Meal Pattern Minute: Crediting Vegetables

For many Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) operators, vegetables seem straightforward until you start serving items like raw spinach or adding tomato paste into a sauce or soup. Since vegetables can vary widely in texture and density, understanding how they’re credited is essential for ensuring compliance and documenting in the CACFP. Knowing these rules helps keep menus aligned with USDA guidance while giving children access to a variety of nutrient-rich options. 

Curious on how vegetable credit in the CACFP? In this Meal Pattern Minute, Isabel Ramos-Lebrón, MS, RDN, LD, breaks down the essentials so you can serve vegetables with confidence.

Transcript: Vegetables in the CACFP are measured by volume, not weight, and credited based on the actual amount served. For example, if you serve ½ cup of cooked broccoli, this credits as ½ cup vegetables. There are a few exceptions which are raw leafy greens, tomato paste, and tomato puree. For specific crediting rules on these exceptions, you can refer to additional USDA resources and CACFP Meal Pattern Minutes that explain how to credit these vegetables. 

Below is a list of helpful resources for crediting vegetables in the CACFP: 

• CACFP Meal Pattern Minutes
  • Watch additional quick explanations on crediting nuances, including vegetables. 
    • Tomato Paste and Tomato Puree 
    • Crediting Leafy Greens 
• USDA Crediting Vegetables in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet 
  • This tip sheet is one of USDA’s CACFP Meal Pattern Training Worksheets and is designed to help CACFP operators understand how vegetables credit and how to measure them correctly. 
• USDA Food Buying Guide (FBG)
  • Provides yields, crediting information, and details on exceptions such as leafy greens and tomato products.
• USDA CACFP Crediting Handbook
  • A comprehensive guide to how foods—including vegetables—credit in the program.
• Webinars 
  • Serving Vegetables in the CACFP (Free) 
    • This webinar will focus on creative and appealing ways to offer vegetables at meals and snacks in the CACFP. 
  • Vegetables in the CACFP
    • Vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber to support growing bodies. But getting kids excited about eating them? That's where strategy and creativity come in. We'll focus on practical, easy-to-implement ways to serve vegetables in the CACFP meal pattern. 

Want to share this video on Facebook? Click here, and then you'll find three icons along the right side of the screen. Click on the arrow, and you'll be able to choose whether you want to share it to your feed or to a group. You can also include a short note about why this Meal Pattern Minute is so important! Click on the "Post" button when you're finished, and that's it!