Minimum Standard for School Meals are as follows:

Meals served must be consistent with the current edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Federal Regulations as approved for North Carolina and State Board of Education Policy on Nutrition Standard for School Meals.

(a) In the operation of their public school nutrition programs, the public schools shall participate in the National School Lunch Program established by the federal government. The program shall be under the jurisdiction of the Division of School Support, Child Nutrition Services of the Department of Public Instruction and in accordance with federal guidelines as established by the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.

(b) For nutritional purposes, the public schools shall not (i) use cooking oils in their school food programs that contain trans-fatty acids or (ii) sell processed foods containing trans-fatty acids that were formed during the commercial processing of the foods.

he State Board of Education, in direct consultation with a cross section of local directors of child nutrition services, shall establish statewide nutrition Standard for school meals, a la carte foods and beverages, and items served in the After School Snack Program administered by the Department of Public Instruction and child nutrition programs of local school administrative units. The nutrition Standard will promote gradual changes to increase fruits and vegetables, increase whole grain products, and decrease foods high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, and sugar. The nutrition Standard adopted by the State Board of Education shall be implemented initially in elementary schools. All elementary schools shall achieve a basic level by the end of the 2009-2010 school year, followed by middle schools and then high schools.

Board policy requires food served as part of the National School Lunch Program to meet federal nutrition Standard for school meals.