May 2025
Exploring Indian Cuisine for Healthy CACFP Menus
Thursday, May 1 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern
Indian cuisine is celebrated for its bold flavors, colorful dishes, and emphasis on plant-based ingredients, making it a great addition to your CACFP menus. By incorporating culturally diverse and veggie-forward recipes, you can offer nutritious, appealing meals while fostering a sense of inclusion and appreciation for global food traditions. Get introduced to the basics of Indian cooking, explore popular plant-based dishes, and provide practical ideas for incorporating them into CACFP menus.
- Learn veggie-forward Indian recipes that meet CACFP meal pattern requirements.
- Understand the importance of culturally inclusive menus in child and adult care settings.
- Gain practical tips and inspiration for adding global flavors to your programs in a nutritious and approachable way.
Earn 1.0 CEU for attending this Zoom webinar.
Presented by: Ripsinder Arora, MS, RD, LD, Clinical Dietitian, UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center
Shake Things Up! Adding Smoothies to Your CACFP Menu
Thursday, May 8 | 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern
Smoothies are a delicious and easy way to add variety to your CACFP menu, but how can you serve them as part of a creditable meal or snack? We’ll break down how to incorporate smoothies into the meal pattern, maximize nutrition, and explore creative blends that appeal to those in your care.
- Learn how to credit smoothies to meet CACFP meal pattern requirements.
- Discover creative smoothie recipes that are easy to add to your menu.
Earn 0.5 CEU for attending this Zoom webinar.
Presented by: Melinda Nguyen, MS, RDN, LD, Nutrition Education Specialist, National CACFP Association
CACFP Boot Camp Adult Care
Tuesday, May 14 | 11:00 am - 4:45 pm Eastern
Keeping older adults healthy, engaged, and well-nourished takes creativity, knowledge, and the right strategies. Join the CACFP Boot Camp on Adult Care so you can walk away with fresh ideas, practical solutions, and the confidence to elevate the care you provide to older adults. Discover simple ways to incorporate movement into daily routines, hands-on tips to enhance nutrition under CACFP guidelines, and bring your questions for industry experts.
Let’s shine a spotlight on the "A" in CACFP by recognizing the vital role adult care plays in supporting health and nutrition.
Earn 6.0 CEUs for attending this Zoom event.
Can't make it live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recordings, available to view through May 28, 2025.
CACFP Advocacy Training
Tuesday, May 20 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern
Ready to make a difference? Join our policy team for this one-hour training designed to prepare you for impactful advocacy. Learn how to share your story, engage with elected officials, and communicate the needs of the CACFP community. Interact with peers to practice and perfect your advocacy.
Learn how you can help advocate for the CACFP community
Gain skills in engaging with elected officials and policy makers
Work with peers to put advocacy skills into practice
Earn 1.0 CEU for attending this Zoom webinar.
Presented by:
Alexia Thex, MEd, Vice President of Policy, Partnerships and Events, National CACFP Association
McKenzie Brunner, MGPS, Policy & Outreach Specialist, National CACFP Association
Annual CACFP Training FY25
Thursday, May 22 | 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Eastern
Looking for in-depth CACFP training? Join us for a two-hour training where we will cover essential topics, including meal patterns, meal counts, claims submission, review procedures, recordkeeping requirements, monitoring protocols, the reimbursement system, Civil Rights, key updates in the CACFP, and answers to frequently asked questions using NCA's CACFP Meal Pattern Minutes.
New to CACFP? You will benefit from attending this training as this is a comprehensive overview of the requirements of participation.
Earn 2.0 CEUs for attending this Zoom webinar.
Presented By: Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, Senior Nutrition Education Specialist, National CACFP Association
Ask a Nutritionist: Creditable or Not?
Thursday, May 28 | 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern
Determining which foods are creditable in the CACFP can sometimes feel like a guessing game. Our Nutrition Education Specialists, Isabel and Melinda, can walk you through the ins and outs of the CACFP meal pattern. Bring your questions about what is and isn't creditable and learn the reasoning behind each guideline to help you confidently serve meals that meet CACFP standards.
Presented By:
Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, Nutrition Education Specialist, National CACFP Association
Melinda Nguyen, MS, RDN, LD, Nutrition Education Specialist, National CACFP Association
CACFP Boot Camp Meal Pattern
Thursday, June 12
Get ready to chew on the basics of the CACFP meal pattern! We’ll break down each meal component—milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat/meat alternates—so you can confidently serve reimbursable meals that meet program guidelines. Learn from the experts, bring your questions, and discover creative ways to incorporate these components into your menus. Whether you’re just getting started or need a refresher, this
Earn 6.0 CEUs for attending this Zoom event.
Can't make it live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recordings, available to view through June 26, 2025.
June 2025
An Egg-cellent Adventure: Eggs in the CACFP
Tuesday, June 3 | 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern
Get ready to shell-ebrate this #CACFPCreditable favorite! We’ll crack open creative ways to serve eggs in your CACFP menus, highlight our CACFP Creditable Spotlight Resource and share tips on how to include eggs in your menu planning. Whether scrambled, boiled or baked into something delicious, eggs are a powerhouse ingredient! Let’s explore all the ways to make them work for you.
- Discover new and creative ways to incorporate eggs into your CACFP meals while meeting meal pattern requirements.
- Learn how to choose the right egg for crediting, cooking, and substituting when needed.
Presented By: Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, Senior Nutrition Education Specialist, National CACFP Association
Power Score: Leadership Driven Team Performance
Tuesday, June 17 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern
Leadership comes in many forms, and successful leaders know that it takes the right balance of priorities, people, and relationships to drive meaningful impact. In Power Score, authors Smart, Street and Foster outline a simple yet effective formula for leadership success by asking three key questions: Are we focused on the right priorities? Do we have the right people? Are we building the right relationships?
We’ll explore how these leadership principles apply to CACFP organizations, where leadership isn’t just about titles, it’s about the influence and impact that individuals can have at every level. Learn how to assess your team’s Power Score, identify opportunities for growth, and implement practical strategies to strengthen leadership at all levels of your organization.
Presented By: Lisa Mack, President & CEO, National CACFP Association
Cooking Up Curiosity: Engaging Young Children with STEAM in the Kitchen
Thursday, June 26 | 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern
Ignite a passion for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) in your young chefs through the exciting world of cooking! Learn creative and practical ideas to integrate STEAM concepts into everyday kitchen activities. Kids will have a blast measuring ingredients, understanding food science, using kitchen tools, and expressing their artistic flair through food presentation in age-appropriate ways. Perfect for CACFP providers and educators, this training will help nurture curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in children, all while enjoying the delicious results of their culinary creations.
This exciting, 30-minute training is offered free-of-charge with the 2025 Nutrition Calendar & Training Program. The promo code to register for free can be found inside the cover of your 2025 Calendar: Curiosity and the Cat.
July 2025
Serving with Care: Food Safety 101
Thursday, July 10 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern
Gain the confidence to ensure a safe and healthy kitchen environment for the children or adults in your care. This training introduces the four key principles of food safety-Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill—equipping you with the knowledge to prevent foodborne illness in our most vulnerable populations.
- Identify the four core principles of food safety—Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.
- Discuss safe food handling practices appropriate for preparing, storing, and serving meals and snacks to young children.
- Recognize common food safety risks in child and adult care environments and apply practical strategies to maintain a clean and healthy kitchen and dining area.
Earn 1.0 CEU for attending this Zoom webinar.
Presented By: Melinda Nguyen, MS, RDN, LD, Nutrition Education Specialist, National CACFP Association
Manager's Toolkit: Salary & Compensation
Tuesday, July 15 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern
What's the market rate for salaries in the CACFP? How much should your team earn, and which benefits are most important? Discover what compensation philosophy is and how to research comparable salaries.
- Understand how to evaluate market rate compensation.
- Learn where to look for comparable salaries.
- Get keys to determining benefits structures.
Presented By: Lisa Mack, President & CEO, National CACFP Association
August 2025
CACFP Virtual Summit
Wednesday/Thursday, August 13-14, 20-21Â
We're bringing you workshops on nutrition, program administration, operations, financial and nonprofit management, and more!
More information coming soon.
September 2025
Best Practices: Working With Your Board
Wednesday, September 17 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern
Learn how to effectively work with your Board of Directors. You will discover best practices for creating effective communication, running productive meetings and leading collaborative decision-making. Share your challenges and get your questions answered.
- Define clear roles and expectations.
- Establish strategies for effective communication.
- Learn techniques for overcoming board-related challenges.
Presented By: Alexia Thex, MEd, Vice President of Policy, Partnerships and Events, National CACFP Association