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Nutrition, Health and Safety

School Meals Initiative

What is the School Meals Initiative (SMI) for Healthy Children?

The School Meals Initiative (SMI) includes all of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) regulations and policies that address the nutrition standards for school meals.

USDA issued the final School Meals Initiative (SMI) for Healthy Children regulations in 1995 after the passage of the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994, which requires that meals under the NSLP and SBP meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The SMI regulations define how the Dietary Guidelines are applied to school meals.

State agencies are required to conduct SMI Reviews of each school district or SFA participating in the NSLP once every five years.

SMI Reviews Have These Goals:

• To ensure Program meals meet the nutrition standards, and
• To ensure that SFAs receive the technical assistance and resources needs to meet the nutrition standards.

View the Complete School Meals Initiative Fact Sheet

Preparing for a School Meals Initiative Review

• The Road to SMI Success, A Guide for Foodservice Directors

Sample Forms and Examples of Information You Must Provide for the SMI Review

School Food Authorities (SFA's) will need to have the following information available when the SMI Review is scheduled. SFA's have the option of using the sample forms provided or modifying the sample form(s) to meet the needs of their program(s). Please note if a SFA modifies a sample form the modified form must include all the information that was listed on the sample form.

• Sample Menu
• Sample - Standardized Recipe Form (Blank)
• Instructions for Completing a Standardized Recipe
• Sample - Completed Local Standardized Recipe(s)
• USDA Recipes (not modified)
• Sample - Food Production Record(s) (Blank)
• Instructions for Completing Food Production Records (Food Based and Nutrient Standard Menu Planning)
• Sample - Completed Food Production Record
• Sample - Nutrition Facts Labels
• Sample - Child Nutrition (CN) Label
• Label Information Recording Form (Blank)

Performing a Nutrient Analysis in School Meals Programs

• Nutrient Analysis Protocols, How to Analyze menus for USDA's School Meals Programs

• USDA Approved Software Vendors

Additional Resources for Schools Preparing for a SMI Review

• A Menu Planner for Healthy School Meals

• Code of Federal Regulations - Title 7 Agriculture, Parts 210-299 Food and Nutrition Service

• School Meals Guidance

If you desire further information on this topic, please contact:

MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Nutrition, Health and Safety
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148
Phone: (781) 338-6480
Fax: (781) 338-3399