Menu planners also may develop their own customized groups corresponding to the age groups in their school. Not all schools' grade structures will match the nutrient standard grade or age groups. Menu planners must be able to select or create Nutrient Standards when planning Nutrient Standard Menus, which are based on their schools' grade or age structure. Menus will be analyzed over a school week using a weighted nutrient analysis with an average based on the projected servings of each menu item. Nutrient Standard Menus and Assisted Nutrient Standard Menus provide schools the option to combine the total nutrients for breakfast and lunch together in proportion to the participation in each meal.
Software systems can combine the two meals for analysis.
Schools must use only USDA-approved software for their analysis. Nutrient Standard Menus and Assisted Nutrient Standard Menus deal with menu items instead of food components and food items. A menu item may be any single food or combination of foods. All menu items served in a meal, including condiments, are included in the nutrient analysis and count toward meeting the nutrient standard for the meal. Meals are required to have three menu items for lunch and for breakfast.