CACFP: New Meal Pattern Guidelines and Resources

On April 25, 2016, the Food and Nutrition Service published the final rule “Child and Adult Care Food Program: Meal Pattern Revisions Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act” to update the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal patterns in accordance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

The new CACFP meal patterns increase the consumption of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, allow for more nutritious substitutions, and reduce the consumption of added sugars and saturated fats. The updated standards also take cost and practicality into consideration. The new CACFP regulations establishes early education age groups as infant-5 months, 6-11 months, 1-2 year olds, and 3-5 year olds. These improvements are expected to enhance the quality of meals served to young children.

Early care and education programs had until October 1, 2017 to be in compliance with new CACFP Meal Pattern Revisions. Make sure your menus and procurement reflect these changes. Take the New CACFP Meal Pattern Self-Assessment and see how your program is measuring up to the new standards.

Sample menus and resources by state, food groups, and for family child care:

Sample Menus

Breakfast Only

 

Lunch Only

 

Snack Only

 

Breakfast, Lunch and Snack

 

Infant Menus

 

Menu Calendar Checklists, Templates and Toolkits

 

Multicultural Menus

  • CACFP Recipes from around the world: North, Central and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Pacific Islands
  • Multicultural Recipes for child care centers and family day homes (downloadable PDF)

 

Resources and Trainings by State

Alabama

Department of Education

 

Alaska

Department of Education and Early Development (DEED): CACFP Information

  • New CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements Training Presentation: Part 1 and Part 2

 

Arizona

Arizona Department of Education

 

Arkansas
Special Nutrition Program

 

California

Department of Education – CACFP

Menus:

 

Colorado

Department of Public Health and Environment – CACFP:

 

Connecticut

Department of Education – CACFP

Menus:

 

Delaware

Department of Education

Menus:

 

Florida

Florida Department of Health 

 

Georgia

Community ACTION Partnership — Tallatoona, Georgia

Department of Early Care and Learning: CACFP

 

Hawaii
People Attentive to Children (PATCH)

 

Idaho

Department of Education – CACFP

 

Illinois 

Association for Child Development (ACD): a nonprofit organization that educates parents and caregivers about nutrition to promote the healthy development of children.

Board of Education – CACFP Forms and Documents 

In Spanish (En Español):



Indiana


Department of Education – CACFP



 


Iowa


Iowa Department of Education:



 


Kansas 


Kansas Department of Education – CACFP



 


Kentucky

Department of Education – CACFP



 


Louisiana

Louisiana Department of Education



 


Maine


Department of Health and Human Services – CACFP:



 


Maryland


Department of Education – Child Care Providers



 


Massachusetts


Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – CACFP



 


Michigan


Association for Child Development (ACD): a nonprofit organization that educates parents and caregivers about nutrition to promote the healthy development of children.


Michigan State University—Local Food for Little Eaters: A Purchasing Toolbox for the Child and Adult Care Food Program 


Department of Education – CACFP



 


Minnesota


Minnesota Department of Education: Meal Patterns



Providers Choice



 


Mississippi

Department of Education – CACFP


 


Missouri


Department of Health and Senior Services – CACFP


 


Montana 


Department of Public Health and Human Services – CACFP



 


Nebraska

Department of Education – CACFP


Department of Education – Nutrition Services



Midwest Child Care Association



 


Nevada


Department of Agriculture – CACFP



 


New Hampshire

Department of Education – CACFP



 


New York


Department of Health – CACFP



CACFP Training Schedules:



 


North Carolina


Health and Human Services – Nutrition



Menus:



 


North Dakota


North Dakota Department of Public Instruction – CACFP 



 


Ohio


Child Care Resource Center, North Central Ohio



Department of Education – CACFP:



 


Oklahoma


Department of Education: Child Nutrition Resources



 


Oregon 


Department of Education – CACFP



Child Meal Pattern Charts:



Infant Meal Pattern Charts:



Menus:



 


Rhode Island

Rhode Island Department of Education



 


South Dakota

Department of Education – CACFP



 


Texas


Department of Agriculture – Square Meals



Menus:



 


Utah 


State Board of Education – CACFP



 


Virginia

Department of Health – CACFP



 


Washington


Superintendent of Public Instruction – CACFP



 


Washington D.C.


Office of the State Superintendent of Education – CACFP



Menus:



 


West Virginia


Department of Education – CACFP



Menus:



 


Wisconsin


Department of Public Instruction – CACFP



 


Wyoming


Department of Education – CACFP



Casper College Inga Thorson Early Childhood Learning Center



 


For more information and training resources visit:



Infant Meal Patterns/Breastfeeding


    

  • Solid foods are allowed when developmentally appropriate for the infant
    • 

  • Requires whole vegetables and fruits to be served at snack for infants 6-11 months of age
    • 

  • Eliminates fruit juice from the infant meal pattern
    • 

  • Ready-to-eat cereals can be served as a grain at snack for infants 6-11 months of age
    • 

  • Cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt are allowable meat alternates for infants 6-11 months of age
    • 

  • Reimburses providers for meals when the mother directly breastfeeds her infant at the center or daycare home, for infants birth through 11 months of age
    • 



Resources:



Vegetables, Fruits & Juice


    

  • Establishes a separate vegetable component and a separate fruit component at lunch, supper, and snack
    • 

  • Allows two vegetables at lunch and supper
    • 

  • Limits the service of fruit juice or vegetable juice to one serving per day for children 1 year old and older
    • 



Resources:



Grains


    

  • Requires breakfast cereals to contain no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce. (Starting October 1, 2019, ounce equivalents are used to determine the quantity of credible grain.)
    • 

  • Meat and meat alternates can be served in place of the entire grains requirement at breakfast a maximum of three times per week
    • 

  • At least one serving of grains per day should be whole grain-rich
    • 

  • Disallows grain-based desserts from counting towards the grains requirement
    • 



Resources:



Meat, Meat Alternatives and Dairy


    

  • Meat and meat alternates can be served in place of the entire grains requirement at breakfast a maximum of three times per week
    • 

  • Tofu can be a meat alternate
    • 

  • Allows cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt
    • 

  • Yogurt can contain no more than 23 grams of sugar per 6 ounces
    • 

  • Whole eggs
    • 



Resources:



Milk and Other Beverages


    

  • 1 year old children: whole, unflavored milk
    • 

  • 2 year olds and older: low-fat or fat-free milk
    • 

  • Prohibits flavored milk for children ages 2-5
    • 

  • Drinking water should be offered to children throughout the day and available to children upon their request throughout the day
    • 

  • Non-dairy beverages can be substituted that are nutritionally equivalent to milk and meet the nutritional standards for fortification of calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, and other nutrients to levels found in cow’s milk
    • 

  • Limits the service of fruit juice or vegetable juice to one serving per day for children 1 year old and older
    • 



Resources:



Food Prep and Additional Requirements


    

  • Prohibits frying as a way of preparing food on-site, as defined as deep fat frying
    • 

  • Restricts the use of food as a punishment or reward
    • 

  • Codifies proposed practices that must be followed when a provider or center chooses to serve meals family style
    • 



Resources:



Family Child Care Resources


Success in the Food Program


With generous funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, “Success in the Food Program,” materials, resources, and webinars were created by the YMCA Childcare Resource Services in San Diego, California, with support from Nemours Children’s Health System.


With recommendations from local, state, and national partners training materials were created to support family child care home providers in meeting the new CACFP meal pattern requirements effective October 1, 2017.  From March 1 through December 31, 2017, 30 family child care home providers in the South Bay area of San Diego piloted the “Success in the Food Program” training and provided feedback along the way to refine the materials and resources.


We hope you find the following training materials valuable in supporting your program’s work meeting the new CACFP meal pattern requirements




									

			

			

					
General CACFP/New Meal Pattern Resources


Association for Child Development (ACD)


CACFP Creditable Recipes


CACFP Meal Pattern Training Slides


CACFP Nutrition and Physical Activity Card Sets


CACFP: Using the Updated Meal Patterns To Lower Costs


CDC Networking Presentation: New CACFP Meal Pattern and Early Implementation


CDC Networking Presentation: Health Impact Assessment of the New CACFP Meal Patterns


ChooseMyPlate: Preschoolers


Early Implementation of the Updated CACFP Meal Pattern


National CACFP Sponsor Association


New CACFP Meal Pattern: Best Practices


New CACFP Meal Pattern: Child Meals Comparison Sheet


Optional Best Practices to Further Promote Nutrition


USDA Nutrition Standards for CACFP Meals and Snacks


USDA Transition Period Memo for Updated CACFP Meal Patterns 


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