Crediting Foods in CACFP Adult Day Care Centers

Overview


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This webpage provides guidance and resources for meeting the crediting requirements for the five meal components of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) adult meal patterns.  


Creditable Foods  |   Noncreditable Foods  |   Required Crediting Documentation
Crediting Worksheets  |   Upcoming Crediting Changes


Creditable Foods

Creditable foods are foods and beverages that count toward the CACFP adult meal pattern requirements for reimbursable meals and snacks. The five meal components include meats/meat alternates, grains, vegetables, fruits, and milk. Foods and beverages must meet specific requirements to credit toward each meal component. 

Noncreditable Foods

Noncreditable foods are foods and beverages that do not count toward the meal components. They include foods and beverages in amounts too small to credit, and foods and beverages that do not belong to the meal components. Some examples include reduced-fat (2%) milk, water, potato chips, pudding, ice cream, gelatin, cream cheese, butter, bacon, and condiments, e.g., syrup, jam, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and salad dressings.

Required Crediting Documentation

Adult day care centers must maintain crediting documentation to indicate the meal pattern contribution of foods and beverages served in reimbursable CACFP meals and snacks. Commercial processed products require a Child Nutrition (CN) label or product formulation statement (PFS). Commercial processed products without this documentation cannot credit in the CACFP adult meal patterns. Foods made from scratch require a recipe (preferably a standardized recipe).  Crediting for all foods and beverages must be based on the yields in the USDA's Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs. 

Crediting Worksheets

Worksheets 1-6 evaluate foods for compliance with the CACFP adult meal patterns.  Worksheets 7-9 evaluate foods for compliance with the CSDE’s recommended nutrition standards for adult day care centers, but not for compliance with the CACFP adult meal patterns.

The CSDE recommends that CACFP sponsors maintain completed crediting worksheets as electronic files in a folder on the computer, instead of printing copies. The CSDE’s CACFP staff will accept electronic copies as appropriate crediting documentation during the Administrative Review of the CACFP.

Upcoming Crediting Changes

Effective with program year 2025-26 (beginning July 1, 2025), the USDA final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, changes the current product-based limits for yogurt and breakfast cereals from total sugars to added sugars. Yogurt cannot exceed 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces (2 grams of added sugars per ounce). Breakfast cereals cannot exceed 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce. For more information, visit the "CACFP Meal Pattern Updates" section of the CSDE's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) webpage.