Documents/Forms

Comparison Charts  |   Crediting Foods: Grades K-12   |   Crediting Foods: Preschool
Forms  |   Menu Planning  |   Monitoring

Comparison Charts

• Comparison of the Grains Component Requirements in the Meal Patterns for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Comparison of the Milk Component Requirements in the Meal Patterns for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Comparison of Afterschool Snack Program (ASP) Meal Pattern Requirements for Preschool and Grades K-12 (CSDE)

Crediting Foods in the ASP Meal Pattern for Grades K-12

• Crediting Foods in School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
• Noncreditable Foods in the ASP Meal Pattern for Grades K-12 (CSDE)

Note: The ASP meal pattern for grades K-12 applies only to school year 2024-25 and expires on June 30, 2025. Effective July 1, 2025, the USDA final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, aligns the ASP meal pattern for grades K-12 with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) snack meal pattern requirements, except that the NSLP and SBP weekly juice limit and NSLP and SBP weekly whole grain-rich (WGR) requirement apply. The crediting changes for each meal component are indicated in the applicable sections below. For more information, visit the "Upcoming Meal Pattern Changes" section of the CSDE's Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 in School Nutrition Programs webpage.

Milk  |   Meats/Meat Alternates  |   Vegetables/Fruits  |   Grains/Breads

Milk Component

• Allowable Milk Substitutes for Children without Disabilities in School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Comparison of Meal Pattern Requirements for the Milk Component in School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Fluid Milk in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
• CSDE Operational Memorandum No. 06-19: Summary of Federal and State Milk Requirements for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Seamless Summer Option (SSO) of the NSLP, Afterschool Snack Program (ASP) of the NSLP, and Special Milk Program (SMP)
• CSDE Operational Memo No. 09-11: USDA Requirements for Milk Substitutes for Nondisabled Students
• Food Buying Guide (Section 5: Milk)
  • Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Milk Component (USDA)
  • Yield Table for Milk (USDA)
• USDA Memo SP 07-2010, CACFP 04-2010, and SFSP 05-2010: Questions and Answers: Fluid Milk Substitutions
• Milk component change for school year 2025-26: Effective July 1, 2025, the USDA final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, establishes a sugar limit for flavored milk. Flavored milk cannot exceed 10 grams of added sugars per 8 fluid ounces. Flavored milk sold as a competitive food in middle and high schools cannot exceed 15 grams of added sugars per 12 fluid ounces.

Meats/Meat Alternates Component 

• Crediting Beans, Peas, and Lentils in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Commercial Meat/Meat Alternate Products in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Deli Meats in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Meats/Meat Alternates in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
• Crediting Nuts and Seeds in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Tofu and Tofu Products in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Yogurt in the Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Food Buying Guide (Section 1: Meats/Meat Alternates)
  • Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Meats/Meat Alternates Component (USDA)
  • Yield Table for Meats/Meat Alternates (USDA)
• USDA Memo SP 25-2019, CACFP 12-2019, and SFSP 11-2019: Crediting Tempeh in the Child Nutrition Programs
• USDA Memo SP 21-2019, CACFP 08-2019, and SFSP 07-2019: Crediting Shelf-Stable, Dried and Semi-Dried Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Products in the Child Nutrition Programs
• USDA Memo SP 24-2019, CACFP 11-2019, and SFSP 10-2019: Crediting Surimi Seafood in the Child Nutrition Programs
• USDA Webinars 
  • Additional Meat/Meat Alternates Options for CNPs: Crediting Tempeh and Surimi (May 8, 2019)
  •  Moving Forward: Update on Food Crediting in Child Nutrition Programs with Guidance for Dried Meat Products (April 24, 2019)
• MMA component changes for school year 2025-26:  Effective July 1, 2025, the USDA final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, changes the serving size for MMA from ounces to oz eq and establishes a sugars limit for yogurt. Yogurt cannot exceed 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces (no more than 2 grams of added sugars per ounce).

Vegetables/Fruits Component 

• Crediting Fruits in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
• Crediting Smoothies in the Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Soups in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Vegetables in Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
• Food Buying Guide (USDA)
  • Section 2: Vegetables
    • Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Vegetables Component
    • Yield Table for Vegetables
  • Section 3: Fruits
    • Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Fruits Component
    •  Yield Table for Fruits
• USDA Memo SP 26-2019, CACFP 13-2019, and SFSP 12-2019: Crediting Pasta Products Made of Vegetable Flour in the Child Nutrition Programs
• Vegetables/fruits component changes for school year 2025-26: Effective July 1, 2025, the USDA final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, changes the vegetables/fruits component to two separate components (vegetables component and fruits component) and juice cannot exceed half of the fruits and vegetables offered at snack during the week.

Grains/Breads Component 

• Crediting Breakfast Cereals in the Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
  • New limit for added sugars in breakfast cereals effective with school year 2025-26: Effective July 1, 2025, the USDA final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, establishes a sugar limit for breakfast cereals. Breakfast cereals cannot exceed 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce.
• Crediting Enriched Grains in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Grains in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheets (USDA): Part 1: Creditable Grains in Child Nutrition Programs; Part 2: Identifying Grain Products that are Whole Grain-Rich; and Part 3: Program Requirements
• Crediting Whole Grains in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Food Buying Guide (Section 4: Grains)
  • Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Grains Component (USDA)
  • Yield Table for Grains (USDA)
• Serving Size for Grains/Breads
  • Chart: Servings for Grains/Breads in the ASP Meal Pattern for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  • Calculation Methods for Grains/Breads Servings for the Afterschool Snack Program Meal Pattern for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  • Exhibit A: Refers to the USDA’s document, Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs, which includes grain servings and grain ounce equivalents.
    • Exhibit A Grains Tool (USDA's Food Buying Guide)
    • USDA webinars
      • Exhibit A Grains Tool to the Rescue
      • How to Maximize the Exhibit A Grains Tool 
  • How to Use the Grains/Breads Servings Chart for the ASP Meal Pattern for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
• USDA Memo SP 23-2019, CACFP 10-2019, and SFSP 09-2019: Crediting Popcorn in the Child Nutrition Programs
• USDA Memo SP 34-2019, CACFP 15-2019, and SFSP 15-2019: Crediting Coconut, Hominy, Corn Masa, and Masa Harina in the Child Nutrition Programs
• Grains/breads component changes for school year 2025-26: Effective July 1, 2025, the USDA final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, changes the grains/breads components to the grains component and the required quantities change from servings to ounce equivalents (oz eq). At least 80 percent of the weekly grains offered at snack must be whole grain-rich, based on oz eq of offered grains. Breakfast cereals cannot exceed 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce.

Crediting Foods in the ASP Preschool Meal Pattern

• Crediting Foods for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs ("Related Resources" section of CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs webpage)
• Fruits Component (CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs webpage)
• Grains Component (CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs webpage)
• Meats/Meat Alternates Component (CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs webpage
• Milk Component (CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs webpage)
• Vegetables Component (CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs webpage)

Forms for the ASP

School Year 2024-25 (updated July 2024)

• Menu Forms
  • ASP Preschool Menu Form for Ages 1-2 (CSDE)
  • ASP Preschool Menu Form for Ages 3-5 (CSDE)
  • ASP Menu Form for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
• Monitoring
  • ASP On-site Monitoring Form (CSDE)
• Production Records for the ASP
  • ASP Production Record for Ages 1-2 (CSDE)
  • ASP Production Record for Ages 3-5 (CSDE)
  • ASP Production Record for Ages 3-5: Completed Sample (CSDE)
  • ASP Production Record for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  • ASP Production Record for Grades K-12: Completed Sample (CSDE)
• Snack Count Forms for Site/Area Eligible Schools 
  • ASP Daily Snack Count Record for Grades K-12 in Site/Area Eligible Schools (CSDE)
  • ASP Daily Snack Count Record for Preschoolers in Site/Area Eligible Schools (CSDE)
  • ASP Daily Snack Count and Production Record for Grades K-12 in Site/Area Eligible Schools (CSDE)
  • ASP Daily Snack Count and Production Record for Preschoolers in Site/Area Eligible Schools (CSDE)
  • ASP Monthly Attendance and Snack Count Record for Site/Area Eligible Schools (CSDE)
• Snack Count Forms for Schools that are not Site/Area Eligible
  • ASP Daily Attendance and Snack Count Record for Schools that are not Site/Area Eligible (CSDE)
  • ASP Monthly Attendance and Snack Count Record for Schools that are not Site/Area Eligible (CSDE)
  • More forms: CSDE's Forms for School Nutrition Programs webpage

Menu Planning for the ASP

• Menu Planning for Grades K-12
  • ASP Menu Form for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  • Noncreditable Foods in the ASP Meal Pattern for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  • Section 2 of the Afterschool Snack Program Handbook (CSDE)
• Menu Planning for Preschool
  • ASP Preschool Menu Form for Ages 1-2 (CSDE)
  • ASP Preschool Menu Form for Ages 3-5 (CSDE)
  • Menu Planning Guide for the Preschool Meal Patterns of the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
  • Noncreditable Foods in the Preschool Meal Patterns for the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Required Nutrition Standards for ASP Menus in Public Schools
  • Beverage Requirements (Section 10-221q of the Connecticut General Statutes)
    Applies to all beverages served in the ASP for public schools
  • Connecticut Nutrition Standards (CNS) (CSDE webpage):
    Applies to all foods served in the ASP for public schools that choose the healthy food option under Healthy Food Certification (C.G.S. Section 10-215f)
  • List of Acceptable Foods and Beverages (CSDE webpage)
    Identifies commercial foods that meet the CNS and commercial beverages that meet C.G.S. 10-221q
  • Worksheets for Determining CNS Compliance (CSDE)
• Snack Menu Ideas
  • Cycle Menus for Child Care: Preschoolers (Institute of Child Nutrition)
  • Let's Make a Snack: Child and Adult Care Food Program Snack Menu Planner for Children 3 Through 18 Years of Age (USDA)
  • Sample ASP Menu for Ages 3-5 (CSDE)
  • Sample ASP Menu for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  • Snack Inspiration (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)
• Water Availability (CSDE's Program Guidance for School Nutrition Programs webpage)