National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program for Children and Child and Adult Care Food Program: Meat Alternates Used in the Child Nutrition Programs

The Food and Consumer Service of the Department of Agriculture (Department) is amending the regulations governing the meal pattern requirements for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the School Breakfast Program (SBP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program for Children (SFSP) to allow yogurt to be credited as a meat alternate for all meals. Formerly, yogurt could be credited as a meat alternate only for the supplement (snack) meal patterns of the Child Nutrition Programs. Under this final rule, four ounces of yogurt satisfies one ounce of the meat/meat alternate requirement for breakfasts, lunches and suppers served under any of the Child Nutrition Programs. This final rule responds to numerous recommendations for additional meat alternates and provides local food service operations with greater flexibility in planning and preparing meals using lowfat meat alternates.