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.
[+] Expand Items Below | [-] Collapse Items Below
Meal Patterns and Sample Menus
Combination Foods
- Acceptable Documentation of Combination Foods (PDF, 421 KB)
- Child Nutrition (CN) Label Documentation Flow Chart (PDF, 147 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, 90 KB)
Meal Pattern Menu Checklists
- Menu Documentation Guide
- 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
Nutrition Resources
- CACFP Crediting Handbook (Resource for creditable foods)
- CACFP Grains Chart - Child Care Component
- Creditable Grains in CACFP (PDF, 121 KB)
- Product Review Tips Sheet – Tortilla Chips (PDF, 592 KB)
- 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, 288 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, 185 KB)
- Substitute Meat for Grains - Children (PDF, 193 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 - updated July 2022
-
Training Worksheets:
- Adding Whole Grains to Your CACFP Menu - updated July 2022
- Calculating Sugar Limits for Breakfast Cereals - updated July 2022
- Calculating Sugar Limits for Yogurt - updated July 2022
- Choose Breakfast Cereals Lower in Added Sugars - updated July 2022
- Choose Yogurts Lower in Added Sugars - updated July 2022
- Grain-Based Desserts in the CACFP - updated July 2022
- Identifying Whole-Grain-Rich Foods in the CACFP - updated July 2022
- Identifying Whole Grain-Rich Foods for the CACFP Using the Ingredient List
- Methods for Healthy Cooking - updated July 2022
- Offer Versus Serve in the CACFP - updated July 2022
- Serving Meat and Meat Alternates at Breakfast - updated July 2022
- 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
- Wisconsin DPI: CACFP Tofu Recipe Guide
- Product Review Tip Sheet – Cream of Wheat
- Identifying Grain-Based Desserts in the NC CACFP Tip Sheet - added July 2022
- Resources for Planning Menus for Older Adults - added July 2022
Seasonal 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!
The CACFP Seasonal Menus:
- Meet the CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements
- Provide healthy meal options
- Offer seasonal and local foods
- Promote NC agriculture
- Utilize standardized recipes
- Offer variety
CACFP Fall 4-Week Menus (PDF, 371 KB)
CACFP Winter 4-Week Menus (PDF, 344 KB)
CACFP Spring 4-Week Menus (PDF, 290 KB)
CACFP Summer 4-Week Menus (PDF, 321 KB)
CACFP 4-Week Menu Template (PDF, 514 KB)
Fresh Produce Purchasing and Prep Guides
- Fresh Produce Guide Instructions
- Produce Guide for Ages 1-2 Years – Excel Workbook
- Produce Guide for Ages 1-2 Years – PDF
- Produce Guide for Ages 3-5 Years – Excel Workbook
- Produce Guide for Ages 3-5 Years – PDF
- Produce Guide for Ages 6-18 years – Excel Workbook
- Produce Guide for Ages 6-18 Years – PDF
Standardized Recipes
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: 07-13-2022