Meal Pattern Minute: Soy Yogurt

When planning meals that meet the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) requirements, it’s not just about what tastes good, it’s about what credits. Yogurt made from cow’s milk is a popular choice, but what if you're looking for a dairy alternative? Soy yogurt might be on your radar, especially for participants with lactose intolerance or dietary preferences. But before choosing soy yogurt, you’ll need to find out if it is creditable in the CACFP. 

Get the scoop by listening in to this Meal Pattern Minute as Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, discusses soy yogurt in the CACFP and what you need to know. The transcript can be found below. 

The answer is that it depends! You can serve unflavored or flavored soy yogurt and have it credit towards the CACFP meal pattern, if the soy yogurt follows the added sugar limits regulation of having no more than 12 grams of added sugar per 6 ounces. Creditable soy yogurts can be served to infants between 6-11 months, children and adults. 

Serving soy yogurt in your CACFP meals can be a great option but only if it meets the program’s requirements. So how do you know which products are creditable? Don’t worry; there are tools and resources to help you make informed choices and stay compliant. 

• USDA FNS Crediting Meats/Meat Alternates in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet 
  • This USDA tip sheet helps CACFP operators understand how to credit meat and meat alternates including yogurt and soy yogurt accurately in meals and snacks. 
• Is Your Yogurt CACFP Creditable? 
  • This quick reference guide walks you through how to determine if a yogurt product meets the CACFP added sugar requirement. 
• Webinar: Choose Yogurts That Are Lower in Added Sugars (FREE) 
  • This webinar will highlight the new added sugars limit for yogurt and how to identify yogurt that meets this limit. Presented by USDA Food and Nutrition Service. 

Once you determine which soy yogurts are creditable in the CACFP, try swapping yogurt with soy yogurt in these recipes! 

• Strawberry Yogurt Parfait 
• Mexican Street Corn in a Cup 

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