Providing nutritious breakfasts and lunches to students of public and private schools has always been the goal of the School Breakfast Program and the School Lunch Program. These federally-assisted feeding campaigns operate in public schools, nonprofit private schools, and public or private nonprofit licensed residential child care centers every day.

Headed by the U. S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services, partners such as local educational offices get cash reimbursements and donated commodities from the USDA, and in some cases, State funds, for each meal they give to the students. In exchange, the local educational agencies must serve meals in their national school breakfast and lunch programs that satisfy federal requirements.

Meals served as part of the school lunch program and breakfast program must meet the applicable regulations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which urge that no more than 30% of an individual’s calories come from fat, and less than 10% from saturated fat. Guidelines have also been set up in order to meet the students’ recommended allowance for Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories.

All students who are studying in any participating school are eligible for the School Breakfast Program meals. Students whose families generate incomes at or below 130 % of the poverty level can claim free meals. Those with incomes between 130 % and 185 % of the poverty level can get meals for no more than 40¢ for lunch and 30¢ for breakfast.