Grains
The grains component includes whole grain-rich (WGR) and enriched breads and bread products (such as biscuits, bagels, rolls, tortillas, and muffins), snack products (such as crackers, animal crackers, graham crackers, hard pretzels, tortilla chips, and popcorn), cereal grains (such as buckwheat, brown rice, bulgur, and quinoa), ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereals, cooked breakfast cereals (such as oatmeal), and bread products used as an ingredient in another menu item such as combination foods (e.g., breading on fish or poultry and pizza crust in pizza), pasta. Grain-based deserts do not credit in the CACFP meal patterns.
Serving Requirements |
Creditable Grains |
Breakfast Cereals |
Enriched Grains
Grain-based Desserts |
Ounce Equivalents |
Popcorn |
Whole Grain-rich Requirement
Serving Requirements
Grains are measured in ounce equivalents (oz eq). The CSDE's Grain Ounce Equivalents for the CACFP contains the oz eq that apply to the CACFP meal patterns, as indicated in the USDA’s document, Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs ("Exhibit A"). The minimum creditable amount is ¼ oz eq. The serving must meet the required weight (groups A-G) or volume (groups H-I) in the USDA’s Exhibit A chart or provide the minimum creditable grains.
- Exhibit A Chart
- Exhibit A Grains Tool (USDA's Food Buying Guide)
- Exhibit A Grains Tool to the Rescue (USDA webinar)
- How to Maximize the Exhibit A Grains Tool (USDA webinar)
- CSDE Chart
- Grain Ounce Equivalents for the CACFP (CSDE): Contains the Exhibit A oz eq requirements
- How to Use the Grain Ounce Equivalents Chart for the CACFP (CSDE)
- Determining Oz Eq
- CACFP Grains Ounce Equivalents Resources (USDA webpage)
- Calculation Methods for Grain Ounce Equivalents in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Crediting Single-Serving Packages of Grains in the CACFP (USDA webpage)
- Determining Ounce Equivalents of Grains in CACFP Recipes (USDA)
- USDA Memo CACFP 05-2025: Grain Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program; Questions and Answers
- Using Ounce Equivalents for Grains in the CACFP (USDA)
- When Commercial Grain Products Require a Product Formulation Statement to Credit in the CACFP (CSDE)
- CACFP Crediting Worksheets
- Child Care Worksheet 1: Crediting Commercial Grain in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Child Care Worksheet 2: Crediting Ready-to-eat Breakfast Cereals in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Child Care Worksheet 3: Crediting Cooked Breakfast Cereals in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Child Care Worksheet 4: Crediting Family-size Recipes for Grains in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Child Care Worksheet 5: Crediting Quantity Recipes for Grains in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Training: Module 7C: Grains Component Ounce Equivalents (CSDE's Bite Size: Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children training program)
Creditable Grains
Grain products and recipes must be made with creditable grains (whole grains, enriched grains, bran, and germ). Cooked and ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereals must be whole grain, enriched, or fortified, and cannot contain more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce.
- Crediting Enriched Grains in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Crediting Whole Grains in the CACFP (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
- How to Identify Creditable Grains in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Using the WIC Food Lists to Identify Grains for the CACFP (USDA webpage)
- When Commercial Grain Products Require a Product Formulation Statement to Credit in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Food Buying Guide: Section 4 Grains (USDA)
- USDA Memo CACFP 05-2025: Grain Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program; Questions and Answers
- USDA Memo SP 26-2019, CACFP 13-2019, and SFSP 12-2019: Crediting Pasta Products Made of Vegetable Flour 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
- Training: Module 7A: Grains Component Crediting Requirements (CSDE's Bite Size: Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children training program)
Breakfast Cereals
Effective July 1, 2025, the product-based limits for breakfast cereals change from total sugars to added sugars. Breakfast cereals cannot exceed 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce.
- Calculating the Added Sugars Limit for Breakfast Cereals in the CACFP (USDA webpage)
- Child Care Worksheet 2: Crediting Ready-to-eat (RTE) Breakfast Cereals in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Child Care Worksheet 3: Crediting Cooked Breakfast Cereals in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Crediting Breakfast Cereals in the CACFP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo CACFP 05-2025: Grain Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program; Questions and Answers
Grain-based Desserts
Grain-based deserts do not credit in the CACFP meal patterns. Examples of grain-based desserts 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 allowed in the CACFP meal patterns but should be limited to no more than twice per week between all meals and snacks.
- Grain-Based Desserts in the CACFP (USDA webpage)
- USDA Memo CACFP 05-2025: Grain Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program; Questions and Answers
- USDA Memo CACFP 16-2017: Grain-Based Desserts in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Popcorn
- USDA Memo SP 23-2019, CACFP 10-2019, and SFSP 9-2019: Crediting Popcorn in the Child Nutrition Programs
Whole Grain-rich Requirement
CACFP menus must include at least one WGR serving per day, between all meals and snacks served. The USDA’s CACFP best practices recommend at least two WGR servings per day. WGR foods for the CACFP contain at least 50 percent whole grains and the remaining grain ingredients are enriched, bran, or germ. A grain food meets the WGR criteria if a whole grain is the first ingredient (or second after water), and the next two grain ingredients (if any) are creditable grains. A combination food meets the WGR criteria if the first grain ingredient (or second after water) is a whole grain, and the next two grain ingredients (if any) are creditable grains.
- Adding Whole Grains to Your CACFP Menu (USDA webpage)
- Crediting Whole Grains in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Guide to Meeting the Whole Grain-rich Requirement for the CACFP (CSDE)
- How to Spot Whole Grain-Rich Foods for the CACFP (USDA webpage)
- Identifying Whole Grain-rich Foods for the CACFP (USDA webpage)
- Is My Recipe Whole Grain-Rich in the CACFP? (USDA webpage)
- USDA Memo CACFP 05-2025: Grain Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program; Questions and Answers
- Training: Module 7B: Grains Component Whole Grain-rich Requirement (CSDE's Bite Size: Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children training program)