The National School Breakfast and Lunch programs are overseen by which federal department?

The National School Breakfast and Lunch programs are overseen by which federal department?

• A. U.S. Department of Education
• B. Health and Human Services
• C. U.S. Department of Agriculture
• D. Food and Drug Administration

Answer: (B)

The key idea is which federal department runs the school meal programs. The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, specifically through the Food and Nutrition Service. These programs are established by laws like the National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act, and USDA-FNS sets meal patterns and nutrition standards, provides reimbursements to schools, and monitors compliance to ensure meals meet federal requirements. The Department of Education mainly handles academic policy, not the operation of meal programs; Health and Human Services oversees other nutrition-related programs but not the school meal programs themselves; the FDA focuses on food safety and labeling, not administering school meals. So, USDA is the correct department.

The key idea is which federal department runs the school meal programs. The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, specifically through the Food and Nutrition Service. These programs are established by laws like the National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act, and USDA-FNS sets meal patterns and nutrition standards, provides reimbursements to schools, and monitors compliance to ensure meals meet federal requirements. The Department of Education mainly handles academic policy, not the operation of meal programs; Health and Human Services oversees other nutrition-related programs but not the school meal programs themselves; the FDA focuses on food safety and labeling, not administering school meals. So, USDA is the correct department.