School Meal Programs

Five images of different school lunches from different schools in Montana

Pictures of Montana school lunches from the following schools (left to right): Bigfork School, Rapelje Public Schools, Target Range School, Rapelje Public Schools, Plentywood School.

The Afterschool Snack Program provides reimbursement for snacks to children who participate in afterschool educational or enrichment programs in an organized, structured, and supervised environment.

Meal Pattern

Program Administration

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides children meals that meet USDA nutrition guidelines and supports both academic achievement and health during the school day. In Montana, half of the lunch meals are served to children free or at a reduced price, based on their family’s household income.

In Montana, the National School Lunch Program serves 80,000 students every day.

USDA National School Lunch Program Website

Meal Pattern

USDA Tools for Schools

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and the School Breakfast Program ensures it is a healthy one.

Public Notice: In accordance with Section 12(l)(1)(A)(ii) of the National School Lunch Act, the Montana Office of Public Instruction is providing public notice of its request for a breakfast review waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture. Once approved, this waiver would limit the number of Administrative Reviews requiring breakfast meal observation through June 30, 2022.

Meal Pattern

The Special Milk Program provides milk to children in schools and childcare institutions who do not participate in other Federal meal service programs. The program reimburses schools for the milk they serve.

Schools in the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs may also participate in the Special Milk Program to provide milk to children in half-day pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs where children do not have access to the school meal programs.

USDA Special Milk Program Page

Menu Planner for School Meals —From USDA

All required School Nutrition Program (SNP) Sponsor and site menu documentation forms can be found and downloaded in the new Montana Agreement and Payments System (MAPS).

Cookbooks & Recipes

Menu Planning Tools

Menu Planner for School Meals —From USDA
USDA Crediting Tip Sheets for SNP
2-week Cycle Breakfast Menu
Smart Food Planner—Cycle Menu tool from Alliance for Healthier Generation.
Child Nutrition Sharing Site
Recipe Standardization
- Standardized Recipesin a Nutshell - Wisconsin
- Minnesota Standardized Recipe Guide

Indigenous Foods Resources

Please see letter linked HERE from Heather Dawn Thompson, Director of the Office of Tribal Relations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Stacy Dean, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services at the USDA, and Tony Dearman, Director of the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) at the U.S. Department of the Interior to BIE operated and Tribally-controlled school leaders and staff sharing a few opportunities to serve Indigenous foods in Child Nutrition Program meals, and to ensure meal programs support the community’s food sovereignty goals.