Meal Patterns and Nutrition Resources
USDA revised the CACFP meal patterns to ensure children and adults have access to healthy, balanced meals throughout the day. The changes made were based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, scientific recommendations from the National Academy of Medicine, stakeholder input, and cost and practical considerations. Under the revised meal patterns, meals served will include more whole grains, less saturated fat, a greater variety of fruits and vegetables, and less added sugar.
USDA has updated their CACFP Nutrition Standards web page with great resources on the current meal pattern.
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Meal Patterns (Effective October 1, 2017)
Combination Foods
- Acceptable Documentation of Combination Foods (PDF, 265 KB)
- Child Nutrition (CN) Label Documentation Flow Chart (PDF, 44 KB)
- Tip Sheet for Accepting Process Product Documentation (PDF, 318 KB)
Meal and Milk Calculators
- CACFP Milk Calculator (XLSX, 29 KB)
- Meal Component Calculation Workbook (XLSX, 36 KB)
Meal Pattern Menu Checklists
- CACFP Infant Menu Checklist (PDF, 235 KB)
- CACFP Child Menu Checklist (PDF, 225 KB)
- CACFP Adult Menu Checklist (PDF, 198 KB)
Menu Planning Tools
Non-Dairy Beverage Milk Substitutions
- Non-Dairy Tool - The CACFP Non-Dairy Tool is currently unavailable. It is being updated to reflect the new FDA Daily Values (DVs), which go into effect July 26, 2020. Some companies are already using the new percentages on their package labels, which results in inaccurate values when nutrients are entered in the Non-Dairy Tool. Please send any questions related to allowable non-dairy beverages to the CACFP training team. We are happy to research any specific products to see if they meet the guidelines for non-dairy beverages.
- Potentially Allowable Non-Dairy Beverages
Nutrition Resources
- CACFP Center Handy Guide to Creditable Foods
- CACFP Crediting Handbook (Resource for creditable foods)
- CACFP Grains Chart - Child Care Component
- Creditable Grains in CACFP (PDF, 121 KB)
- Early Implementation Tip Sheets
- Breastfeeding On-Site (PDF, 340 KB)
- Yogurt in Place of Milk for Adults (PDF, 335 KB)
- Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs
- Feeding Infants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (revised March 2019)
- Food Buying Guide -- Web-Based and Interactive!
- Healthier Cereal Choices for use in CACFP (PDF, 414 KB)
- Meal Component Calculation Workbook (XLSX, 36 KB)
- NC Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care
- Sample Infant Menu -- One Month (PDF, 207 KB)
- Substitute Meat for Grains - Adults (PDF, 130 KB)
- Substitute Meat for Grains - Children (PDF, 264 KB)
- USDA Meal Pattern Training Tools
- USDA Team Nutrition Training Tools and Posters
CACFP Meal Pattern Resources
The NC CACFP, along with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is pleased to announce the release of Team Nutrition CACFP Meal Pattern training tools and posters. Please see below for more details!
Training Tools
- Infographic, Growing a Healthier Future with the CACFP
- Training Worksheets:
- Adding Whole Grains to Your CACFP Menu
- Calculating Sugar Limits for Breakfast Cereals
- Calculating Sugar Limits for Yogurt
- Choose Breakfast Cereals Lower in Added Sugars
- Choose Yogurts Lower in Added Sugars
- Grain-Based Desserts in the CACFP
- Identifying Whole-Grain-Rich Foods in the CACFP
- Identifying Whole Grain-Rich Foods for the CACFP Using the Ingredient List
- Methods for Healthy Cooking
- Offer Versus Serve in the CACFP
- Serving Meat and Meat Alternates at Breakfast
- Serving Milk in the CACFP
Download and use these tools to train providers, operators, menu planners, and others in meeting the updated Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal patterns that took effect October 1, 2017.
Interested in ordering the print version FREE of charge?
- The training tools are available in English and in Spanish, and come packaged as 25 worksheets/infographics per pack.
- Order free copies using the online order form
Posters
In addition to the training tools listed above, Team Nutrition has also released the “Serve Tasty and Healthy Foods in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)” poster series. Display these to inform visitors to your program of the meal patterns! Using original photography taken especially for CACFP settings, these 11” by 17” posters support the implementation of the updated meal patterns by showing samples of a reimbursable breakfast, lunch/supper, and snack for each age group in the child and adult meal patterns. Currently the poster series is available online only in English. Spanish and print versions will be available soon!
Titles include:
- Sample Meals for Children Ages 1-2
- Sample Meals for Children Ages 3-5
- Sample Meals for Children Ages 6-12 and 13-18
- Sample Meals for Adults
- WIC Approved Cereals
- Wisconsin DPI: CACFP Tofu Recipe Guide
Seasonal Cycle Menus
The CACFP Seasonal Menus are designed to inspire programs to use seasonal, locally grown foods when possible. The menus are four-week cycle menus with a breakfast, lunch/supper, and snack. Menus are customizable and contain links to standardized recipes. Your institution can start implementing these healthy seasonal menus in your adult or childcare facility today!
- CACFP Fall Cycle Menu (PDF, 371 KB)
- CACFP Winter Cycle Menu (PDF, 344 KB)
- CACFP Spring Cycle Menu (PDF, 290 KB)
- CACFP Summer Cycle Menu (PDF, 321 KB)
- CACFP Cycle Menu Template (PDF, 514 KB)
The CACFP Seasonal Menus:
- Meet the NEW CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements
- Select healthy meal options
- Offer seasonal and local foods
- Promote NC agriculture
- Utilize standardized recipes
- Offer variety
USDA Policy Memos Related to the Meal Patterns
- Crediting Tofu and Soy Yogurt Products in the CACFP
- Feeding Infants and Meal Pattern Requirements in the CACFP
- Grain Requirements in the CACFP
- Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals in the CACFP
- Questions and Answers on the Updated Meal Pattern Requirements for the CACFP (PDF, 252 KB)
- Transition Period for the Updated CACFP Meal Patterns
- Vegetable and Fruit Requirements in the CACFP, Q&A (PDF, 91 KB)
For additional Meal Pattern resources, visit our Resources page.
Last Modified: April 2, 2020