Meal Pattern Minute: Gelled Juice

For Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) operators, offering fruits and vegetables in appealing ways can help keep meals and snacks fresh and enjoyable. But when it comes to 100% fruit or vegetable juice, do you know all the forms that can be credited toward the meal pattern? Many providers are familiar with serving juice in a cup yet may wonder whether products like frozen or gelled juice can also be creditable. Understanding the different ways juice may be served can help you make the most of menu options while staying compliant with CACFP requirements. 

Listen in to this Meal Pattern Minute as Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, explains which forms of 100% juice are creditable and shares an important reminder about daily juice serving limits.

Transcript: The answer is yes. Pasteurized, 100% fruit or vegetable juice may be creditable in liquid, gelled or frozen form in the CACFP. However, it may only count toward the fruit or vegetable component at any one meal or snack per day. 

Knowing the different forms in which 100% fruit and vegetable juice can be credited gives providers greater flexibility when planning menus. Be sure to review the resources below and stay current with USDA guidance to confidently serve and credit juice in liquid, frozen or gelled forms. 

• Crediting Fruits in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet
  • A tip sheet explaining how fruits, including whole fruits, dried fruits and 100% fruit juice, credit toward meal pattern requirements in CACFP and other Child Nutrition Programs. 
• Crediting Vegetables in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet
  • This resource outlines how different forms of vegetables, including fresh, frozen, canned and vegetable juice, contribute to the vegetable component in Child Nutrition Programs. 
• USDA Crediting Handbook for the CACFP  
  • USDA handbook that provides guidance on identifying creditable foods and determining how menu items contribute toward CACFP meal pattern requirements, including juice. 
•  Webinar Recommendation: Serving Vegetables in the CACFP (Free)
  • This webinar presents creative and appealing ways to offer vegetables in CACFP meals and snacks. It highlights menu planning flexibilities and features a frequently asked questions section that addresses common concerns about serving vegetables as part of reimbursable breakfasts, lunches, suppers, and snacks in the CACFP. 

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