Related Resources
CACFP Meal Pattern Training | Crediting Foods | Meal Service | Menu Planning
CACFP Meal Pattern Training: Bite Size

Bite Size: Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children is the CSDE's training program for CACFP child care facilities, including child care and Head Start centers, at-risk afterschool care centers, emergency shelters, and family day care homes. Bite Size is a series of recorded training modules that provide information on the meal pattern components and crediting requirements of the CACFP meal patterns for children. Each module is designed to provide the key information you need to know in 45 minutes or less.
Target audience: This training program is intended for the child care staff responsible for menu planning and ensuring that meals and snacks comply with the CACFP meal patterns.
Knowledge check and score: After viewing each module, participants will complete a brief knowledge check that will display a score after all questions are complete. Participants may print their knowledge check score to document participation in these training modules.
Accessing the videos: The training module videos are housed in Qualtrics. To view the videos, click on the module, then enter the required contact information (name and title, email, institution/organization, city/town, and state).
Bite Size: Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children |
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Module | Resources |
Module 1: Bite Size Introduction and Meal Pattern Overview (29 minutes) | |
Module 2: Meal Pattern Documentation (35 minutes) | |
Module 3: Milk Component (36 minutes)
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Module 4: Meat/Meat Alternates Component (45 minutes) | |
Module 5: Fruits Component (34 minutes)
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Module 6: Vegetables Component (38 minutes)
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Module 7A: Grains Component Crediting Requirements (44 minutes)
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Module 7B: Grains Component Whole Grain-rich Requirement (43 minutes) |
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Module 7C: Grains Component Ounce Equivalents (39 minutes) |
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Module 8: Menu Planning (45 minutes)
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Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs
- Crediting Commercial Processed Products (CSDE's Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Crediting Foods Made from Scratch (CSDE's Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE webpage)
- Crediting Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (USDA)
- CSDE Operational Memo No. 7A, 9C-16 and 9H-16: Requirements for Documenting CACFP Meal Pattern Contribution of Processed Foods
Meal Service in CACFP Child Care Programs
- Encourage Healthy Foods
- Encourage Healthful Foods: Supplement C to Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the CACFP (USDA)
- Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (USDA)
- Family Style
- Family Style Dining Guide: A Mealtime Approach for Early Care and Education Programs (Ohio Child Care Resource & Referral Association and The Nemours Foundation)
- Grab and Go Lesson: Benefits for Serving Meals Family Style in Child Care (ICN)
- Grab and Go Lesson: CACFP and Family Style Meal Service (ICN)
- Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals (National CACFP Association)
- Support Family Style Meals: Supplement E from Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the CACFP (USDA)
- The Basic Guide to Family Style Dining – Part 1 (ICN)
- Offer versus Serve (OVS) Applies only to at-risk afterschool centers
- Offer versus Serve in At-risk Afterschool Centers (CSDE)
- USDA Memo CACFP 05-17: Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
- Mealtimes with Toddlers
- Mealtimes with Toddlers in the CACFP: Booklet, family handout, and videos in English and Spanish (USDA)
Assisting toddlers with learning how to feed themselves, encouraging toddlers to try new foods, and types of milk to serve children in the CACFP
- Mealtimes with Toddlers in the CACFP: Booklet, family handout, and videos in English and Spanish (USDA)
- Water Availability
- Grab and Go Lesson: Offering and Making Water Available in Child Care (ICN)
- Offering Water in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (USDA)
- Resources for promoting water in child care (see "Water Availability" in the CSDE's Resource List for Child Nutrition Programs)
- USDA Memo CACFP 18-2016: Water Availability in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
- USDA Memo CACFP 20-2016: Resources for Making Potable Water Available in Schools and Child Care Facilities
Menu Planning for CACFP Child Care Programs
- Best Practices
- CACFP Best Practices (English) (USDA)
- CACFP Best Practices (Spanish): Programa de comidas para niños y adultos: Buenas practicas (USDA)
- USDA Memo CACFP 15-2016: Optional Best Practices to Further Improve Nutrition in the Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Pattern
- Cycle Menus
- CACFP Fact Sheet: Cycle Menus (ICN)
- CARE Connection Online Training: Planning Cycle Menus in Child Care (ICN)
- Cycle Menus for Child Care: Preschoolers (ICN)
- Snack Inspiration (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction) 240 snack ideas that meet the CACFP snack meal pattern
- Menu Planning Guidance
- Menu Planning Basics: A Guide for CACFP Operators in Child Care (ICN): English and Spanish
- Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
- Sample CACFP Menus (CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Nutrition Facts Label
- Reading Food Labels for Allergens (Documents/Forms section of CSDE's Special Diets in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Using the Nutrition Facts Label in the CACFP (USDA)
- Recipes
- Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Resource Lists
- Snack
- Serving Snacks in the CACFP (USDA)
- Special Diets
- Sugar Limits for the CACFP
- Breakfast Cereals
- Yogurt
- Training
- CACFP Cooking Videos (USDA)
- CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays Training Webinar Series: Topics related to the CACFP meal pattern requirements (USDA)
- CACFP Meal Pattern Training Slides (USDA)
- CACFP Training Tools (USDA)
- CARE Connection Online Training: Step-by-Step Menu Planning (ICN)
- Vegetables