Milk
The milk component requires fluid milk. Milk must be pasteurized, meet all state and local requirements, and contain vitamins A and D at levels specified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Allowable Types of Milk |
Serving Requirements |
Crediting Guidance
Smoothies |
Milk Substitutes
Allowable Types of Milk
The CACFP meal patterns require unflavored whole milk for age 1 and unflavored low-fat milk or unflavored fat-free milk for ages 2-5. Flavored low-fat or fat-free milk may be served to ages 6 and older but the USDA’s CACFP best practices recommend serving only unflavored milk.
- State beverage statute for child care centers in public schools: In addition to the meal pattern requirements, milk and nondairy milk substitutes in public schools must also meet the state beverage requirements of Section 10-221q of the Connecticut General Statutes. The state beverage statute applies to all beverages available for sale to students on school premises, as part of and separately from reimbursable meals and snacks. A list of products that comply with the federal and state requirements is available in list 16 (milk) and list 17 (nondairy milk substitutes) on the CSDE's List of Acceptable Foods and Beverages webpage.
Serving Requirements
The minimum creditable amount is the full meal pattern serving, with an exception for milk in smoothies (refer to "Milk in Smoothies" below).
Crediting Guidance
- Crediting Milk
- Crediting Fluid Milk in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
- Serving Milk in the CACFP (USDA): Handouts, training slides, and webinars in English and Spanish
- Food Buying Guide: Section 5 Milk (USDA)
- USDA Memos
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- USDA Memo CACFP 01-2025: Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk and Substitutions in the CACFP, Questions and Answers
- Training
- Module 4: Milk Component (CSDE's Bite Size: Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children training program)
Milk in Smoothies
The minimum creditable amount of milk in a smoothie is ¼ cup. CACFP facilities must have a standardized recipe or product formulation statement (PFS) to document the type and amount of milk in the smoothie serving.
- Crediting Smoothies in the CACFP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 40-2019, CACFP 17-2019, and SFSP 17-2019: Smoothies Offered in the Child Nutrition Programs
Milk Substitutes for Non-disability Reasons
CACFP facilities may choose to offer one or more allowable fluid milk substitutes for children without a disability. The two allowable types of milk substitutes include 1) lactose-free/reduced milk; and 2) fluid milk substitutes (plant-based beverages) that meet the USDA’s nutrition standards for fluid milk substitutes, such as certain brands of soy milk. Fluid milk substitutes require a written request from the parent/guardian, state licensed healthcare professional, or registered dietitian that identifies the reason for the milk substitute.
- Allowable Fluid Milk Substitutes for Non-Disability Reasons in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Identifying Products that Meet the USDA’s Nutrition Standards for Fluid Milk Substitutes in the CACFP (CSDE)
- Milk Substitutes (CSDE's Special Diets in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)