R510-104-8. Additional Meal Policy

(1) Nutrition providers may serve a second meal or third meal if planned as an objective in the Area Plan. When two meals are served per day, they shall provide 66 2/3% of the DRI. When three meals are served per day, they shall provide 100% of the DRI. Provision of more than one meal qualifies for NSIP reimbursement if each meal meets the 33 1/3% DRI. Second helpings of the same meal that do not constitute a complete meal (i.e., a second serving of mashed potatoes) do not qualify for NSIP reimbursement. A second complete meal complying with the DRI, provided to a senior as a second meal, does qualify for NSIP reimbursement.

(2) To qualify second meals in the local meal county reports for USDA reimbursement, AAAs will be allowed to serve up to 1.5% of the total meals per quarter in second meals without formally developing a local second meal policy. If second meals claimed in the local meal count reports are equal to or greater than 1.5% of total first meals per quarter, a second meal policy shall be developed by each local AAA for USDA reimbursement.

(3) Nutrition services providers may serve a second meal to Senior Citizens who have been identified through nutrition screening to be at nutritional risk and/or socially or economically in need. The AAA shall have written program objectives which are specific, verifiable, and achievable for nutrition service provider(s), including the number and frequency of meals to be served at each designated congregates site or center, and to individual recipients in the home delivered meal program, if providing more than 1.5% of total meals as second meals.

(a) Second meals should be packaged so that the food will more likely be kept at proper storage temperatures for a reasonable length of time.

(b) The participants who receive a second meal shall be given the opportunity to make a second confidential contribution for that meal.

(c) Records will be maintained by the nutrition provider(s) on all additional meals served to eligible participants.