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Beginners’ Guide to the Five Meal Pattern Components ($)

Centers, family child care homes, and afterschool care play a critical role in serving nutritious foods to those they serve. The CACFP guides you on how to provide healthy meals using five food components which make up the meal service requirements: grains, fruits, vegetables, meats/meat alternates and milk. Learn when these are required and how they fit into the CACFP meal pattern.

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Quick, Easy, Low Prep Snacks ($)

Short on time and tired of serving the same old snacks day in and day out? Breathe new life into your snack time routine by filling your recipe box with new, favorite go-to ideas for snack time. Learn about quick snacks that can be prepared in advance or on the spot and how to involve children in some of the snack making activities.

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Joining Made Easy – Five Steps to Food Program Success ($)

Are you convinced and ready to join the CACFP, but not sure where to get started? Learn how to successfully launch the program at your center, home or afterschool site. Find out how to work with a sponsor who will provide you training, technical assistance, monitoring, and administrative support or how to work with a state agency directly. Start getting financial reimbursement for meals you are already serving.

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Playing Around: Making Physical Activity Part of Your Program ($)

Being healthy is not only based on the foods we serve but also how we stay moving throughout the day. Learn why keeping children active should be an important part in everyday activities and how essential physical activity is to child development. Get ideas on how to incorporate new, fun, physical activity games into your program.

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Serving Up Nutrition: Menu Planning & Recipe Ideas ($)

Do you love menu planning or are you not sure even where to begin? Learn how to get started and what you should take into consideration when developing a cycle menu or planning meals one week at a time. Receive new, easy recipe ideas that are sure to become favorites at your center or in your child care home!

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Resources for Success: Tools, Templates, Activities

From provider toolkits to activity sheets for children to training worksheets and more, learn what resources we have available to you free of charge that you can use today for promoting nutrition and physical activities. Learn where to find free online training and handouts for specific CACFP guidelines that will set you up for program success.

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Making Cents! How to Get Financial Reimbursement for the Meals You Serve ($)

Reimbursement rates for CACFP participants are dependent upon a variety of factors, such as whether you operate a family home child care, center, or afterschool program. Learn how to determine what the amount of reimbursement would be based on your enrollment, meal service, and rates of reimbursement. Discover how to qualify and how to receive financial reimbursement once you join the CACFP.

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Power of the Food Program with CACFP

You agree to serve healthy meals and snacks. The USDA CACFP offers you financial reimbursement. Learn about the history of the food program and how to get the most from your day of exciting training with us. We’re defining the CACFP and celebrating you!

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