No forms needed: Fresno Unified’s free meals aim to cut barriers and boost nutrition
Fri, August 14, 2026 at 5:11 PM
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New School food. (Fresno Unified)
FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) —As Fresno Unified students head back for the 2026-27 school year, the district’s Nutrition Services is rolling out healthy meals and several new menu items, while continuing to offer free breakfast and lunch to every enrolled student
Under U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, Fresno Unified School District will provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students, regardless of income level
The district said providing meals to all students is part of its commitment to eliminating barriers to student learning and helping ensure students have access to nutritious food while at school
The free-meals program is offered through the Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, an option available through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program
CEP allows eligible schools to provide free meals to students while reducing paperwork and streamlining meal service operations
Families do not need to complete a meal application
New menu items for the school year include a cinnamon bun pretzel stick, mini maple waffles, a pepperoni pizza pocket sandwich, seasoned edamame with brown rice, scratch-made biscuits and gravy, strawberry fruit smoothies and strawberry mini bagels
Nutrition Services is also encouraging families to use the district’s school meals app and interactive website to view breakfast and lunch menus each day. The app includes images and descriptions of food items, along with nutrition and allergen information
Families can access the app by searching for “School Menus by Nutrislice” on Google Play or the App Store, or by visiting fresnounified.nutrislice.com
