Meats and Meat Alternates
The meats/meats alternate (MMA) component includes fresh and frozen meats (e.g., lean beef, pork, poultry, fish, and shellfish), processed meats (e.g., chicken nuggets, deli meats, and fish sticks), canned meats (e.g., chicken, tuna, and salmon), and meat alternates (e.g., eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts and seeds and their butters, beans, peas, and lentils, tofu, and tempeh). The USDA’s CACFP best practices recommend limiting processed meats to no more than one serving per week; and serving only lean meats, nuts, and beans, peas, and lentils.
Serving Requirements |
Crediting MMA at Breakfast |
General Guidance
Alternate Protein Products |
Beans, Peas, and Lentils |
Commercial Processed Products
Dried Meats |
Nuts and Seeds |
Tofu |
Yogurt
Serving Requirements
- Serving size: MMA are measured in ounce equivalents (oz eq). The minimum creditable amount is ¼ oz eq.
- Required quantities for 1 oz eq: The required quantities depend on the type of MMA and refer to the edible portion of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish (i.e., without bone, breading, binders, fillers, extenders, liquids, or other ingredients). A 1-oz eq serving of MMA equals 1 ounce of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish; 1 ounce of cheese (low-fat recommended); 2 ounces of cottage or ricotta cheese, cheese food/spread, or cheese substitute (low-fat recommended); ¼ cup of cooked beans/peas/lentils; ½ large egg; 2 tablespoons of nut or seed butters; 1 ounce of nuts or seeds; 1 ounce of commercial tofu (must contain at least 5 grams of protein in 2.2 ounces); 1 ounce of tempeh; 3 ounces of surimi; ½ cup or 4 ounces of yogurt or soy yogurt; and 1 ounce of alternate protein product (APP).
- Main dish requirement for lunch and supper: The MMA component must be served in a main dish or in a main dish and one other food item.
Crediting MMA at Breakfast
- The MMA component is optional in the CACFP breakfast meal pattern. MMA may be offered as a substitute for grains up to three times per week.
General Crediting Guidance
- Crediting Meats/Meat Alternates in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
- Food Buying Guide: Section 1 Meats/Meat Alternates (USDA)
- Training
- Module 5: Meats/Meat Alternates Component (CSDE's Bite Size: Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children training program)
Alternate Protein Products (APPs)
- Questions and Answers on Alternate Protein Products (USDA)
- Requirements for Alternate Protein Products in the CACFP (CSDE)
Beans, Peas, and Lentils
Beans, peas, and lentils credit as either MMA or vegetables but one serving cannot credit as both meal components in the same meal or afterschool snack.
- "Beans, Peas, and Lentils" in CSDE's Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production in Child Nutrition Programs
- Crediting Beans, Peas, and Lentils in the CACFP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 26-2019, CACFP 13-2019, and SFSP 12-2019: Crediting Pasta Products Made of Vegetable Flour in the Child Nutrition Programs
Commercial Processed Products
Commercial processed products require a CN label or PFS to document their meal pattern contribution. Products without this documentation cannot credit in CACFP meals and snacks.
- Crediting Commercial Meat/Meat Alternate Products in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Crediting Deli Meats in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Crediting Documentation for the Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
- USDA Memo SP 01-2016: Procuring Local Meat, Poultry, Game, and Eggs for Child Nutrition Programs
Dried Meats
Dried meat, poultry, and seafood products (e.g., jerky and summer sausages) require a CN label or PFS to document their meal pattern contribution. Products without this documentation cannot credit in CACFP meals and snacks.
- 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 Webinar: Moving Forward: Update on Food Crediting in Child Nutrition Programs with Guidance for Dried Meat Products (April 24, 2019
Nuts and Seeds
Tempeh and Surimi
- USDA Memo SP 25-2019, CACFP 12-2019, and SFSP 11-2019: Crediting Tempeh 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 Webinar: Additional Meat/Meat Alternates Options for CNPs: Crediting Tempeh and Surimi (May 8, 2019)
Tofu and Tofu Products
Tofu and tofu products must be easily recognizable as a meat substitute and must contain at least 5 grams of protein in a 2.2-ounce serving by weight (¼ cup volume equivalent).
- Crediting Tofu and Tofu Products in the CACFP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 02-2024, CACFP 02-2024, and SFSP 02-2024: Revised: Crediting Tofu and Soy Yogurt Products in the School Meal Programs, CACFP, and SFSP
Yogurt and Soy Yogurt
Effective July 1, 2025, the USDA final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, implements, changes to product-based limits for sugars in yogurt and soy yogurt. The product-based limits for yogurt change from total sugars to added sugars. Yogurt cannot exceed 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces (2 grams of added sugars per ounce).
- Calculating the Added Sugars Limit for Yogurt in the CACFP (USDA)
- Choose Yogurt That is Lower in Added Sugars in the CACFP (USDA webpage)
- Crediting Yogurt in the CACFP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 02-2024, CACFP 02-2024, and SFSP 02-2024: Revised: Crediting Tofu and Soy Yogurt Products in the School Meal Programs, CACFP, and SFSP