School Nutrition Services

  • The Union County Public Schools' School Nutrition Services Department is comprised of food and nutrition professionals that are ServSafe certified and dedicated to our students' health, well-being and their ability to learn. We support learning by promoting healthy lifelong nutrition and fitness practices and habits. 

    Meals, foods and beverages sold or served at schools meet state and federal requirements, which are based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines. We provide students with access to a variety of affordable and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students.

    View UCPS Breakfast and Lunch Menus

    Breakfast and Lunch Program

    We offer breakfast daily at all UCPS elementary, middle and high schools. The breakfast menu offers a variety of fruits, milk and whole-grain selections to help start the day right for our students. Grab-and-go breakfast in the classrooms is offered at some schools and a few of our schools participate in universal free breakfast.

    **If your student is eligible for free or reduced lunch prices, they will also be able to receive a free breakfast each morning as well.

    Our lunch program offers a wide variety of healthy menu options that meet all five meal components guidelines for students in grades K-12. The 5 components that make up a meal include meat/meat alternative, whole grain, vegetable, fruit and milk. Our meals correlate with Choose MyPlate, which identifies the building blocks for a healthy diet.

    Both the breakfast and lunch menus are planned by our Nutrition Team which includes: Cafeteria Managers, Area Supervisors, Registered Dietitian, Chef, and School Nutrition Director.

Question Topics

Expand All

  • Check balance and add lunch money

  • Food allergies?

  • Free and Reduced Meal Application

  • What's my lunch number?

  • Is my student at a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school?

Did You Know?

    • We have 30 elementary schools, 9 middle schools, and 11 high schools. During the school year, we serve close to 4 million meals, including after-school snacks. Our summer meal programs serve over 15,000 meals.
    • We are self-supporting. No financial support is currently received from local tax dollars to support our program. The majority of funds we receive are from our customers (students and adults) who eat with us and a small reimbursement from the federal government.
    • School meals are proven to support academic achievement, improve student health, and lower obesity rates. We offer whole-grain based items, scratch-cook many entrees, require fresh fruit and vegetables and analyze the nutrients of food items that are located on every cafeteria line.
    • We were one of the first school systems (over 20 years ago) in NC to partner with the NC Farm to School Program. This program allows our schools to provide students access to nutritious, high-quality, local food. It also creates a significant financial opportunity for local farmers, fishers, ranchers, food processors, and manufacturers.
    • 17% of children in NC struggle with where their next meal will come from. Children consume more fruits and vegetables when they participate in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program. This is because, under the National School Lunch Program, students have the opportunity to build their own plate from a variety of options.
    • The NC Department of Health and Human Services implements health inspections in UCPS cafeterias four times a year. The 2024-2025 school year resulted in an average health score of > 99 in our school cafeterias. 

Non-Discrimination Statement

  • In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

    Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

    To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can also be obtained from any USDA office, by calling 866-632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

    1. Mail:
      U.S. Department of Agriculture
      Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
      1400 Independence Avenue, SW
      Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
    2. Fax: 833-256-1665 or 202-690-7442; or
    3. Email: Program.Intake@usda.gov

    This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Nutrition Forms