WASHINGTON, May 16, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has unveiled $26 million in grants aimed at supporting schools in their efforts to provide nutritious and appealing foods to students. Of particular note are grants totaling nearly $6.5 million, intended to boost the availability of healthy options in school meal programs through collaboration among schools, food producers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Each school day, K-12 schools serve nutritious breakfasts and lunches to nearly 30 million children, making these meals the primary source of nutrition for more than half of them. Acting Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Kumar Chandran stressed the significance of maintaining high-quality meal services, citing the pivotal role of school meals in children’s health and well-being.
The recent announcement aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to enhancing access to nutritious school meals, as evidenced by the updated nutrition standards for school meals unveiled last month. These standards, to be phased in gradually between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027, aim to reduce sugar content and provide greater flexibility in menu planning.
Among the initiatives supported by the grants is the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, which includes the School Food Systems Transformation Challenge Grants. Boise State University’s Center for School and Community Partnerships has awarded $1.67 million in grants to 12 rural school districts to facilitate partnerships that promote the purchase of local foods. Additionally, the Chef Ann Foundation has allocated $4.79 million in grants to eight project teams nationwide, supporting efforts to transform school food supply chains with a focus on equity and systemic change.
Furthermore, FNS is providing $10 million in Equipment Assistance Grants, enabling schools to invest in upgraded food service equipment. These funds will facilitate improvements in nutrition quality, fresh food storage, scratch cooking, and food safety protocols.
To enhance nutrition education and meet updated nutrition standards, FNS has opened applications for its Fiscal Year 2024 Team Nutrition Training Grants. These grants, totaling approximately $9.6 million, will enable states to capture best practices from school nutrition professionals.
Additionally, FNS has introduced a $600,000 cooperative agreement for food safety training, titled Behind the Tray: Food Science for School Meals. This initiative aims to enhance food safety knowledge and communication among school nutrition professionals through immersive experiences.
Since January 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration has provided over $13.7 billion in support to schools, underscoring its commitment to bolstering school nutrition programs.