Plant-based Meal Options in CNPs

Policy Guidance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued the following policy memoranda related to offering plant-based options and accommodating disabilities. When merited, the CDE released a subsequent management bulletin (MB) following the USDA policy memoranda to include state specific policy guidance and further explain or clarify the topic.

Since being a vegetarian or vegan is a personal preference, not a disability, program operators are encouraged, but not required, to offer vegetarian or vegan entrees to meet student needs. The ACR 16 encourages frequent offering of plant-centered offerings on the lunch menu.

Release Date	Issued by	Subject	Reference Number
December 2024	CDE	Final Rule: Fluid Milk Substitutions	SNP-11-2024
March 2025	CDE	Modifications to Accommodate Disabilities	SNP-11-2024
November 2023	USDA	Crediting Tofu and Soy Yogurt Products in the School Meals Programs, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program	SP 02-2024, CACFP 02-2024, SFSP 02-2024
November 2020	CDE	Salad Bars in School Nutrition Programs	SNP-03-2020
April 2019	USDA	Crediting Tempeh in the CNPs	SP-25-2019
April 2017	USDA	Accommodating Disabilities in the School Meal Programs: Guidance and Questions and Answers	SP-26-2017

To view all MBs related to School Nutrition Programs, visit the CDE School Nutrition Programs MBs web page.

Definitions on Vegetarianism

Before program operators can address the needs of their vegetarian populations, it is important to know that there are many types of vegetarians, depending on what they exclude from their diet: Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products, but avoid meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and egg derivatives such as egg whites or albumin.

• Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs, but avoid meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products.
  
  
• Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products, but no meat, poultry, or fish.
  
  
• Flexitarians (semi-vegetarians) follow a lacto-ovo vegetarian eating plan, but occasionally eat meat, poultry, or fish.
  
  
• Vegans or strict vegetarians do not eat any meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, or other dairy products. Vegans frequently avoid foods that include animal products as ingredients, foods flavored with meat extracts, sweetened with honey, baked items made with eggs or butter, and foods prepared with gelatin made with animal bones or casein (from milk). Vegans also avoid foods processed with animal products.
  
  
• Plant-based is a diet based on foods derived from plants with a focus on whole foods, including vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fruits and the elimination of processed foods. It may or may not include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, and foods processed with animal products depending on the individual.

Background

The ACR 16: Nutrition: Vegetarian School Lunches (Nation), Resolution Chapter 62, Statutes of 2003 encourages SFAs to offer plant-centered vegetarian entrée options to meet the needs of their student population and to provide nutrition educational resources that include multicultural eating patterns and vegetarian/vegan eating patterns.

Among other things, the ACR 16 calls for daily optional plant-centered vegetarian meals to improve student health, protect the environment, and meet the needs of students who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet for any reason. Specifically, ACR 16 urges the CDE to:

• Develop nutritionally sound school lunch menu plans that would provide daily, optional, plant-centered school lunches, prepared without meat and dairy products, and offered with a similar standard for variety, cycle of repeat, and availability as entrees with meat and dairy
  
  
• Encourage school districts to voluntarily phase in these menu changes
  
  
• Include information about multicultural and vegetarian and vegan eating patterns in the nutrition education materials and instruction

The CDE is committed to supporting ACR 16 and to working closely with the program operators to offer healthy plant-centered meals and nutrition education resources.

Health Benefits

Compared to nonvegetarians, vegetarians tend to have a healthier weight and lower risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other diseases. Vegetarian diets may include lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol and higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fiber, and phytochemicals, which may protect humans from cancers and other diseases (Melina, Craig and Levin 2016). Therefore, providing vegetarian options can offer health benefits to all students.

Milk Substitutes

If student(s) participating in the CNPs need fluid milk substitutes for disability or non-disability reasons, a signed, written statement is required by statute and regulation when the fluid milk substitute is being served as part of the reimbursable meal (42 United States Code Section 1758(a)(2); Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR), sections 210.10(d)(2) and 210.10(m)(1)). For all areas that mention signature, a verified electronic signature is acceptable. For more information on the program operator's role in providing milk substitutions, visit the CDE Final Rule: Fluid Milk Substitutions web page.

Substitutes for Disability Reasons or Medical Needs

Program operators must offer fluid milk substitutes to students for: (1)Disabilities, or (2)Medicalneeds, when:

• A state licensed healthcare professional (licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner, or, effective April 1, 2025, registered dietitian [RD]) completes, signs, and provides to the program operator the CDE Medical Statement to Request Special Meals and/or Accommodations form (CNP-925). This form is located in the Download Forms Section of the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS). For more information on the CDE medical statement, visit the Modifications to Accommodate Disabilities web page.
  
  
• In any of the CNPs, if a child needs a fluid milk substitute due to a disability, it must be accommodated once the program sponsor is provided with the appropriate form or a written medical statement that addresses the need for a milk substitute and has been completed and signed by an RD or a state licensed healthcare professional. If a medical statement does not fully explain the modification needed, the program sponsor should immediately contact the child’s parent or guardian for guidance and ask the family to provide an amended medical statement as soon as possible. However, clarification of the medical statement should not delay the program sponsor from providing a meal modification. Program sponsors should follow the portion of the medical statement that is clear and unambiguous to the greatest extent possible, while obtaining the additional information.

Substitutes for Non-disability Reasons

Program operators are given the discretion to offer fluid milk substitutes to students for non-disability reasons when:

• The program operator has found a product that meets the Food and Drug Administration specified nutrient standards found at 7 CFR Section 210.10(d)(2)(ii).
  
  
• The parent or guardian completes, signs, and returns to the program operator the Parental Request for Fluid Milk Substitution for School-age Children form (SNP-26).
  
  
  • The SNP-26 form is located in the Download Forms Section of the CNIPS

Special dietary needs include those accommodations related to religious or moral convictions or personal preference. For information on the program operator's role in providing milk substitutions, visit the CDE Final Rule: Fluid Milk Substitutions web page.

• If a child has a non-disability reason for a fluid milk substitute, such as personal preference or religious need, program operators have the discretion to offer a fluid milk substitute once they are provided the SNP-26 form which has been completed and signed by a child’s parent or guardian. For a non-disability, the milk substitute that is offered must meet the nutritional specifications identified on the Nutrient Standards tab of the CDE’s Milk Requirements in the CNP web page. For more information regarding a milk substitution, visit the CDE’s Milk Requirements in the CNP web page.
  
  
• Nondairy beverages offered as fluid milk substitutes, such as plant-based milk alternatives, may be offered in the CNPs. If provided to children for non-disability reasons, the plant-based milk alternatives must be nutritionally equivalent to fluid milk and provide the required nutrients identified on the Nutrient Standards tab of the CDE’s Milk Requirements in the CNP web page.

CDE Notification

When providing a student a fluid milk substitute for non-disability reasons, program operators must notify the CDE by emailing a completed and signed Fluid Milk Substitutions Notification form (SNP-05) to SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov. The SNP-05 form is located in the Download Forms Section of the CNIPS.

Take Action

The NSD urges all CNP Operators to consider the needs of their population as they plan their menus, including those who are vegetarians or vegans. Some recommended action steps are:

• Identify leadership, including food service directors and key stakeholders in the school community (students, parents, and school board members).
  
  
• Review the Definitions tab of this webpage to learn about the different types of vegetarians/vegans or those who prefer plant-based diets. Review the Definitions tab of this webpage to learn about the different types of vegetarians/vegans.
  
  
• Survey student needs and interests regarding plant-based meals
  
  
• Review the Trainings tab of this webpage to view available trainings on vegetarian/vegan diets.
  
  
• Consider implementing one meatless day weekly, like a Meatless Monday or a Lean and Green day or a daily meatless entrée option!
  
  
• Review the Resources tab of this web page to download quantity recipes, cookbooks, posters, stickers, and other available resources to support your efforts
  
  
• Provide nutrition education lessons, available under the Resources tab of this web page, regarding:
  
  
  • Unfamiliar or new foods (beans, tofu, tempeh, and quinoa)
  • Multicultural eating patterns including plant-based foods
  • Vegetarian eating patterns.
    
    
• Assess new menu items for acceptance through taste testing and recipe evaluations to ensure a positive effect on participation in your meal programs.
  
  
• Create a fun day for tasting new foods (i.e., Taste it Tuesday).
  
  
• Promote new vegetarian meals in the cafeteria by giving out samples of the new meal the day it is served. 
  
  
• Seek assistance in implementing your vegetarian meal options:
  
  
  • Forward Food
    The Humane Society offers several resources including plant-based toolkits, guides, and on-demand webinars.
    
    
  • Let's Eat Healthy: Professional Development + Advising - Strategic Framework
    An initiative of the Dairy Council of California to outline the key goals and objectives identified by
    core partners to engage and equip champions and provide opportunities to cross-share,
    learn, and commit to action the collaborative work within the communities.
    
    
• Educate, get support and buy-in, and engage use the following to support your efforts as advocates:
  
  
  • Parent-Teacher Organizations
  • School Board members
  • Teachers
  • Staff
  • Students
  • Local School Wellness Policy (LSWP) committee
    
    
• Document your success in the school district LSWP. Sample Language could be:
  
  
  • “The district will develop nutritionally sound school lunch menu plans that will provide daily optional plant-centered school lunches. The district will also provide nutrition educational materials and instruction including information about multicultural eating patterns and vegetarian/vegan eating patterns.”
    
    
• Share nutrition education materials with parents/guardians through emails, flyers, handouts, or newsletters or website.
  
  
• Post your new menus on your school district website.
  
  
• Phase in plant-based entrees over time to increase variety and frequency of availability of vegetarian/vegan entrees (including those prepared without eggs and dairy products).
  
  
• Share your successes with other school districts.

Resources

Nutrition Education Lessons
Recipes
Promotional Videos
General Resources

Nutrition Education Lessons

Resource	Grades	Description
Healthy Kids, Happy Planet! Daily Scoop web page	Grade K–8	A series of fun, consistent and easy to understand daily nutrition tips for kids, grades K–8. Added to the daily school wide announcements or a teacher's opening routine, the Daily Scoop elevates plant-strong nutrition education to a daily practice, without adding more than 30 seconds to a teacher's busy routine! ​​​​​​​​​​​​To sign up for the Daily Scoop, use the Free e-delivery of the Daily Scoop form .
The Center for Ecoliteracy Nourishing Students: Enrichment Activities for Grades K­–5	Grade K­–5	"Nourishing Students Enrichment Activities for grades K–5" helps children understand where California fruits and vegetables come from and how they reach the table, including the phases of planting, growing, harvesting, transporting, and eating. The activities in Nourishing Students make after-school, out-of-school, and summer programs fun and memorable. These activities help children participate meaningfully in experiences that promote their health and broaden their understanding of food, the people who produce it, and its relationship to the natural world.
The Center for Ecoliteracy Abundant California curriculum	Grade 3–5	Curriculum developed for grades 3–5 about the food system through the lens of California crops. The classroom lessons connect to learning standards and reinforce the excellent work that is being done by our food service leaders throughout the state to serve more freshly prepared food. Lessons can be downloaded free of charge and used any time.

Recipes

Resource	Description
Forward Food  K –12 Schools recipe list	The Forward Food web page offers free quantity recipes and menus for Kindergarten through grade 12.
Chef Ann Foundation The Lunch Box Plant Forward Recipes	Chef Ann Foundation tests all recipes on The Lunch Box in school kitchens and lunchrooms. Students have tasted and approved these recipes, so you can feel confident serving them in your lunchroom. The recipes include the ingredients, instructions, and contribution to the meal pattern!
Healthy Kids, Happy Planet! Lunch Box Lab – like sandwiches, only better web page web page	Offers recipes that go with the fun, easy and free nutrition education resource for teachers to highlight each Cool Bean of the Month.
Institute of Child Nutrition Recipe Box	U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) resource for standardized recipes for Child Nutrition Programs.
The Coalition for Healthy School Food Recipes web page	Offers quantity plant-based recipes for school lunches.
The Vegetarian Resource Group  Vegan Recipes web page	The Vegetarian Resource Group provides quantity vegan recipes.

Promotional Videos

General Resources

Resource	Description
Friends of the Earth Scaling Up Healthy, Climate Friendly School Food Strategies for Success report (PDF)	A report that spotlights a growing movement of school districts using their massive purchasing power to provide plant-forward and climate-friendly food. The report shows how just one recipe shift can make a huge impact. The report, which is based on interviews with 35 school food professionals, provides valuable resources and detailed strategies, examples, and best practices from 18 school districts on how to boost student participation rates and increase appreciation of healthier, plant-forward, climate-friendly food. For a quick summary, see the executive summary (PDF)
Forward Food web page	Offers free resources to food service staff to support offering plant-based meals in schools including a plant-based product list, plant-based protein sources chart, K–12 cycle menus, a cost-savings analysis, and much more.
Healthy Kids, Happy Planet! Promotional posters	Offers posters with plant positive messages featuring beans! Some posters include Plants are Powerful Food, Beans the Lean and Green Protein, Cool Beans, and more.
USDA Enjoy Vegetarian and Vegan Meals	Provides tips on eating healthy as a vegetarian or vegan.
USDA What's on your plate? web page	Provides information to help ensure all recommended nutrients are met.
Friends of the Earth Scaling Up Healthy, Climate Friendly School Food Resources	Recipes, grants, and resources for Climate-friendly School Food Service.

Online Trainings

Contacts

If you have any questions, please contact the CDE NSD by phone at 800-952-5609 or email your School Nutrition Program questions to SNPinfo@cde.ca.gov.

Subscribe to the School Nutrition Program Mailing List.

Resources: For detailed information regarding milk requirements in CNPs, such as requirements for types of milks offered, nutrient standards for fluid milk and substitutes, policy guidance, and frequently asked questions, visit the Milk Requirements in the CNP web page.