1: Introduction to Training (length: 11:52)

This module introduces the What’s in a Meal training program, provides an overview of the modules and training objectives, identifies common acronyms and abbreviations, and describes resources for guidance and training.

• Handout of Slides for Module 1
• Resource List for Module 1

2: Introduction to School Meal Patterns (length: 36:48)

This module introduces the NSLP and SBP meal patterns, provides an overview of the federal legislation for school meals, identifies the requirements for food-based menu planning (including food components, servings, and meal pattern requirements), and describes resources for guidance and training on the school meal patterns.

• Handout of Slides for Module 2
• Resource List for Module 2

3: National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Meal Pattern
(length: 15:50)

This module reviews the lunch meal pattern requirements (including the daily and weekly servings of each food component, the weekly requirements for vegetable subgroups and whole grain-rich (WGR) foods, the weekly limits for grain-based desserts and juice, and the weekly dietary specifications) and describes resources for guidance and training on the NSLP meal pattern.

• Handout of Slides for Module 3
• Resource List for Module 3

4: School Breakfast Program (SBP) Meal Pattern (length: 19:12)

This module reviews the breakfast meal pattern requirements (including the daily and weekly servings of each food component, the weekly requirement for WGR foods, offering MMA at breakfast, the weekly limit for juice, the weekly dietary specifications) and describes resources for guidance and training on the SBP meal pattern.

• Handout of Slides for Module 4
• Resource List for Module 4

5: Dietary Specifications (length: 17:54)

This module reviews the four dietary specifications for school meals (calories, saturated fat, sodium, and trans fat) and describes resources for guidance and training on the dietary specifications.

• Handout of Slides for Module 5
• Resource List for Module 5

6: Meal Pattern Documentation (length: 1:17:12)

This module reviews the meal pattern documentation requirements for school meals. Topics include menus, production records, standardized recipes, and crediting documentation for commercial processed foods, i.e., Child Nutrition (CN) labels and product formulation statements (PFS), and the USDA’s Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs. This module also describes resources for guidance and training on meal pattern documentation and includes a knowledge check on how to review the creditable ingredients in a PFS.

• Handout of Slides for Module 6
• Resource List for Module 6
• Worksheet: Reviewing Creditable Ingredients in a Product Formulation Statement
  • Answer Key for Worksheet: Reviewing Creditable Ingredients in a Product Formulation Statement

7: Milk Component (length: 35:57)

This module reviews the requirements and crediting information for the milk component. Topics include the required daily and weekly servings, allowable types of milk, requirements for fluid milk substitutes in school meals, serving considerations for milk, and noncreditable milk. This module also describes resources for guidance and training on the milk component and includes a knowledge check on milk substitutes for children without a disability.

• Handout of Slides for Module 7
• Resource List for Module 7
• Worksheet: Milk Substitutes for Children without a Disability 
  • Answer Key for Worksheet: Milk Substitutes for Children without a Disability

8: Meat/Meat Alternates (MMA) Component (length: 56:17)

This module reviews the requirements and crediting information for the MMA component. Topic include the difference between MMA and protein, the required daily and weekly servings, offering MMA substitutions at breakfast, the main dish requirement for lunch, crediting requirements for different types of MMA, e.g., commercial processed products, dried meats, cheeses, eggs, legumes (including roasted legumes and pasta made of 100 percent legume flours), nuts and seeds, nut and seed butters, yogurt and soy yogurt, tofu, tempeh, surimi, and alternate protein products (APPs), and noncreditable MMA. This module also describes resources for guidance and training on the MMA component.

• Handout of Slides for Module 8
• Resource List for Module 8

9: Fruits Component (length:45:56)

This module reviews the requirements and crediting information for the fruits component. Topics include the required daily and weekly servings, the weekly juice limit, crediting requirements for different types of fruits (whole fresh fruits, frozen fruits, canned fruits, dried fruits, fruit juice, coconut, and pureed fruits including fruit smoothies), and noncreditable fruits. This module also describes resources for guidance and training on the fruits component and includes knowledge checks on canned fruits and crediting fruits.

• Handout of Slides for Module 9
• Resource List for Module 9
• Worksheet: Crediting Canned Fruits 
  • Answer Key for Worksheet: Crediting Canned Fruits
• Worksheet: Meal Pattern Contribution of Fruits
  • Answer Key for Worksheet: Meal Pattern Contribution of Fruits
     

10: Vegetables Component (length: 1:03:54)

This module reviews the requirements and crediting information for the vegetables component. Topics include the required daily and weekly servings, vegetable subgroups, juice limit, and the crediting requirements for different types of vegetables (vegetable juice, raw leafy greens, canned vegetables, hominy, dried vegetables, pureed vegetables, soups, mixed vegetables, vegetable and fruit mixtures, and vegetable flour pasta), and noncreditable vegetables. This module also describes resources for guidance and training on the vegetables component and includes a knowledge check on crediting vegetables.

• Handout of Slides for Module 10
• Resource List for Module 10
• Worksheet: Meal Pattern Contribution of Vegetables
  • Answer Key for Worksheet: Meal Pattern Contribution of Vegetables

11: Grains Component (length: 57:28)

This module reviews the requirements and crediting information for the grains component. Topics include the required daily and weekly servings, allowable grains and grain products, creditable grain ingredients, how to identify whole and enriched grains, the crediting requirements for different types of grains (breakfast cereals, commercial grain products, commercial combination foods, and grain foods made from scratch), and restrictions for crediting grain-based desserts. This module also describes resources for guidance and training on the grains component. 

• Handout of Slides for Module 11
• Resource List for Module 11

12: Whole Grain-rich (WGR) Requirement (length 1:16:56)

This module reviews the weekly WGR requirement and the WGR criteria for the grains component. Topics include the WGR criteria for different types of grains (commercial grain products, commercial combination foods, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, and grain foods made from scratch), the limit for noncreditable grains and when to ignore noncreditable grains, how to determine if commercial grain products and standardized recipes are WGR, the required WGR documentation for commercial grain products, and when a PFS is required for WGR foods. This module also includes a knowledge check on how to determine if commercial grain foods meet the WGR criteria and describes resources for guidance and training on the WGR criteria.

• Handout of Slides for Module 12
• Resource List for Module 12
• Worksheet: Determining if Commercial Products are Whole Grain-rich
  • Answer Key for Worksheet: Determining if Commercial Products are Whole Grain-rich

13: Grain Ounce Equivalents (length 1:10:30)

This module reviews the required ounce equivalents (oz eq) for the grains component. Topics include the USDA’s oz eq chart for nine different grain groups (groups A-I), Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs, the required quantities for each grain group to provide 1 oz eq, considerations for crediting sliced breads, how to determine the oz eq contribution of a commercial grain food or standardized recipe using the two allowable methods (Exhibit A and creditable grains), choosing a calculation method, rounding rules for oz eq calculations, when method 2 (creditable grains) is required for commercial grain products, and examples of how to use methods 1 and 2. This module also describes resources for guidance and training on grain oz eq.

• Handout of Slides for Module 13
• Resource List for Module 13

14: Water Availability during Meal Service (length: 14:33)

This module reviews the USDA’s requirement for making potable water available to students during the meal service (including examples of how to offer water, implementation considerations, and allowable costs) and identifies resources for guidance and training on the water requirement.

• Handout of Slides for Module 14
• Resource List for Module 14

15: Offer versus Serve (OVS) in the NSLP

This module reviews the OVS requirements for the NSLP. Topics include the requirements for reimbursable lunches, menu planning considerations, required signage, identifying reimbursable meals, and best practices for OVS. This module also describes resources for guidance and training on OVS and includes Meal or No Meal: Lunch Edition, a quiz on identifying reimbursable lunches with OVS.

• Handout of Slides for Module 15
• Resource List for Module 15
• Worksheet: Meal or No Meal: Lunch Edition
  • Answer Key for Worksheet: Meal or No Meal: Lunch Edition

16: Offer versus Serve (OVS) in the SBP

This module reviews the OVS requirements for the SBP. Topics include the requirements for reimbursable breakfasts, menu planning considerations, required signage, identifying reimbursable meals, and best practices for OVS. This module also describes resources for guidance and training on OVS and includes Meal or No Meal: Breakfast Edition, a quiz on identifying reimbursable breakfasts with OVS.

• Handout of Slides for Module 16
• Resource List for Module 16
• Worksheet: Meal or No Meal: Breakfast Edition
  • Answer Key for Worksheet: Meal or No Meal: Breakfast Edition