Meal Pattern Minute: Cereals and Grain-Based Desserts
October 31, 2025
Breakfast cereals are a staple in many Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) child care menus because they are quick, easy and often a kid favorite. Many breakfast cereals are packed with whole grains, fiber and essential nutrients which makes them a smart choice to start the day or even as a snack. But others? They come with sugary coatings, marshmallows and flavors that resemble desserts more than a breakfast cereal. With marketing that appeals to children and ingredients that lean heavily on added sugars, it’s easy to wonder: Is this cereal truly a breakfast item, or is it a grain-based dessert?
Tune in to this Meal Pattern Minute as Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, provides you with the answer and additional information you need to know about added sugars and breakfast cereals. For the full transcript, read below.
The answer is no. Per USDA, breakfast cereals are not considered grain-based desserts. However, in order to credit an enriched, whole grain-rich, or fortified breakfast cereal in the CACFP, you must make sure the cereal meets the CACFP added sugar limits. Breakfast cereals must have no more than 6 grams of added sugar per dry ounce. If the breakfast cereal exceeds this added sugar limit, it is not creditable in the CACFP.
Not sure if your cereal meets the CACFP added sugar limits? Wondering how to credit it properly? These tools and resources are here to help you make informed, confident choices.
- Exhibit A Grains Tool
- A USDA resource that helps you determine how much of a grain item counts toward the meal pattern requirements. Use this tool to figure out how many ounce equivalents your cereal provides.
- Identifying Added Sugar Limits in Cereals
- This easy-to-use guide from the National CACFP Association helps CACFP providers quickly determine whether a breakfast cereal meets the CACFP added sugar limit of no more than 6 grams of added sugar per dry ounce. It walks you through how to read the Nutrition Facts label, where to find the “Added Sugars” line, and how to calculate added sugars per dry ounce.
- Whole Grain-Rich Quick Guide
- Use this resource to help identify if grain products are whole grain-rich including breakfast cereals.
- Free Webinar: Choose Breakfast Cereals That Are Lower in Added Sugars
- This webinar highlights the added sugars limit for breakfast cereals and how to identify cereals that meets this limit. Presented by USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
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