligible for the grant and the option to elect these sites to receive or decline the grant. 
  • Sponsors will complete the BAtB Equipment Grant Election Smartsheet to select their eligible sites or if wish to decline this grant. All eligible sponsors must complete the Smartsheet before September 19, 2025.
  • ODE CNP will determine the amount allotted for each site.
  • Sponsor will receive a 2025-2027 BAtB equipment grant agreement from Procurement.  The agreement must be signed and submitted to the Procurement contact listed in the email.  
  • Sponsor will receive a separate notification once the grant funding is available to be claimed in EGMS.  
  • Purchase, repair, renovate or upgrade the necessary equipment by June 30, 2027. 
  • Email completed BAtB Equipment Grant Claim Form and invoice to ode.schoolnutrition@ode.oregon.gov. Include in the subject line of the email, “BAtB Equipment Grant Reimbursement – (School Name)”
  • Complete the claims process no later than July 10, 2027
  • After Approval, enter claims through Electronic Grant Management System (EGMS)


Equipment Grant Resources

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.