Crediting Smarter Choices: CACFP Creditable Food Guide & Food Buying Guide

Crediting Smarter Choices Remember! A meal is reimbursable if it contains those creditable foods in the amounts outlined in the CACFP meal patterns

Crediting Smarter Choices Resources: Crediting Handbook for the CACFP The CACFP Food Buying Guide (FBG) State Agency Technical Assistance memos *CACFP Infant Feeding Guide

Crediting Handbook for the CACFP Crediting Handbook for the CACFP: -Lists some food items in FBG and their creditability - yes, no, or maybe -Explains how to credit combination meals and other popular food items (quiche, grits, gelatin with fruit, coleslaw, beef stew) in compliance with USDA policy decisions

Crediting Handbook for the CACFP

Important Pending SA Memos Combination meals: – Individually portioned combination foods (i.e. sandwiches) will now be allowed to be credited toward as many components as allowable under current regulations. The menu must clearly reflect all ingredients counting toward a component (instead of turkey sandwich, specify turkey (1oz), cheddar cheese (1oz), whole wheat bread (2 slices), lettuce (1/4 cup). – Combination foods where all the ingredients are mixed together during preparation and each participant receives a single portion that contains all of the components (chicken noodle soup with vegetables) must have a recipe or production record on file to demonstrate this item fulfills the meal pattern requirements.

Important Pending SA Memos Hummus: –commercially-prepared products labeled as hummus are not creditable unless there is a Child Nutrition (CN) label or a Product Formulation Statement (PFS) signed by an official of the manufacturer (not a salesperson). –Hummus prepared from scratch, whether by the participating facility, its sponsor, or its FSMC, is creditable if a recipe or production record is maintained on file to demonstrate that the total recipe and each serving provides enough garbanzo beans and tahini (or other creditable substitutes) to meet minimum portion requirements for the meat/meat alternates and/or fruit/vegetable component(s).

The Food Buying Guide

Food Buying Guide: Sections

FBG: Section 1: Meat/Alternates

FBG: Section 2: Vegetables/Fruits

FBG: Section 3: Grains/Breads

FBG: Section 4: Milk

FBG: Quick Calculations

Using the Food Buying Guide for meals Kids love plates with lots of colors!

I have 32 children ages 1-2 and 34 children ages 3-5. How do I make sure Im buying enough food for all of them to make that meal? Use the Child Meal Pattern Chart and Food Buying Guide Calculator!

Putting It All Together! 1 – 2 year olds (32)3 – 5 year olds (34) Buying for the meal we just saw: Brown rice = FBG = purchase 2.25 lbs Fish fillet = FBG = purchase 7.75 lbs Tomatoes = FBG = purchase 6.00 lbs Broccoli = FBG = purchase 5.50 lbs Milk = FBG = purchase 3.00 gallons

Lunch recipe: Putting it all together Quinoa and Tuna Salad Serves 20 Ingredients 7.5 cups quinoa 7.5 cups chicken broth 7.5 cups water 1 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach 1.5 cups diced onion (about 1 large onion) 5 tsp minced garlic 2.5 tsp Italian seasoning 5 (6 oz) cans of tuna 2.5 cups shredded mozzarella Salt to taste Quinoa: 7.5 cups dry = 3 lbs dry 3 lbs dry = (3 × 26.4 servings/lb) = 79 (¼ cup) servings Tuna: 5 (6 oz) cans = 5.2 oz per can × 5 cans = 26 oz 26 oz ÷ 1.5 oz/serving = 17 (1.5 oz) servings Spinach: 10 oz = 10 oz ÷ 16 oz/lb = lb lb × 5.6 servings/lb = 3.5 (¼ cup) servings Mozzarella: 2.5 cups × 1 lb/2 cups = 1.25 lbs 1.25 lbs × 16 oz/lb = 20 oz 20 oz ÷ 1.5 oz/serving = 13 (1.5 oz) servings

Lunch recipe: Putting it all together Tuna and Quinoa Salad (servings for 3-5yo) Quinoa: 79 (¼ cup) servings Spinach: 3.5 (¼ cup) servings Total meat/meat alternate: 30 (1.5 oz) servings –Tuna: 17 (1.5 oz) servings –Mozzarella: 13 (1.5 oz) servings Lets make it a Tuna-Quinoa Spinach Salad!

Lunch recipe: Putting all together Beloved Babies CDC Quinoa-Tuna Spinach Salad Serves 30 (ages 5 and under) Ingredients 3 cups quinoa 3 cups chicken broth 3 cups water 9 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach 1.5 cups diced onion (~1 large onion) 5 tsp minced garlic 2.5 tsp Italian seasoning 5 (6 oz) cans of tuna 2.5 cups shredded mozzarella Salt to taste Serving instructions: Each rounded ½ cup serving credits as ¼ cup cooked grain, ¼ cup cooked spinach, and 1.5 oz meat/meat alternate Quinoa: 3 cups dry = 1.2 lbs dry 1.2 lbs dry = (1.2 × 26.4 servings/lb) = 31.7 (¼ cup) servings Spinach: 90 oz = 90 oz ÷ 16 oz/lb = 5.6 lb 5.6 lb × 5.6 servings/lb = 31.5 (¼ cup) servings

Looking for more recipes? : The University of Mississippis National Food Service Management Institute (click on Child & Adult Care Food Program; under CACFP Resources: Recipes) child-care-providers child-care-providers : Standardized recipes for child care providers that meet USDA meal pattern requirements (Sources: Team Nutrition, NFSMI, etc)