Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value
The National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program (collectively, the NSLP) allows the sale of “competitive foods,” (i.e, foods sold in competition with the NSLP in food-service areas during a meal), as long as “foods of minimal nutritional value” (FMNV) are not permitted in the food service area during meal periods. The USDA declared the following foods as having minimal nutritional value: soda water, water ices, chewing gum, hard candy, jelly candy, marshmallow candy, fondant, licorice, spun candy, and candy coated popcorn. The sale of FMNV is only prohibited in the food service areas during meal service.