7 CFR 220.8 Meal requirements for breakfasts
220.8.c Meal pattern for school breakfasts for grades K through 12. A school must offer the food components and quantities required in the breakfast meal pattern established in the following table:
Breakfast meal pattern
Grades K-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12
Food Components Amount of food {a} per week
(Minimum per day)
Amount of food {a} per week
(Minimum per day)
Amount of food {a} per week
(Minimum per day)
Fruits (cups) {b}{c} 5 (1) 5 (1) 5 (1)
Vegetables (cups) {b}{c} 0 0 0
Dark green 0 0 0
Red/Orange 0 0 0
Beans and peas (legumes) 0 0 0
Starchy 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0
Grains (oz eq) {d} 7-10 (1) 8-10 (1) 9-10 (1)
Meats/Meat Alternates (oz eq) {e} 0 0 0
Fluid milk {f} (cups) 5 (1) 5 (1) 5 (1)

Other Specifications: Daily Amount Based on the Average for a 5-Day Week
Min-max calories (kcal) {g}{h} 350-500 400-550 450-600
Saturated fat (% of total calories) {h} < 10 < 10 < 10
Sodium (mg) {h}{i} ≤ 540 ≤ 600 ≤ 640
Trans fat {h} Nutrition label or manufacturer specifications must indicate zero grams of trans fat per serving.


{a} Food items included in each group and subgroup and amount equivalents. Minimum creditable serving is 1/8 cup.

{b} One quarter cup of dried fruit counts as 1/2 cup of fruit; 1 cup of leafy greens counts as 1/2 cup of vegetables. No more than half of the fruit or vegetable offerings may be in the form of juice. All juice must be 100% full-strength.

{c} Schools must offer 1 cup of fruit daily and 5 cups of fruit weekly. Vegetables may be substituted for fruits, but the first two cups per week of any such substitution must be from the dark green, red/orange, beans and peas (legumes) or "Other vegetables" subgroups, as defined in Sec. 210.10(c)(2)(iii) of this chapter.

{d} At least 80 percent of grains offered weekly must meet the whole grain-rich criteria specified in FNS guidance, and the remaining grain items offered must be enriched. Schools may substitute 1 oz. eq. of meat/meat alternate for 1 oz. eq. of grains after the minimum daily grains requirement is met.

{e} There is no meat/meat alternate requirement.

{f} All fluid milk must be fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1 percent fat or less). Milk may be unflavored or flavored, provided that unflavored milk is offered at each meal service.

{g} The average daily calories for a 5-day school week menu must be within the range (at least the minimum and no more than the maximum values).

{h} Discretionary sources of calories (solid fats and added sugars) may be added to the meal pattern if within the specifications for calories, saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. Foods of minimal nutritional value and fluid milk with fat content greater than 1 percent milk fat are not allowed.

220.8.c.1 Age/grade groups. Schools must plan menus for students using the following age/grade groups: Grades K-5 (ages 5-10), grades 6-8 (ages 11-13), and grades 9-12 (ages 14-18). If an unusual grade configuration in a school prevents the use of the established age/grade groups, students in grades K-5 and grades 6-8 may be offered the same food quantities at breakfast provided that the calorie and sodium standards for each age/ grade group are met. No customization of the established age/grade groups is allowed.

220.8.c.2 Food components. Schools must offer students in each age/grade group the food components specified in meal pattern in paragraph (c). Food component descriptions in Sec. 210.10 of this chapter apply to this Program.

220.8.c.2.i Meats/meat alternates component. Schools are not required to offer meats/ meat alternates as part of the breakfast menu. Schools may substitute meats/ meat alternates for grains, after the daily grains requirement is met, to meet the weekly grains requirement. One ounce equivalent of meat/meat alternate is equivalent to one ounce equivalent of grains.

220.8.c.2.i.A Enriched macaroni. Enriched macaroni with fortified protein as defined in Appendix A to Part 210 may be used to meet part of the meats/meat alternates requirement when used as specified in Appendix A to Part 210. An enriched macaroni product with fortified protein as defined in Appendix A to Part 210 may be used to meet part of the meats/meat alternates component or the grains component but may not meet both food components in the same lunch.

220.8.c.2.i.B Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds and their butters are allowed as meat alternates in accordance with program guidance. Acorns, chestnuts, and coconuts may not be used because of their low protein and iron content. Nut and seed meals or flours may be used only if they meet the requirements for Alternate Protein Products established in Appendix A to Part 220. Nuts or seeds may be used to meet no more than one-half (50 percent) of the meats/meat alternates component with another meats/meat alternates to meet the full requirement.

220.8.c.2.i.C Yogurt. Yogurt may be used to meet all or part of the meats/meat alternates component. Yogurt may be plain or flavored, unsweetened or sweetened. Noncommercial and/or nonstandardized yogurt products, such as frozen yogurt, drinkable yogurt products, homemade yogurt, yogurt flavored products, yogurt bars, yogurt covered fruits and/or nuts or similar products are not creditable. Four ounces (weight) or 1/2 cup (volume) of yogurt equals one ounce of the meats/meat alternates requirement.

220.8.c.2.i.D Tofu and soy products. Commercial tofu and soy products may be used to meet all or part of the meats/ meat alternates component in accordance with FNS guidance. Noncommercial and/or nonstandardized tofu and products are not creditable.

220.8.c.2.i.E Beans and peas (legumes). Cooked dry beans and peas (legumes) may be used to meet all or part of the meats/ meat alternates component. Beans and peas (legumes) are identified in this section and include foods such as black beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, kidney beans, mature lima beans, navy beans, pinto beans, and split peas.

220.8.c.2.i.F Other meat alternates. Other meat alternates, such as cheese and eggs, may be used to meet all or part of the meats/ meat alternates component in accordance with FNS guidance.

220.8.c.2.ii Fruits component. Schools must offer daily the fruit quantities specified in the breakfast meal pattern in paragraph (c) of this section. Fruits that are fresh; frozen without added sugar; canned in light syrup, water or fruit juice; or dried may be offered to meet the fruits component requirements. Vegetables may be offered in place of all or part of the required fruits at breakfast, but the first two cups per week of any such substitution must be from the dark green, red/orange, beans and peas (legumes) or other vegetable subgroups, as defined in this section. All fruits are credited based on their volume as served, except that 1/4 cup of dried fruit counts as 1/2 cup of fruit. Only pasteurized, full-strength fruit juice may be used, and may be credited to meet no more than one-half of the fruit component.

220.8.c.2.iii Vegetables component. Schools are not required to offer vegetables as part of the breakfast menu but may offer vegetables to meet part or all of the fruit requirement. Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables and dry beans and peas (legumes) may be offered to meet the fruit requirement. All vegetables are credited based on their volume as served, except that 1 cup of leafy greens counts as 1/2 cup of vegetables and tomato paste and tomato puree are credited based on calculated volume of the whole food equivalency. Pasteurized, full-strength vegetable juice may be used to meet no more than onehalf of the vegetable component. Cooked dry beans or peas (legumes) may be counted as either a vegetable or as a meat alternate but not as both in the same meal.

220.8.c.2.iv Grains component.

220.8.c.2.iv.A Enriched and whole grains. All grains must be made with enriched and whole grain meal or flour, in accordance with the most recent FNS guidance on grains. Whole grain-rich products must contain at least 50 percent whole grains and the remaining grains in the product must be enriched. The whole grain-rich criteria included in FNS guidance may be updated to reflect additional information provided by industry on the food label or a whole grains definition by the Food and Drug Administration. Schools may substitute meats/meat alternates for grains, after the daily grains requirement is met, to meet the weekly grains requirement. One ounce equivalent of meat/meat alternate is equivalent to one ounce equivalent of grains.

220.8.c.2.iv.B Daily and weekly servings. The grains component is based on minimum daily servings plus total servings over a 5-day school week. Schools serving breakfast 6 or 7 days per week must increase the weekly grains quantity by approximately 20 percent (1.5) for each additional day. When schools operate less than 5 days per week, they may decrease the weekly quantity by approximately 20 percent (1.5) for each day less than 5. The servings for biscuits, rolls, muffins, and other grain/bread varieties are specified in FNS guidance. At least 80 percent of grains offered weekly must meet the whole grain-rich criteria specified in FNS guidance, and the remaining grain items offered must be enriched.

220.8.c.3 Food components in outlying areas. Schools in American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands may serve a vegetable such as yams, plantains, or sweet potatoes to meet the grains component.
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