Specialty 3
Sprouting Success: Celebrate Farm to CACFP
Farm to CACFP Week is October 12-18, 2025! NCA is excited to help you celebrate with resources to get you started. Wondering how to participate? It can be as simple as sharing a newsletter with parents, planning an educational activity with your kids, or creating an interactive experience like starting a garden. Chances are, you’re already doing something that ties into Farm to CACFP!
Read MoreUsing the Food Buying Guide for Menu Development ($)
Unlock the full potential of the USDA’s Food Buying Guide (FBG) for Child Nutrition Programs. Learn how to access the FBG, create an account, and utilize its tools to plan nutritious, compliant, and cost-effective meals. We’ll guide you through the FBG yield tables, meal components, and selecting the right food items for your recipes. Don’t miss this chance to streamline your meal planning and ensure dietary guidelines are met with ease!
Read MoreLittle Chefs, Big Appetites ($)
We know that children are more likely to try a new food when they are involved in creating a meal or snack. But how do you set up a safe environment at your family child care home that allows children to do this? Learn different strategies on how your kitchen helpers can assist you in making food with age-appropriate tasks, whether it is in the kitchen or eating area. Receive easy recipes to hone their fine motor skills while handling food.
Read MoreHealthy Habits Count ($)
Establishing healthy habits and routines during early childhood can set the stage for lifelong wellbeing. The 5-2-1-0 framework encourages children to develop positive habits through nutrition and physical activity. Learn how 5-2-1-0 reinforces CACFP meal patterns and best practices to help kids thrive.
Read MoreResources for Success: Tools, Templates, Activities
From provider toolkits to activity sheets for children to training worksheets and more, learn what resources we have available to you free of charge that you can use today for promoting nutrition and physical activities. Learn where to find free online training and handouts for specific CACFP guidelines that will set you up for program success.
Read MoreOunce Equivalents for Grains: No Weigh!
Team Nutrition has several resources and tools to help CACFP operators transition to grains ounce equivalents – no food scales required! Receive hands-on training and leave with a menu of options for successful implementation. Download the Food Buying Guide (FBG) before watching this session.
Read MoreUsing the Food Buying Guide to Figure Out Grain Ounce Equivalents ($)
Follow along this step-by-step process to using the USDA Food Buying Guide (FBG) in order to calculate grain ounce equivalents. Learn how to use both the website and the FBG app for your mobile device.
Read MoreStart Simple with MyPlate: Personalize Resources to Make Every Bite Count
Explore Start Simple with MyPlate and the new digital tools and resources which offer free, personalized resources based on eating needs and habits. Discover resources for every life stage that can help you live healthfully.
Read MoreTraining Program Operators to Use Grains Ounce Equivalents
This webinar will help state agencies, CACFP sponsoring organizations, and independent centers provide training on using ounce equivalents instead of “servings” to determine amounts of grains. CACFP operators are required to use ounce equivalents for grains by Oct. 1, 2021 (“Delayed Implementation of Grains Ounce Equivalents in the Child and Adult Care Food Program Final Rule”). Webinar participants will learn about existing training tools and strategies available on grains ounce equivalents. Additionally, Oregon’s Department of Education will share how they used virtual training techniques to provide training for CACFP operators.
Read MoreHow to Maximize Exhibit A Grains Tool
Team Nutrition demonstrates the latest enhancements to the Exhibit A Grains Tool. The Exhibit A Grains Tool allows you to search for your grain product as listed on Exhibit A and enter in the serving size from the product label. The tool helps you determine: 1) ounce equivalent (oz eq) grains or grains/bread serving(s) for the grain product, 2) amount to serve to provide your desired grains contribution, and (3) with the new update, the amount to serve for a grain product in order to meet the minimum grains requirement by age/grade groups for specific child nutrition programs. This webinar provides a demonstration and in-depth practice for using the grains tool on the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) Interactive Web-Based Tool. Participants will also experience the Exhibit A Grains Tool on the Mobile App, which allows program operators to determine the grains contribution and the amount to serve on-the-go.
This webinar is also available with Spanish subtitles.
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