Looking for quick tips on some of the CACFP's hottest topics? Our nutrition education specialist, Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, is here to help! Be sure to follow us on Instagram or on Facebook for more tips, recipes and resources! You can also find our Meal Pattern Minute Playlist on YouTube.
Meal Pattern Minute: Cross-Contact
What is cross-contact?
Meal Pattern Minute: Cross-Contamination
What is cross-contamination and how can we create safe food preparation environments?
Meal Pattern Minute: The Danger Zone
In terms of food safety, what is the “danger zone?”
Meal Pattern Minute: Corn Masa
Is corn masa creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Vegetables for Grains in Tribal Communities
Can providers who serve primarily Native Americans and Alaska Natives substitute vegetables for grains?
Meal Pattern Minute: Taking Food Offsite
Can food served onsite in the CACFP be taken offsite for children to eat later?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Nuts and Seeds
Can peanuts, tree nuts, seeds or soy nuts be served to meet the full meat/meat alternate component for a meal?
Meal Pattern Minute: Writing Medical Statements
Who is able to write a medical statement?
Meal Pattern Minute: Medical Statements
What is a medical statement, and why might one be needed in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Frozen Fruit Juice Bars
Can frozen fruit juice bars be credited for reimbursement in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Amaranth
What is amaranth and how is it used in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Exhibit A Grains Chart
Are all foods listed on the Exhibit A Grains Chart creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: May Contain Statement on Nut-Free Products
Is a manufacturer required to report if a nut-free product was made in a facility that processes nuts?
Meal Pattern Minute: Identifying Allergens on Food Packaging
Where can you find allergens listed on a food’s packaging?
Meal Pattern Minute: Top 9 Food Allergens
What are the top nine most common food allergens?
Meal Pattern Minute: Meal Counts During Family Style Dining
When serving a meal family style in the CACFP, when are meal counts taken?
Meal Pattern Minute: Reimbursement for Family Style Dining
Can a family style meal be reimbursed if a child does not serve themself all of the food components offered?
Meal Pattern Minute: Preparing Children for Family Style Dining
What can you do outside of meal service to prepare children for family style dining?
Meal Pattern Minute: Fresh Fruits in Yogurt
Does mixing fresh fruits into yogurt count towards added sugars?
Meal Pattern Minute: Cereals and Grain-Based Desserts
Can breakfast cereals ever be considered a grain-based dessert?
Meal Pattern Minute: Soy Yogurt
How does soy yogurt fit into the CACFP meal pattern?
Meal Pattern Minute Reminder
These regulations will go into effect in the CACFP, starting October 1, 2025.
Meal Pattern Minute: Freezing Yogurt
Can a provider serve yogurt that they have frozen?
Meal Pattern Minute: Added Sugar Limits in Breakfast Cereals
Are there updated sugar limits for breakfast cereals in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Added Sugar Limits in Yogurt
Are there updated sugar limits for yogurt in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Flavored Milk
Is there a sugar limit when serving flavored milk to ages 6 and older?
Meal Pattern Minute: Shelf-Stable Yogurt
Is shelf-stable yogurt reimbursable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Sugar in Muffins and Sweet Crackers
The CACFP has sugar limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt – what about other foods that can be high in sugar, like muffins and sweet crackers?
Meal Pattern Minute: Grain-Based Desserts
How do you define a grain-based dessert in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Mixing Cereals
Can you mix a high-sugar cereal with a low-sugar cereal, and have the average meet the CACFP sugar limits?
Meal Pattern Minute: Granola Bars
Are granola bars creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Honey Graham Crackers
It is recommended to not serve honey to infants under 1 year old – does that also apply to honey graham crackers?
Meal Pattern Minute: Reimbursable Meals and Snacks
What does it mean for a meal or snack to be reimbursable?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Meal Components
What is meant by the term “creditable meal component” in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Sodium Limits
There are sugar limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt. Do any foods have sodium limits?
Meal Pattern Minute: Healthy Cooking Methods
What are some ways to prepare healthy and flavorful dishes for the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Meats/Meat Alternates at Breakfast
Serving up scrambled eggs or meats for breakfast? Make sure you’re staying #CACFPCreditable with your menu planning!
Meal Pattern Minute: Breakfast Components
What do you need on the plate at breakfast? Can you swap meat/meat alternates in for grains?
Meal Pattern Minute: Fruit & Milk Smoothies at Breakfast
Can you be reimbursed for a breakfast for serving a smoothie made of milk and fruits or vegetables? Well, yes, but you’re going to need some details.
Meal Pattern Minute: Reimbursable Meals and Snacks
What does it mean for a meal or snack to be reimbursable?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Meal Components
What is meant by the term “creditable meal component” in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Preparing One Vegetable Two Ways in the Same Meal
Could you serve potato wedges as a second vegetable if mashed potatoes are your first vegetable?
Meal Pattern Minute: Sodium Limits
There are sugar limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt. Do any foods have sodium limits?
Meal Pattern Minute: Healthy Cooking Methods
What are some ways to prepare healthy and flavorful dishes for the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving a Second Vegetable in Lieu of Fruit for Lunch and/or Supper
Can you be reimbursed for a second vegetable at lunch or supper in lieu of a fruit? Let’s find out!
Meal Pattern Minute: Reimbursable Meals and Snacks
What does it mean for a meal or snack to be reimbursable?
Meal Pattern Minute: Milk Smoothies at Snack
Can a milk and fruit smoothie be served as the only item at snack?
Meal Pattern Minute: Sodium Limits
There are sugar limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt. Do any foods have sodium limits?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Juice and Milk
Full-strength juice can be served once per day in place of the fruit component, but can juice be served with milk for snack?
Meal Pattern Minute: Healthy Cooking Methods
What are some ways to prepare healthy and flavorful dishes for the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Meal Components
What is meant by the term “creditable meal component” in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Savory Pie Crusts
Could the crust of a chicken pot pie credit as the grains component?
Meal Pattern Minute: Cereals and Grain-Based Desserts
Can breakfast cereals ever be considered a grain-based dessert?
Meal Pattern Minute: Ounce Equivalents
What does the term “ounce equivalents” mean?
Meal Pattern Minute: Sweet Toppings
If sweet toppings are served on pancakes or waffles, is it then considered a grain-based dessert?
Meal Pattern Minute: Bean Flour Pasta
Can pasta that is made from 100% bean flour credit towards the grains component?
Meal Pattern Minute: Enriched Grains as First Ingredient
If a grain product list enriched grains as the first ingredient, is the product creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Enriched Grains
What are enriched grains?
Meal Pattern Minute: Whole Grains
What are whole grains?
Meal Pattern Minute: Whole Grain-Rich for Infants
Do CACFP operators need to provide one whole grain-rich grain per day when serving infants?
Meal Pattern Minute: Added Sugar Limits in Breakfast Cereals
Are there updated sugar limits for breakfast cereals in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Quick Breads
Are quick breads considered grain-based desserts?
Meal Pattern Minute: Zucchini Bread
Can zucchini bread credit towards the vegetable component?
Meal Pattern Minute: Brown Rice Noodles
Are brown rice noodles creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Popped Sorghum
Is popped sorghum creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Gluten-Free Whole Grains
Are there any grains that are both gluten free and whole grain-rich?
Meal Pattern Minute: Gluten
What is gluten?
Meal Pattern Minute: Corn Masa
Is corn masa creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Crediting Different Types of Beans, Peas or Lentils
Could you credit one type of beans, peas or lentils as a meat/meat alternate, and credit another as vegetables in the same meal?
Meal Pattern Minute: Homemade Cheese
Is homemade cheese creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Meal Components
What is meant by the term “creditable meal component” in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Smoothie Components
Can all ingredients in a smoothie be credited in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Fresh Fruits in Yogurt
Does mixing fresh fruits into yogurt count towards added sugars?
Meal Pattern Minute: Soy Yogurt
How does soy yogurt fit into the CACFP meal pattern?
Meal Pattern Minute: Peanut Butter Spreads
Are peanut butter spreads creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Ounce Equivalents
What does the term “ounce equivalents” mean?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Eggs to Infants
At what age can infants eat eggs?
Meal Pattern Minute: Cottage Cheese
Is cottage cheese creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Bean Flour Pasta
Can pasta that is made from 100% bean flour credit towards the grains component?
Meal Pattern Minute: Freezing Yogurt
Can a provider serve yogurt that they have frozen?
Meal Pattern Minute: Edamame
Are edamame creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Added Sugar Limits in Yogurt
Are there updated sugar limits for yogurt in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Crediting Tempeh
How does tempeh credit in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Tempeh
Is tempeh creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Queso Fresco
Is queso fresco creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Nuts and Seeds
Can peanuts, tree nuts, seeds or soy nuts be served to meet the full meat/meat alternate component for a meal?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Meal Components
What is meant by the term “creditable meal component” in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Smoothie Components
Can all ingredients in a smoothie be credited in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Juice Cocktail
Are juice cocktails creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Fresh Fruits in Yogurt
Does mixing fresh fruits into yogurt count towards added sugars?
Meal Pattern Minute: Juice from Farm Stands
Can juice from a farm stand be served in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Açai
Are açai creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Fruit Leather
Are 100% fruit strip leather snacks creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Milk Smoothies at Snack
Can a milk and fruit smoothie be served as the only item at snack?
Meal Pattern Minute: Apple Cider Juice
Is apple cider juice creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Rhubarb
Does rhubarb credit as a fruit or a vegetable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Frozen Fruit Juice Bars
Can frozen fruit juice bars be credited for reimbursement in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Minimum Serving of Dried Fruits
If dried fruits credit for twice the volume of the fruit component, does that mean that the minimum serving is 1 tablespoon instead of 2 tablespoons?
Meal Pattern Minute: Sodium Limits
There are sugar limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt. Do any foods have sodium limits?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Juice and Milk
Full-strength juice can be served once per day in place of the fruit component, but can juice be served with milk for snack?
Meal Pattern Minute: Maximum Serving Sizes
The CACFP has minimum serving sizes for reimbursement – are there maximum serving sizes?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Juice More Than Once Per Day
100% full-strength juice is reimbursable for the fruit component in the CACFP. But how many times per day are you allowed to serve it?
Meal Pattern Minute: Home-Canned Fruits and Vegetables
We’ve covered home-frozen foods, now how about home-canned foods? Are they #CACFPCreditable?
Meal Pattern Minute: Home-Frozen Fruits
Using frozen fruit is a great way to incorporate out-of-season flavors in your menu planning. But is it #CACFPCreditable if you do the freezing yourself?
Meal Pattern Minute: Crediting Different Types of Beans, Peas or Lentils
Could you credit one type of beans, peas or lentils as a meat/meat alternate, and credit another as vegetables in the same meal?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Meal Components
What is meant by the term “creditable meal component” in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Preparing One Vegetable Two Ways in the Same Meal
Could you serve potato wedges as a second vegetable if mashed potatoes are your first vegetable?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Smoothie Components
Can all ingredients in a smoothie be credited in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Jicama
Is jicama creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Bean Flour Pasta
Can pasta that is made from 100% bean flour credit towards the grains component?
Meal Pattern Minute: Crediting Corn
Does corn credit as a vegetable or a grain in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Vegetable Spirals
Are vegetable spirals creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Pureed Vegetables
Can a pureed vegetable that is mixed into a dish credit towards the meal pattern?
Meal Pattern Minute: Dehydrated Vegetables
Are dehydrated vegetables creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Edamame
Are edamame creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Tomato Sauce
Does tomato sauce credit by volume served in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Tomato Paste and Tomato Puree
Does tomato paste and tomato puree credit based on the volume served?
Meal Pattern Minute: Zucchini Bread
Can zucchini bread credit towards the vegetable component?
Meal Pattern Minute: Plantains
Are plantains credited as a fruit or a vegetable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Vegetables for Grains in Tribal Communities
Can providers who serve primarily Native Americans and Alaska Natives substitute vegetables for grains?
Meal Pattern Minute: Tomato-Based Pizza Sauce
Can you credit tomato-based pizza sauce as a vegetable component?
Meal Pattern Minute: Tomato Soup
Can store-bought tomato soup be credited as a vegetable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Meal Components
What is meant by the term “creditable meal component” in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Iron-Fortified Infant Formula
What does it mean for an infant formula to be iron fortified?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Smoothie Components
Can all ingredients in a smoothie be credited in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Raw Cow’s Milk
Is raw cow’s milk creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Purchasing Milk Directly from a Farm
Can cow’s milk be purchased direcly from a farm and be creditablein the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Toddler Formula
Is formula made for toddlers creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Milk to Mixed Ages
Can a mixed age group of 1- and 2-year-olds all be served unflavored 1% milk in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Milk at Supper for Adults
Is milk required at supper for adults?
Meal Pattern Minute: Milk Transition Period
Is there a milk transition period for infants and preschool age children?
Meal Pattern Minute: Milk Smoothies at Snack
Can a milk and fruit smoothie be served as the only item at snack?
Meal Pattern Minute: Flavored Milk
Is there a sugar limit when serving flavored milk to ages 6 and older?
Meal Pattern Minute: Soy Milk Beverages
Are all soy beverages creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Lactose-Free Milk
Is lactose-free milk also dairy free?
Meal Pattern Minute: Goat’s Milk
Can you serve goat’s milk in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Sodium Limits
There are sugar limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt. Do any foods have sodium limits?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Juice and Milk
Full-strength juice can be served once per day in place of the fruit component, but can juice be served with milk for snack?
Meal Pattern Minute: Maximum Serving Sizes
The CACFP has minimum serving sizes for reimbursement – are there maximum serving sizes?
Meal Pattern Minute: Flavoring Milk
Can you add syrups to unflavored cow’s milk and have it be creditable?
Meal Pattern Minute: Parent/Guardian-Supplied Components in the Infant Meal Pattern
Can a parent or guardian supply a meal component for their infant in the infant meal pattern?
Meal Pattern Minute: Offer Versus Serve
What is Offer Versus Serve?
Meal Pattern Minute: Meal Times
Are there any restrictions on when meals and snacks must be served in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Meals for Supervising Adults
In family style meal service, are meals consumed by supervising adults reimbursable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Seconds at At-Risk Afterschool Sites
Can second servings be reimbursed for at-risk afterschool programs?
Meal Pattern Minute: At-Risk Afterschool
How many CACFP meal types can be reimbursed when serving at-risk afterschool programs?
Meal Pattern Minute: Second Servings in Family Style Dining
Can second servings be claimed for reimbursement in family style dining?
Meal Pattern Minute: Taking Food Offsite
Can food served onsite in the CACFP be taken offsite for children to eat later?
Meal Pattern Minute: Meal Counts During Family Style Dining
When serving a meal family style in the CACFP, when are meal counts taken?
Meal Pattern Minute: Reimbursement for Family Style Dining
Can a family style meal be reimbursed if a child does not serve themself all of the food components offered?
Meal Pattern Minute: Preparing Children for Family Style Dining
What can you do outside of meal service to prepare children for family style dining?
Meal Pattern Minute: Family Style Dining
What is family style dining in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Disability-Accommodated Food from Home
If a parent of a child with a disability provides all food components for a meal, can the provider be reimbursed for the meal?
Meal Pattern Minute: Offering Water
Does water have to be offered to children in the CACFP, or just made available?
Meal Pattern Minute: Age for Choking Risk
At what age are children at a higher risk for choking?
Meal Pattern Minute Reminder
These regulations will go into effect in the CACFP, starting October 1, 2025.
Meal Pattern Minute: Medical Statements for Disability Reasons
Is a medical statement needed for meal modifications due to disability reasons?
Meal Pattern Minute: Gluten
What is gluten?
Meal Pattern Minute: Verifying CN Labels
How do you know if a CN Label is still valid?
Meal Pattern Minute: Writing Medical Statements
Who is able to write a medical statement?
Meal Pattern Minute: Medical Statements
What is a medical statement, and why might one be needed in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: May Contain Statement on Nut-Free Products
Is a manufacturer required to report if a nut-free product was made in a facility that processes nuts?
Meal Pattern Minute: Identifying Allergens on Food Packaging
Where can you find allergens listed on a food’s packaging?
Meal Pattern Minute: Meal Counts During Family Style Dining
When serving a meal family style in the CACFP, when are meal counts taken?
Meal Pattern Minute: Soy Milk Beverages
Are all soy beverages creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Disability-Accommodated Food from Home
If a parent of a child with a disability provides all food components for a meal, can the provider be reimbursed for the meal?
Meal Pattern Minute: Tomato-Based Pizza Sauce
Can you credit tomato-based pizza sauce as a vegetable component?
Meal Pattern Minute: Crediting Bean/Pea Noodles as Meat/Meat Alternate
How can you credit pasta noodles that are made from beans or peas?
Meal Pattern Minute: Substituting Cheese By Volume
If you had a recipe that called for one cup of shredded cheddar cheese, could you replace it with one cup of Parmesan cheese and have the same ounce equivalency?
Meal Pattern Minute: Goat’s Milk
Can you serve goat’s milk in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Deli Meats
What documentation is needed to serve deli meats in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Product Formulation Statements
What is a PFS and when do you need one in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Whole Grain-Rich and CN Labels
Identifying whole-grain rich items can be done through looking at the CN Label. Here’s how!
Meal Pattern Minute: Raw Cow’s Milk
Is raw cow’s milk creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Purchasing Milk Directly from a Farm
Can cow’s milk be purchased direcly from a farm and be creditablein the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Juice from Farm Stands
Can juice from a farm stand be served in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Apple Cider Juice
Is apple cider juice creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Preventing Cross-Contact
How can cross-contact be prevented when serving participants with allergies?
Meal Pattern Minute: Cross-Contact
What is cross-contact?
Meal Pattern Minute: Cross-Contamination
What is cross-contamination and how can we create safe food preparation environments?
Meal Pattern Minute: The Danger Zone
In terms of food safety, what is the “danger zone?”
Meal Pattern Minute: May Contain Statement on Nut-Free Products
Is a manufacturer required to report if a nut-free product was made in a facility that processes nuts?
Meal Pattern Minute: Identifying Allergens on Food Packaging
Where can you find allergens listed on a food’s packaging?
Meal Pattern Minute: Top 9 Food Allergens
What are the top nine most common food allergens?
Meal Pattern Minute: Goat’s Milk
Can you serve goat’s milk in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Healthy Cooking Methods
What are some ways to prepare healthy and flavorful dishes for the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Foods from Farmers Markets
Can you purchase local, CACFP creditable foods from a farmers market?
Meal Pattern Minute: Raw Cow’s Milk
Is raw cow’s milk creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Purchasing Milk Directly from a Farm
Can cow’s milk be purchased direcly from a farm and be creditablein the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Juice from Farm Stands
Can juice from a farm stand be served in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: CACFP Funds for a Garden
Can CACFP funds be used for supplies for an edible garden?
Meal Pattern Minute: Sourcing Local Foods
Where can local foods be sourced to serve in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Iron-Fortified Infant Formula
What does it mean for an infant formula to be iron fortified?
Meal Pattern Minute: Parent/Guardian-Supplied Components in the Infant Meal Pattern
Can a parent or guardian supply a meal component for their infant in the infant meal pattern?
Meal Pattern Minute: Soy Yogurt
How does soy yogurt fit into the CACFP meal pattern?
Meal Pattern Minute: FDA Exempt Infant Formulas
Are FDA Exempt Infant Formulas creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Eggs to Infants
At what age can infants eat eggs?
Meal Pattern Minute: Whole Grain-Rich for Infants
Do CACFP operators need to provide one whole grain-rich grain per day when serving infants?
Meal Pattern Minute: Milk Transition Period
Is there a milk transition period for infants and preschool age children?
Meal Pattern Minute: Tofu for Infants
USDA released a revised memo regarding tofu in the CACFP infant meal pattern.
Meal Pattern Minute: Age for Choking Risk
At what age are children at a higher risk for choking?
Meal Pattern Minute: Honey Graham Crackers
It is recommended to not serve honey to infants under 1 year old – does that also apply to honey graham crackers?
Meal Pattern Minute: Full-Strength Juice and Infants
Is full-strength juice creditable in the Infant Meal Pattern?
Meal Pattern Minute: Breastfeeding
How and when can breastmilk be used in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Pancakes to Infants
What’s the deal with pancakes? Are they reimbursable in the CACFP? What about for 6 to 11 month olds?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creating a Breastfeeding-Friendly Environment
Do you know how to make a breastfeeding friendly environment at your center or daycare home? It’s best practice in the CACFP, so let’s dive in!
Meal Pattern Minute: Soy Yogurt
How does soy yogurt fit into the CACFP meal pattern?
Meal Pattern Minute: Milk at Supper for Adults
Is milk required at supper for adults?
Meal Pattern Minute: Homemade Cheese
Is homemade cheese creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Creditable Smoothie Components
Can all ingredients in a smoothie be credited in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Dietary Supplements in Smoothies
Can a dietary supplement be added to a smoothie in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Offering Water
Does water have to be offered to children in the CACFP, or just made available?
Meal Pattern Minute: Beef Jerky Sticks
Beef jerky sticks can be a quick and tasty snack, but are they creditable in the CACFP?
Meal Pattern Minute: Crediting Pickles
Cucumbers credit as a vegetable in the CACFP, so what about pickles?
Meal Pattern Minute: Potato Chips
We know that potatoes credit as a vegetable in the CACFP, but what about potato chips?
Meal Pattern Minute: Flavoring Milk
Can you add syrups to unflavored cow’s milk and have it be creditable?
Meal Pattern Minute: Home-Canned Fruits and Vegetables
We’ve covered home-frozen foods, now how about home-canned foods? Are they #CACFPCreditable?
Meal Pattern Minute: Herbs and Spices
Are herbs and spices reimbursable in the CACFP? You need them to make your healthy meals and snacks flavorful, but are they reimbursable, or even allowable, in the meal pattern?
Meal Pattern Minute: Muffins vs. Doughnuts
You really want to know: why are muffins creditable but doughnuts are not?!
Meal Pattern Minute: Sour Cream & Cream Cheese
POP QUIZ: are sour cream and cream cheese creditable as meat/meat alternates?