On September 24, 2024, the Public Education Department Student Success, and Wellness Bureau (SSWB) published the final rule titled Healthy Universal School Meals (HUSM), which aligns with Senate Bill 4, passed in March 2023. This rule represents the state's ongoing work to support food security, free school meals, freshly prepared school meals, New Mexico Grown, food waste reduction, and student and family voices.
New Mexico has established the following requirements to ensure that meals served in schools are high-quality and nutritious while adding benefits for local communities and economies:
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50 percent of weekly meal components must be freshly prepared or scratch cooked.
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New Mexico Grown: Adding locally grown products.
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Reducing Food Waste: Providing 20 minutes of seat time for K-5 students. Adding designated areas where students can return unopened, allowable food items they do not want.
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Student and Family Voice: Gathering feedback
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Certification: Submit annual documentation
2025/2026 menus will follow New Mexico’s HUSM requirements. Breakfast and lunch will have one entrée option for all grades Pre -K - 12. September 2, 2025, a second lunch entrée will be offered to grades 6-12.
For more information about the Healthy Universal School Meal, please visit the link below.
https://www.srca.nm.gov/nmac/nmregister/xxxv/6.12.16.pdf
For more information on the Nutrition Department, please visit the link below.
https://www.demingps.org/services/student_nutrition