Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Eggs to Infants

Eggs are a powerhouse of nutrition packed with protein, vitamins and minerals that support healthy growth and development. But when it comes to serving eggs to infants in the CACFP, timing is everything. You might be wondering, is there a specific age when eggs can be introduced? Eggs are one of the top nine food allergens, should I be serving it to infants? Do CACFP guidelines require certain steps before eggs are allowed on the menu? Let’s take a closer look at what CACFP operators need to know before adding eggs to an infant’s plate. 

 Tune in to this Meal Pattern Minute as Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, breaks down the key considerations for serving eggs to infants in CACFP including what needs to happen before they’re added to the menu. Transcript and answer provided below. 

 The answer is that it depends! When an infant is determined be developmentally ready to eat solid 
foods and eggs have been tried at home without an allergic reaction, then fully cooked, whole eggs may 
be served for breakfast, lunch, or supper as part of the meal pattern requirements. As a reminder, make sure to modify whole cooked eggs to the appropriate texture to reduce choking. 

• Find the answer in the Feeding Infants in the CACFP handbook.
  • Developmental readiness in the CACFP means that over time, a baby is able to control his or her large and small muscles and to digest certain foods. A baby is “developmentally ready” to eat solid foods with varying textures when certain abilities can be observed. More guidance can be found in the Crediting Handbook for the CACFP. 
• Allergies 
  • A food allergy is a body’s reaction to a protein in a food called an allergen. Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame are the most common allergens. These used to be thought of as foods that should be avoided when feeding babies. However, recent research shows that there is no need to delay the introduction of these foods. Remember, serve foods to a baby at your child care site only after they have been introduced to the baby at home with no problems. 
  • To learn more about eggs and the other eight food allergens refer to the resources below. 
    • Major Allergens: The Big Nine by School Nutrition Association 
    • Meal Pattern Minutes 
      • Top 9 Food Allergens 
      • Identifying Allergens on Food Packaging 
    • Webinar 
      • Handling Food Allergens in the CACFP Infant Meal Pattern ($)
        • Food allergies can occur at any age, even in infancy! Learn the nine major food allergens, how to identify foods containing these allergens and questions you may need to ask to serve meals safely for the infant(s) in your care.  Presented by Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, National CACFP Association. 

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