Child and Adult Care Program (CACFP)

Sample Hot and Supper for CACFP Child Care Centers and Homes

These sample lunch and supper menus for CACFP child care centers, family day care homes, emergency shelters, and at-risk afterschool care centers reflect the pattern requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) final rule, Child and Adult Care Food Program: Meal Pattern Revisions Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Serving sizes are for ages 3-5 and can be adjusted for other ages.

The CACFP lunch and supper meal pattern for ages 3-5 requires ¾ cup of unflavored low-fat (1%) or fat-free milk, 1½ ounces of meat/meat alternates, ¼ cup of vegetables, ¼ cup of fruits, and ½ ounce equivalent (oz eq) of grains. Vegetables can substitute for the entire fruits component at any lunch or supper. For information on the CACFP meal patterns, refer to the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children, the Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) guide, Meal Pattern Requirements for CACFP Child Care Programs, and visit the CSDE’s Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs and Crediting in CACFP Child Care Programs webpages.

The types of foods purchased and the recipes and preparation techniques used by the CACFP facility will determine whether local menus meet the CACFP meal patterns. CACFP facilities should use the USDA’s Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs to determine the amount of purchased food that meets the required serving for each meal pattern component. A Child Nutrition (CN) label or manufacturer’s production formulation statement (PFS) must be on file to document the meal pattern contribution of all commercial processed foods served in CACFP menus. A recipe must be on file to document the meal pattern compliance of foods made on site. For more information on crediting documentation, refer to the CSDE’s resources, Accepting Processed Product Documentation in the CACFP, Using Child Nutrition (CN) Labels in the CACFP, and Using Product Formulation Statements in the CACFP; and visit the “Crediting Commercial Processed Products” section and “Crediting Foods Prepared on Site” of the CSDE’s Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage.

Abbreviations M = milk component A = additional creditable food (not full serving) c = cup G = grains component O = other food (noncreditable) tsp = teaspoon FV = vegetables and fruits component WGR = whole grain-rich oz = ounce MMA = meat/meat alternates substitute for grains 1 Tbsp = tablespoon oz eq = ounce equivalent

Refer to page 5 for planning notes. For information on noncreditable foods, refer to the CSDE’s resource, Noncreditable Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs. For a list of resources with guidance on meeting the CACFP meal pattern and crediting requirements, refer to the CSDE’s resource, Resources for the CACFP Meal Patterns. For a summary of the crediting requirements for each component, refer to the CSDE’s Crediting Summary Charts for the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children.

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Sample Hot Lunch and Supper Menus for CACFP Child Care Centers and Homes

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday M Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) ¾ cup MMA Macaroni and cheese: Herbed chicken (1½ oz Toasted cheese (1½ oz) 1 Baked ham (1½ oz) 1 Hamburger (1½ oz) 1 1½ oz cheddar cheese (1½ oz) 1 chicken) 1 sandwich Enriched macaroni (¼ c) 2 Brown rice (⅛ c) 2 WGR G Whole-wheat roll Whole-grain bread Whole-wheat bun Enriched Italian bread Whole-grain roll (½ oz) 2 ½ oz eq (½ oz) 2 WGR (½ oz) 2 WGR (½ oz) 2 WGR (¼ oz) 2 WGR Tossed : Lettuce Green beans (⅛ c)

Week 1 Week V Confetti coleslaw (½ c) 3 with tomatoes Mashed sweet potato (¼ c) Seasoned small potatoes Mixed vegetables (¼ c) ¼ cup (¼ c vegetables) and carrots (⅛ c) (⅛ c) F Oven-baked potatoes Orange sections (¼ c) Steamed broccoli (¼ c) 4 Mixed berries (¼ c) Cantaloupe chunks (¼ c) ¼ cup (¼ c) 4 Low-fat Italian dressing Ketchup or mustard O (1 Tbsp) (½ Tbsp) M Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) ¾ cup Taco salad: Seasoned MMA Black bean : ground beef (1 ¼ oz) 1 Spaghetti with meat sauce Baked chicken Crunchy coated baked fish 1½ oz Beans (⅜c) 1 and low-fat cheese (1½ oz ground beef) 1 (1½ oz chicken) 1 (1½ oz fish) 1 (¼ oz) 1 Confetti couscous with peas Whole-wheat spaghetti Herbed quinoa (¼ c) 2 and carrots: Enriched G Whole-grain roll (½ oz) 2 Whole-corn tortilla (½ oz) (¼ c) 2 WGR WGR 2 couscous (¼ c) ½ oz eq WGR 2 WGR Enriched bread stick Whole-wheat roll Enriched cornbread (¼ oz) 2 (½ oz) 2 WGR (½ oz) 2

Week 2 Week Lettuce, shredded (⅛ c) 3 Mashed sweet potatoes V Spinach salad (½ c) 3 with Tomato, diced (⅛ c) Cucumber-tomato salad Peas and carrots (⅛ c) (¼ c) with pineapple (⅛ ¼ cup oranges Mild veggie salsa (⅛ c) (¼ c) Corn niblets (⅛ c) c) Corn niblets (⅛ c) F Mandarin oranges (⅛ c) Pineapple chunks in juice Steamed broccoli florets Sliced fresh pears (¼ c) Snap peas (¼ c) 4 ¼ cup Mango slices (⅛ c) (¼ c) 5 (¼ c) 4 Low-fat salad dressing Grated parmesan cheese O (1 Tbsp) (2 tsp)

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Sample Hot Lunch and Supper Menus for CACFP Child Care Centers and Homes

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday M Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) ¾ cup Cheese quesadilla triangles: MMA Chicken veggie stir-fry: reduced-fat cheese Lentil soup (⅜ c lentils) 1 Roast beef (1½ oz) 1 Turkey hot dog (1½ oz) 1 1½ oz chicken (1½ oz) 1 (1½ oz) 1 G Whole-wheat tortilla Whole-grain crackers Enriched golden cornbread Whole-wheat hot dog roll Brown rice (¼ c) 2 WGR ½ oz eq (½ oz) 2 WGR (½ oz) 2 WGR (1 oz) 2 (½ oz) 2 WGR Stir-fry vegetables: carrots, 3

Week 3 Week V Garden salad (¼ c) Baked sweet potato wedges celery, peppers, broccoli Sliced cucumbers (¼ c) Mashed potatoes (¼ c) ¼ cup Mild veggie salsa (⅛ c) (¼ c) (¼ c) F Mandarin oranges in juice Pineapple tidbits in juice Diced nectarines (¼ c) Steamed carrots (¼ c) 4 Watermelon chunks (¼ c) ¼ cup (¼ c) 5 (¼ c) 5 Low-fat salad dressing Ketchup or mustard (½ O Gravy (2 Tbsp) (1 Tbsp) Tbsp) M Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) ¾ cup English muffin pizza: low- MMA Toasted ham (1 oz) and Cheese quiche: cheese (½ chicken (1½ oz) 1 Roast turkey (1½ oz) 1 fat mozzarella cheese 1½ oz cheese (½ oz) sandwich 1 oz) and egg (½ ) 1 (1½ oz) 1 Bulgar pilaf (¼ c) 2 WGR Enriched crust (½ oz) 2 Stuffing: whole-grain bread G Whole-wheat bread Whole-grain English muffin 2 2

Whole-grain roll (½ oz) Whole-wheat roll (½ oz) WGR ½ oz eq (½ oz) 2 WGR (½ oz) 2 WGR WGR (½ oz) 2 WGR Enriched roll (½ oz) 2 Vegetable soup Week 4 Week V Salad greens (½ c) 3 (⅛ c vegetables) Butternut squash (¼ c) Steamed broccoli (¼ c) Green peas (¼ c) ¼ cup Pizza sauce (2 Tbsp) Sweet potato wedges (⅛ c) Fruit salad: apples, grapes, F Mashed sweet potatoes Sliced kiwi (¼ c) Fresh peach (¼ c) Sliced strawberries (¼ c) pineapple and blueberries ¼ cup (¼ c) 4 (¼ c) Gravy (2 Tbsp) Low-fat Italian dressing O Barbecue sauce (1 Tbsp) Cranberry sauce (2 Tbsp) (1 Tbsp)

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Sample Hot Lunch and Supper Menus for CACFP Child Care Centers and Homes

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday M Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) ¾ cup MMA Oven-fried chicken Red beans and rice: Meatloaf (1½ oz ground Barbecued pork Chicken (1½ oz) 1 and 1½ oz (1½ oz chicken) 1 red bean (⅜ c) 1 beef) 1 (1½ oz meat) 1 cheese (½ oz) 1 enchilada Whole-corn tortilla (½ oz) 2 G Enriched egg noodles Toasted whole-wheat bun WGR Quinoa pilaf (¼ c) 2 WGR Enriched white rice (¼ c) 2 2 2

½ oz eq (¼ c) WGR (½ oz) WGR Enriched Spanish rice 5 (⅛ c rice) 2 Mixed garden salad: lettuce Week Week V Roasted rosemary potatoes (½ c) 3 with carrots, Green beans (⅛c) Corn niblets (⅛ c) Mashed avocado (⅛ c) ¼ cup (¼ c) cucumbers and tomatoes Orange-glazed carrots (⅛ c) Snap peas (⅛ c) Mild veggie salsa (⅛ c) (⅛ c) F Green peas (¼ c) 4 Sliced mangos (¼ c) Red apple (¼ c) Green grapes (¼ c) Cucumber salad (¼ c) 4 ¼ cup

O Low-fat dressing (1 Tbsp) Ketchup (1 Tbsp)

M Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) Low-fat milk (¾ c) ¾ cup Chicken (1 ¼ oz) 1 taco MMA Cheese (1½ oz) and veggie Tuna noodle casserole: Turkey sloppy joe Beef stew (1½ oz beef) 1 with shredded cheese (¼ 1½ oz pizza tuna (1½ oz) 1 (1½ oz ground turkey) 1 oz) 1 Enriched egg noodles G Brown rice (¼ c) 2 WGR Whole-wheat tortilla Whole-grain crust (¼ c) 2 Toasted whole-wheat bun

½ oz eq Enriched biscuit (½ oz) 2 (½ oz) 2 WGR (½ oz) 2 WGR Whole-grain roll (¼ oz) 2 (½ oz) 2 WGR

6 WGR Veggies: tomatoes, green Week Week Garden salad: Lettuce Red cabbage slaw V Vegetables in stew (⅛ c) Shredded lettuce (¼ c) 3 peppers, mushrooms (¼ c) 3 with peppers and (⅛ c vegetables) ¼ cup Mixed baby greens (⅛ c) 3 Diced tomato (⅛ c) (⅛ c) tomatoes (⅛ c) Steamed edamame (⅛ c) Carrot sticks (⅛ c) F Sliced peaches in juice Applesauce (¼ c) Fresh plum (¼ c) Watermelon (¼ c) Honeydew cubes (¼ c) ¼ cup (¼ c) 5 Low-fat salad dressing Low-fat salad dressing O (1 Tbsp) (1 Tbsp)

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Sample Hot Lunch and Supper Menus for CACFP Child Care Centers and Homes

Menu planning notes 1 A serving of the meat/meat alternates component is the edible portion of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish, e.g., cooked lean meat without bone, breading, binders, fillers, or other ingredients. The USDA’s CACFP Best Practices recommends serving only lean meats, nuts, and legumes; limiting processed meats to one serving per week; and serving only low-fat or reduced-fat natural cheese.. Commercial processed products require a CN label or PFS to credit. For more information, refer to the CSDE’s handouts, Using Product Formulation Statements in the CACFP, Crediting Commercial Meat/Meat Alternates in the CACFP and Crediting Deli Meats in the CACFP. For information on the meat/meat alternates component, visit the “Meat/Meat Alternates Component” section of the CSDE’s Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage. 2 To credit as the grains component, a whole grain, enriched grain, bran, or germ must be the first ingredient or the greatest ingredient by weight. For information on identifying creditable grains, refer to the CSDE’s resources, How to Identify Creditable Grains in the CACFP, Crediting Whole Grains in the CACFP, and Crediting Enriched Grains in the CACFP, and visit the “Grains Component” section of the CSDE’s Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage. At least one serving per day must be WGR. The USDA’s CACFP Best Practices recommends at least two servings of WGR grains per day. WGR foods for the CACFP contain at least 50 percent whole grains and the remaining grain ingredients are enriched, bran, or germ. For more information, refer to the CSDE’s resource, Whole Grain-rich Criteria for the CACFP, and visit the “Whole Grain-rich Requirement” section of the CSDE’s Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage. Grain-based cannot credit. Examples include cookies, piecrusts in sweet pies, doughnuts, cereal bars, granola bars, sweet rolls, pastries, toaster pastries, cake, and brownies. Sweet crackers such as graham crackers and animal crackers are not grain-based desserts. However, the CSDE recommends not serving sweet crackers more than twice per week between all and . For more information, visit the USDA’s webpage, Grain-based Desserts in the CACFP. Grains must meet the required weights (groups A-E) or volumes (groups H-I) in Grain Ounce Equivalents for the CACFP, or provide the minimum creditable grains per serving. For more information, refer to the CSDE’s resource, Calculation Methods for Grains Ounce Equivalents for the CACFP, and visit the “ for Grains” section of the CSDE’s Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage. 3 Raw leafy greens such as lettuce or spinach credit as half the volume served, e.g., ½ cup of raw leafy greens credits as ¼ cup of the vegetables component. 4 Vegetables may substitute for the entire fruits component at lunch and supper. If serving two vegetables, they must be two different kinds The USDA’s CACFP Best Practices recommends at least one serving per week of dark green vegetables, red and orange vegetables, beans and peas (legumes), starchy vegetables, and other vegetables. For more information, refer to the CSDE’s handout, Vegetable Subgroups in the CACFP, and visit the “Vegetables Component” section of the CSDE’s Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage. 5 Pasteurized full-strength juice credits as either the vegetables component or fruits component at only one meal or per day. Juice includes fruit and vegetable juice, frozen pops made from 100 percent juice, pureed fruits and vegetables in smoothies, and juice from canned fruit in 100 percent juice. For more information, refer to the CSDE’s resources, Crediting Juice in the CACFP and Crediting Smoothies in the CACFP. The USDA’s CACFP Best Practices recommends serving whole fruits (fresh, frozen, canned, and dried) more often than juice.

Connecticut State Department of Education  Revised August 2021  Page 5 of 6

Sample Hot Lunch and Supper Menus for CACFP Child Care Centers and Homes

For more information on the CACFP meal patterns, review the CSDE’s guide, Meal Pattern Requirements for CACFP Child Care

Programs, and visit the CSDE’s Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs and Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs

webpages, or contact the CACFP staff in the CSDE’s Bureau of Health/Nutrition, Family Services and Adult Education, 450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 504, Hartford, CT 06103-1841.

This document is available at https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Nutrition/CACFP/MealPattern/MenuLunchHotCACFP.pdf.

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