Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 in School Nutrition Programs

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Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 for School Year 2023-24
(July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024)

Lunch Meal Patterns  |   Breakfast Meal Patterns  |   Dietary Specifications  |   RCCI Exemption


The lunch and breakfast meal patterns for grades K-12 use a food-based menu planning approach and include three required grade groups (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12). The meal patterns require daily and weekly amounts of five food components for lunch (milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat/meat alternates) and three food components for breakfast (milk, fruits, and grains). In addition to the required food components, the average weekly nutrition content of all lunches for each grade group, and separately for all breakfasts for each grade group, must meet the USDA's dietary specifications (nutrition standards). On a weekly average, the lunch meal patterns are designed to provide about one-third, and the breakfast meal patterns are designed to provide about one-fourth, of children’s total daily calories and other key nutrients.

The lunch and breakfast meal patterns are based on a five-day week. When a school week regularly operates on a shorter or longer cycle, menu planners must increase or decrease the weekly requirements by 20 percent for each day that deviates from the standard five-day week (refer to the CSDE's Menu Planning for Shorter or Longer Weeks in the NSLP and SBP). The links below include lunch and breakfast meal patterns for four-day, five-day, and seven-day weeks. 

 

2023-24 Lunch Meal Patterns

Standard Grade Groups (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12)

Option for Grades K-8

The lunch meal patterns below include the three required grade groups: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. 

4-day Meal Patterns

5-day Meal Patterns

7-day Meal Patterns

The lunch meal pattern option for grades K-8 below is for schools with grade configurations that prevent students from being separated into the required grade groups for K-5 and 6-8. This meal pattern requires a narrower calorie range and more restrictive sodium limit. 
 


2023-24 Breakfast Meal Patterns

Standard Grade Groups (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12)

Options for Multiple Grade Groups

The breakfast meal patterns below include the three required grade groups: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

4-day Meal Patterns

5-day Meal Patterns

7-day Meal Patterns

The breakfast meal pattern options below are for schools with grade configurations that prevent students from being separated into the three required grade groups (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12). These meal patterns require a narrower calorie range and more restrictive sodium limit.

4-day Meal Pattern Options

5-day Meal Pattern Options

7-day Meal Pattern Options


Dietary Specifications (Nutrition Standards for School Meals)

School meals must meet weekly dietary specifications for calories (minimum and maximum levels), saturated fats, and sodium. In addition, all food products and ingredients used to prepare school meals must contain zero grams of trans fats per serving, as indicated by the Nutrition Facts label or manufacturer’s specifications. The dietary specifications for each meal and grade group are indicated at the bottom of the meal patterns. For detailed guidance on the dietary specifications, refer to section 6 of the CSDE's Menu Planning Guide for Schools Meals for Grades K-12.

Overview

Calories

Saturated Fat and Trans Fat

Sodium

For more resources on the dietary specifications, refer to the sections for "Limiting Added Sugars," "Limiting Fat," and "Limiting Sodium" in the CSDE's Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production in Child Nutrition Programs.


Meal Pattern Exemption for RCCIs with Multiple Age Groups

The USDA allows RCCIs that meet certain criteria to serve one meal pattern even when the ages/grades being served span more than one age/grade group. This exemption is allowed when the RCCI meets one of the two conditions below:

  1. The RCCI meets the following three criteria:
    • is a juvenile detention or correctional facility;
    • consists of more than one age/grade group; and
    • has legitimate safety concerns or state juvenile justice laws or regulations related to offering meals with varying amounts of food within the same meal period.
  2. The RCCI is NOT a juvenile detention or correctional facility but can demonstrate operational limitations to separating age/grade groups and can show legitimate safety concerns if students are served meals with different portion sizes.

Eligible RCCIs must submit a written waiver request to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) using the CSDE's Meal Pattern Exception Request Form. For more information, refer to the CSDE memos below.