1. CACFP: Benefits and New Meal Patterns
Meghan George-Nichols June 14, 2018

2. Overview
What is CACFP. Benefits to your school. Meal pattern requirements. Overview of meal pattern changes.

3. What is CACFP?
Federal Child Nutrition program providing meal reimbursement for meals and snacks.
Participating programs include: child care, preschools, head start, afterschool at-risk, adult care and family day care homes.

4. Benefits For Your School
Fill the need for:
Snacks served to child care, preschools, and head start programs during the school day.
Afterschool snack and/or supper can be served for afterschool at-risk programs
Afterschool at-risk programs can serve meals and snacks 7 days per week during the school year.

5. 4 Day School Weeks & CACFP
5th day options
Child care
Can serve children from 0-12 years old
Claim up to 2 meals and 1 snack per child
At-risk
Can serve children 0-18 years old
Claim 1 meal and 1 snack per child

6. Application
If the contract is held between the school nutrition services department and CACFP streamlining policies apply:
No financial viability check.
Sponsoring organizations (more than 1 site): short, 1 page info info page to capture oversight requirements.
2 week trial period waved. Instead you receive a 1:1 phone call or meeting to go over CACFP specifics and answer any questions.
Can apply anytime during the year.

7. Meal Pattern Requirements
Based on age.
Listed portions are minimum requirements.
School Food Authorities can use CACFP meal patterns or NSLP meal patterns.

8. Breakfast Meal Pattern
Components
Ages 1-2
Ages 3-5
Ages 6-18
Milk
½ cup
¾ cup
1 cup
Fruit/Vegetable
¼ cup
Grain/Bread
Bread
Biscuit, Muffin
Cold Cereal
Cooked Cereal
Pasta, Rice, Grains
½ slice
½ serving
1/3 cup
1 slice
1 serving

9. Lunch Meal Pattern Components Ages 1-2 Ages 3-5 Ages 6-18 Milk ½ cup
Fruits
1/8 cup
¼ cup
Vegetable
Grains
Bread
Cornbread, Biscuit, Roll
Pasta, Rice, Grains
½ slice
½ serving
1 slice
1 serving
Meat/Meat Alternate
Meat, Poultry, Fish
Cheese
Eggs
Beans
Peanut/Nut Butter
Yogurt
1 ounce
½ egg
2 Tbsp**
4 ounces
1 ½ ounces
¾ egg
3/8 cup
3 Tbsp**
6 ounces
2 ounces
1 egg
4 Tbsp**
8 ounces

10. CACFP Center Manual Section 3
Snack Meal Pattern
Components (select 2)
Ages 1-2
Ages 3-5
Ages 6-18
Milk
½ cup
1 cup
Fruit
¾ cup
Vegetable
Grains
Bread
Cornbread, Biscuit, Roll
Cold Cereal
Hot Cereal
Pasta, Rice, Grains
½ slice
½ serving
¼ cup
1/3 cup
1 slice
1 serving
Meat/Meat Alternate
Meat/Poultry/Fish/Cheese
Egg
Beans
Peanut/Nut/Seed Butters
Yogurt
½ ounce
½ egg
1/8 cup
1 Tbsp
2 ounces
1 ounce
2 Tbsp
4 ounces
CACFP Center Manual Section 3

11. New Meal Patterns
All provisions must be implemented by October 1, 2017.
Detailed training available
Monthly blasts.
Recorded webinars.
Monthly CACFP training at CDPHE.

12. Meal Pattern Changes
Breakfast cereal: no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce.
Fruit and vegetables separate component at lunch, supper, and snack.
Vegetables do not need to be from different sub-groups
Juice limited to once per day
CACFP policy no more than 2 times per week
Yogurt: no more than 23 grams of sugar per 6 ounces
Prohibit deep-fat frying on-site
We will quickly review some of the changes within the program.

13. Meal Pattern Changes cont.
Serve one whole-grain rich item per day and document on menu.
Flavored milk to children 5 years and younger not allowed.
Meat/meat alternate may be served in lieu of grains at breakfast 3 times per week.
Tofu is now creditable.
Soy yogurt allowable as a meat/meat alternate
At-Risk only programs
Extend offer versus serve

14. Meal Pattern Changes cont.
Grain Based Desserts no longer allowable on the program:
Sweet crackers (graham crackers-all shapes, animal crackers) 
Sweet roll (unfrosted, frosted)
Cookies (plain, with nuts, raisins, chocolate pieces and/or fruit purees, includes vanilla wafers)
Toaster pastry (unfrosted, frosted)
Pie crusts (desserts pies, cobbler, fruit turnovers)
Cake (all varieties, plain, unfrosted, frosted)
Doughnuts (cake and yeast-raised, unfrosted, frosted or glazed)
Coffee Cake
Brownies (plain)
Cereal bars, breakfast bars, granola bars (plain, with nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate pieces)

17. Infant requirements Formula/breast milk only required 0-5 months
Serve foods when developmentally ready, based on parents
Follow parents wishes- not ridge pattern
No juice
No cheese food or cheese spread
Ready-to-eat cereal allowed at snacks
Encourage breastfeeding friendly spaces

18. Questions
Meghan George-Nichols Main CACFP Line CACFP website: Meal Pattern Updates: eb612&id=000970ac18