United States Department of Agriculture How Do They Compare? Child Nutrition Programs’ Meal Pattern Requirements
*Please note: This chart only addresses meals served to children age 1 year and older as well as adults. It does not address the infant meal pattern requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) (jointly referred to as School Meal Programs). Additionally, the chart is based on the updated Child and Adult Care Food Program meal patterns and the updated pre-school meal patterns in the School Meal Programs. The updated meal patterns went into effect October 1, 2017.
Meal Pattern Requirements for Milk
Meal Pattern Child and Adult Care Food School Meal Programs (NSLP K-12 Afterschool Snack Summer Food Service Requirement Program (and Schools’ pre-k and SBP) Service (under NSLP) Program (SFSP) meal patterns) Fat content 1 year olds: whole milk Low-fat or fat-free Low-fat or fat-free No restrictions 2 year olds and older: low-fat or fat-free milk Yogurt may be served in place of milk once per day for adults only Flavored milk Prohibited for children 0 Must be fat-free (exemptions Must be fat-free No restrictions through 5 years old allowed for low-fat flavored milk Must be fat-free when served through school year 2017-2018) to children 6 years old and older and adults
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United States Department of Agriculture
Meal Pattern Child and Adult Care Food School Meal Programs (NSLP K-12 Afterschool Snack Summer Food Service Requirement Program (and Schools’ pre-k and SBP) Service (under NSLP) Program (SFSP) meal patterns) Non-dairy Non-dairy beverages that are Non-dairy beverages that are Non-dairy beverages that Not allowed for SFSP beverages (Fluid nutritionally equivalent nutritionally equivalent are nutritionally equivalent sponsors Milk Substitutes) (defined by regulation) to (defined by regulation) to cow’s (defined by regulation) to School sponsors claiming cow’s milk may be served to milk may be served to non- cow’s milk may be served meals under SFSP may participants with special disabled students with medical to non-disabled students serve non-dairy beverages dietary needs; must be or special dietary needs; must with medical or special that are nutritionally requested in writing by a be requested in writing by a dietary needs; must be equivalent (defined by parent/guardian, adult parent/guardian requested in writing by a regulation) to cow’s milk participant, or a person on Other beverages, including parent/guardian may be served to non- behalf of the adult water, may not be offered in Other beverages, including disabled students with participant place of milk as part of the water, may not be offered medical or special dietary Breastmilk may be served in reimbursable meal in place of milk as part of needs; must be requested lieu of fluid milk; a written the reimbursable snack in writing by a request is not required parent/guardian or Other beverages, including licensed health care water, may not be offered in professional place of milk as part of the Other beverages, including reimbursable meal or snack water, may not be offered in place of milk as part of the reimbursable meal or snack
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United States Department of Agriculture Meal Pattern Requirements for Vegetables and Fruit
Meal Pattern Child and Adult Care Food School Meal Programs (NSLP K-12 Afterschool Snack Summer Food Service Requirement Program (and Schools’ pre-k and SBP) Service (under NSLP) Program (SFSP) meal patterns) Components Vegetables and fruit are one Only the fruit component is Vegetables and fruit are one Vegetables and fruit are one component at breakfast required at breakfast; component component at all meals and Vegetables and fruits are two vegetables may be offered as snacks separate components at long as 2 cups/week of under lunch, supper, and snack consumed vegetables (dark green, red/orange, beans and peas, or other vegetables) are included on the weekly breakfast menu Vegetables and fruits are two separate components at lunch Vegetable No requirement Must offer specific serving No requirements No requirements Subgroups amount of each vegetable subgroup (dark green vegetables, red-orange vegetables, beans and peas, starchy vegetables, other vegetables) over the course of a week (NSLP only) Full-strength juice May count towards the May count towards no more than May count towards the May count towards no (100% juice) entire vegetable or fruit half of the vegetables or fruits entire vegetable/fruit more than half of the component no more than offered over the week component vegetable/fruit once per day Juice may not be served at requirement at lunch and Juice may not be served at snack when milk is served supper snack when milk is served as as the only other Juice may not be served at the only other component component snack when milk is served as the only other component
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United States Department of Agriculture
Meal Pattern Child and Adult Care Food School Meal Programs (NSLP K-12 Afterschool Snack Summer Food Service Requirement Program (and Schools’ pre-k and SBP) Service (under NSLP) Program (SFSP) meal patterns) Crediting Dried fruit credit as twice the Dried fruit credit as twice the All fruits and vegetables are ¼ cup dried fruit = ¼ cup amount served (¼ cup dried amount offered (¼ cup dried credited based on volume fruit fruit = ½ cup fruit) fruit = ½ cup fruit) served with the exception of ½ cup raw leafy greens = ½ Raw leafy greens credit for Raw leafy greens credit for half tomato paste and tomato cup vegetable half the amount served (1 the amount offered (1 cup of puree which credit based on cup of raw leafy greens = ½ raw leafy greens = ½ cup yields found in the Food cup vegetable) vegetable) Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
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United States Department of Agriculture
Meal Pattern Requirements for Grains
Meal Pattern Child and Adult Care Food School Meal Programs (NSLP K-12 Afterschool Snack Summer Food Service Requirement Program (and Schools’ pre-k and SBP) Service (under NSLP) Program (SFSP) meal patterns) Whole grain-rich Must serve at least one whole All grains offered must be whole No whole grain-rich No whole grain-rich grain-rich food per day grain-rich (exemptions allowed requirement requirement through school year 2017-2018) Grain-based Grain-based desserts cannot Up to 2 ounce equivalents of Sweet snack foods should not Allowed only at snacks and desserts count toward the grain grain-based desserts per week be served more than twice a breakfast meals requirement may be offered as part of the week grains component at lunch Cookies, dessert pies, cobbler, cake, and brownies are prohibited at breakfast per Superscript 3, Exhibit A
Breakfast cereals Must contain no more than 6 No sugar limit – the cap is No sugar limit No sugar limit grams of sugar per dry ounce generated by the dietary specifications for the weekly menu Crediting Based on ounce equivalents Based on ounce equivalents Based on ounce equivalents Based on serving sizes (starting October 1, 2019) Non-creditable grains (e.g. bran, germ, etc.) are limited to no more than 2% or less than 0.25 ounce equivalents per portion
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United States Department of Agriculture
Meal Pattern Requirements for Meat/Meat Alternates
Meal Pattern Child and Adult Care Food School Meal Programs (NSLP K-12 Afterschool Snack Summer Food Service Requirement Program (and Schools’ pre-k and SBP) Service (under NSLP) Program (SFSP) meal patterns) Tofu Allowed as a meat alternate. Allowed as a meat alternate. Allowed as a meat alternate. Not creditable Must contain 5 grams of Must contain 5 grams of protein Must contain 5 grams of protein per 1.0 ounce per 1.0 ounce equivalent (¼ cup protein per 1.0 ounce equivalent (¼ cup or 2.2 ounces or 2.2 ounces by weight) equivalent (¼ cup or 2.2 by weight) ounces by weight) Yogurt (including Must contain no more than 23 No sugar limit per product – the No sugar limit No sugar limit soy yogurt) grams of sugar per 6 ounces cap is generated by the dietary specifications for the weekly menu
Meat/meat May substitute meat/meat May substitute 1 ounce Not applicable May be served as an extra alternates in place alternate for the entire grain equivalent meat/meat alternate food item of grains at component no more than 3 for 1 ounce equivalent grains breakfast times per week after the minimum daily grains requirement is met, or it may be served as an extra within the dietary specifications for the weekly menu
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United States Department of Agriculture
Dietary Specifications
Meal Pattern Child and Adult Care Food School Meal Programs (NSLP K-12 Afterschool Snack Summer Food Service Requirement Program (and Schools’ pre-k and SBP) Service (under NSLP) Program (SFSP) meal patterns) Dietary Sugar limits on breakfast Meals must, on average, meet No dietary specifications No dietary specifications specifications cereals and yogurt (see above) weekly limits for calories, saturated fat, and sodium Food products served in meals must contain zero grams of trans fat
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United States Department of Agriculture
Meal Service Options
Meal Pattern Child and Adult Care Food School Meal Programs (NSLP K-12 Afterschool Snack Summer Food Service Requirement Program (and Schools’ pre-k and SBP) Service (under NSLP) Program (SFSP) meal patterns) Offer Versus Serve Allowed in adult day care Required in high schools. At Not allowed Allowed at all SFSP sites, centers and at-risk lunch, students must select at regardless of location type afterschool programs, only. least 3 food components out of or sponsorship. At lunch, At lunch or supper, the 5 components offered; at children must select 3 participants must select at breakfast, menu planner must food components out of least 3 food components out offer 4 food items and students the 4 components offered; of the 5 components offered; must select 3 food items. at breakfast, at least 4 1 at breakfast, at least 4 food Students must select at least ⁄2 food items must be items must be offered and cup of fruit and/or vegetable at offered and children must participants must select 3 breakfast and lunch select 3 items items Optional for middle and No ½ cup vegetable or No ½ cup vegetable or fruit elementary schools fruit requirement requirement Not allowed at snack service Not allowed at snack Not allowed at snack service service Not allowed in pre-k
Family Style Meals Allowed in all CACFP settings Allowed in all schools and RCCIs Allowed in all afterschool Allowed only at camps and snack settings closed enrolled sites
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