Meal Pattern Minute: Dehydrated Vegetables

In the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), vegetables can be served fresh, canned, frozen and dried. This adds variety to the menu especially when certain vegetables are hard to find fresh but can easily be found in frozen packages or canned. When preparing soups or purchasing dried soup packages, you may come across dehydrated vegetables such as dehydrated onions and carrots. Are dehydrated vegetables creditable towards the vegetables meal component in the CACFP? 

 It only takes a minute to find out! Listen to this Meal Pattern Minute as Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, provides the answer on dehydrated vegetables. After watching the video, you can also review the answer below. 

Are dehydrated vegetables creditable in the CACFP? The answer is yes! Dehydrated vegetables are creditable in the CACFP once rehydrated. Follow the instructions on the package to rehydrate those vegetables as each product varies in its instructions. You must serve a minimum of 1/8 cup serving of rehydrated vegetable in order to credit towards the vegetables component. Examples of dehydrated vegetables are potatoes, carrots, and seaweed. 

For more information about dehydrated vegetables, check out the resources below. 

• The Crediting Handbook for the CACFP 
  • Are dehydrated vegetables creditable? Yes. Dehydrated vegetables are creditable. Crediting is based on the rehydrated volume, not the fresh volume that may be stated on the container. Keep in mind that rehydration data on the container often vary from brand to brand. This variation means that the following procedure must be used for each brand of dehydrated product. A minimum of an ⅛ cup of rehydrated vegetable must be served in order to contribute to the vegetables component.
  • Determine the rehydrated volume as follows:
    • Rehydrate (add water or liquid to) a purchase unit of the dehydrated vegetable according to manufacturers’ directions. If the directions are not on the container, request rehydration instructions from the manufacturer.
    • Measure the rehydrated volume.
    • Measure the number of ¼ cup servings of rehydrated product that 1 purchase unit provides.
  • Document and keep records obtained as required by the State agency, regional office, or sponsoring agency as verification. Records should include information on the size of the purchase unit, the number of ¼ cup servings of rehydrated product per purchase unit, the name of the manufacturer, and the manufacturers’ directions for how to rehydrate the product.
• USDA Food Buying Guide Yield Table: Vegetables
  • The yield table contains various dehydrated vegetable products such as pinto beans, refried beans, onions, bell peppers, potatoes, seaweed, and sweet potatoes. Using the yield table, you can determine how much to buy to meet a specific number of servings for the age you are serving.
• USDA Crediting Vegetables in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet
  • This resource provides a summary of how vegetables credit in the CACFP and the regulations when serving vegetables. 

 Here are a couple recipes that use dehydrated vegetables. 

• Mini Meatloaf Patties 
• Sauteed Tempeh with Vegetables

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