Competitive Foods Are items such as carbonated beverages allowed to be sold in schools?
The regulations for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program do not prohibit the sale of foods in competition with reimbursable meals as long as those foods are not considered to be foods of minimal nutritional value (see below). Foods that may be sold in the cafeteria during the meal service include items that are part of the reimbursable meal but are purchased separately (seconds, for example) or items such as ice cream that are not credited as a component of a reimbursable meal but are not considered to be a food of minimal nutritional value. Competitive foods could also include foods sold in the cafeteria by school organizations as long as the revenues from these sales go to the food service, the school or an approved student organization. The program regulations prohibit the sale of certain categories of foods of minimal nutritional value in the food service area during the breakfast and lunch periods. These categories (which include carbonated beverages
