Meal Pattern Minute: Enriched Grains
May 2, 2025
In the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), grains are an important meal component to support the health and well-being of children and adults in care settings. Enriched grains are one of the creditable grains in the CACFP. Understanding what an enriched grains is can help CACFP providers choose which grains to serve to meet the program requirements while serving nutritious meals.
Learn what enriched grains are by tuning into this Meal Pattern Minute as Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, talks about how grains are processed and made enriched.
Learn more by reviewing the information provided below.
- Grain Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program; Questions and Answers Memo Code: 05-2025
- Enriched grains are refined grains that have been processed to remove the nutrient-rich bran and germ, and then have thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and iron added after processing. Foods made from refined grains that meet at least one of the following are considered creditable:
- The food is labeled as “enriched.” For example, long grain rice that is enriched will have the product name “enriched long grain rice.”
- An enriched grain is listed as the first ingredient on the food’s ingredient list or second after water. The ingredient list will usually say “enriched flour” or “enriched wheat flour,” or there is a sub-listing of nutrients used to enrich the flour, for example, “yellow corn flour {iron, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine}.”
- Enriched grains are refined grains that have been processed to remove the nutrient-rich bran and germ, and then have thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and iron added after processing. Foods made from refined grains that meet at least one of the following are considered creditable:
- In the USDA Crediting Grains in the Child Nutrition Programs Tips Sheet- Part 1: Creditable Grains in the Child Nutrition Programs, not only contains definitions used to identify creditable grains but has two pages of common grain ingredients to help CACFP providers look for creditable grains to use in meals.
- On-Demand Webinar: Great Grains! Taking the Guess Work Out of What’s Creditable
- Serving whole grain-rich grains once per day, when grains are served, in ounce equivalents is a requirement in the CACFP. Explore various types of whole grains like amaranth, sorghum, and millet to expand your menu planning options. Learn how to determine ounce equivalency, how to identify whole grains, how to modify meals using these great grains, and how to prepare these for CACFP creditable recipes. Included with the webinar is a resource to help identify creditable gluten-free grains and four #CACFPCreditable gluten-free recipes.
Add one of these recipes to your menu using creditable grains in the CACFP.
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