Moorhead district launches year 3 of Minnesota free meals, expands second-chance breakfast and farm-to-school offerings

Ashley Schneider, director of food and nutrition services for Moorhead Area Public Schools, told the school board on Sept. 22 that the district has entered year three of Minnesota’s universal school meals program, under which every enrolled student is eligible for one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day.

“This does require students to take what is deemed a reimbursable meal,” Schneider said, explaining that a reimbursable meal must include a half-cup of fruit or vegetables plus two other food groups. Schneider said the district provides share tables and share bins at most sites to reduce waste and that students who do not select a reimbursable meal are charged for individual items (for example, a 50¢ milk).

The district has resumed Second Chance Breakfast at Moorhead High School and the Career Academy after a successful pilot last year. Schneider said the program opens a second breakfast service between blocks so students who arrive late or become hungry after the first bell can get food; the district saw an estimated increase of 150–200 additional breakfasts daily at the high school and 50–75 at Career Academy when the program ran previously.

Schneider outlined a separate K–4 snack program that is not part of Minnesota’s universal meals. Participation requires parent permission and costs 50¢ for milk and 50¢ for a snack per day (up to $1/day). She said the district offers about 150 scholarships this school year for the K–4 snack program funded by donations and that school staff are encouraging families to complete educational benefit applications, which can qualify families for additional services and help district funding, summer food programs and after-school snacks.

The presentation covered upcoming federal and state nutrition standards that will affect menus. Schneider said a new limit for added sugars at breakfast is already in effect for the 2025–26 school year for products such as breakfast cereal and yogurt, and that the district must meet a weekly cap of 10% of calories from added sugars by the 2027–28 school year. She also said the district is working to reduce sodium gradually — the standard requires a 15% reduction at lunch and 10% at breakfast by July 1, 2027 — and plans to use “speed-scratch” cooking and spices to keep foods flavorful while lowering sodium.

“We’ll also see changes to portion sizes because of the nutritional standards,” Schneider said. She noted seconds remain available for purchase when students have money in their meal accounts.

Schneider described expanded farm-to-school partnerships with Farmer in the Dell, bringing local produce such as squash, apples, tomatoes, cucumbers and corn into cafeterias. October will feature Farm-to-School items and a district “spud bar” event; Schneider said her long-term goal is to serve fresh mashed potatoes regularly at the high school. The district also won Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grants for Robert Asp and Ellen Hopkins schools; that grant begins Oct. 6 and provides classroom tastings several times per week.

She said some kitchens have new serving lines this year (Ellen Hopkins is cited as an example) that allow self-service hot vegetable stations and other choices to promote independence and increase vegetable intake. Schneider acknowledged continuing staffing shortages in some kitchens even as participation this year has risen; she said a six-week cycle menu helps cooks refine quantities based on historical participation.

Board members asked for clarification about program details and implementation timelines; Schneider responded to procedural questions about application outreach, scholarship funding and menu adjustments. No formal board action was taken on the food program update; the presentation was informational.

The board did not receive public comments during the meeting’s public forum.