Food Services

The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) supports student health and achievement by ensuring that all DCPS students receive nutritious meals and acquire the resources to make healthy choices. We believe in providing appetizing school meals made from fresh, locally produced ingredients, and we strive to engage the entire D.C. community in implementing programs that encourage healthy decision-making and promote sustainable practices.

Our Vision for School Food

The DCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services believes in serving students whole, primarily unprocessed, high-quality, natural foods which are prepared and presented in an appetizing manner.

We believe it is important to cultivate a natural palate at an early age.

We believe in the value of eating seasonally and in purchasing food from local growers to ensure peak freshness and to support the local economy.

• At minimum, 20% of all produce or food products used in school meals must be grown or processed in the Mid Atlantic region.

We believe that eating is critical to academic success and that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

• Breakfast in the Classroom or Grab and Go alternative breakfast is available in 91 of 121 schools.
• After school supper is available at 99 out of 121 schools.

We believe that all students should have access to school meals and should be given food choice.

• Salad bars are available in 27 schools.
• Vegetarian meals are available in all schools daily.

We believe that nutrition education and adult role modeling are fundamental to school food change.

We believe that school garden programs, after school cooking classes, and culinary education courses create lifelong good habits.

We believe everyone deserves to be heard.

• Online feedback portal available to students, parents and community members.
• DCPS Food Service Family & Friends Advisory Committee formed July 2011.
• DCPS Student Advisory Board to be formed fall 2011.

What’s New 

• The 2011-12 Free and Reduced Meals Form is now available. Please visit the Application for Free and Reduced Meals page to download an application and for a list of DCPS Provision 2 schools.
• DCPS would like to  have a salad bar in every school to give students more choice at lunch and introduce them to new, healthy fruits and vegetables. Help us reach this goal by making a donation through Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools.

Find out more about Food Services:

• Application for Free and Reduced Meals
• Menus and Nutritional Information
• Meal Prices and Payment
• Food Accommodations
• DCPS Nutritional Standards
• Chefs Move to Schools Program
• Pilot Programs
• International Food Program
• Submit Feedback to the Office of Food and Nutrition Services