Grains

The crediting guidance and resources below include the changes to the NSLP, SBP, and ASP meal patterns required by the USDA final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 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.

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), 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, and grain-based desserts (such as cookies, brownies, cakes, and granola bars). 

Serving Requirements  |   General Guidance  |   Breakfast Cereals  |   Enriched Grains
Grain-based Desserts  |   Ounce Equivalents  |   Popcorn  |   Whole Grain-rich Requirement

Serving Requirements

The USDA’s document, Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs ("Exhibit A") includes grain ounce equivalents (oz eq) (required for the NSLP and SBP meal patterns for grades K-12 and the NSLP, SBP, and ASP preschool meal patterns) and grains/breads servings (required for the ASP meal pattern for grades K-12). The minimum creditable amount is ¼ oz eq or ¼ serving. 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 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)

NSLP and SBP for grades K-12

• Chart: Grain Ounce Equivalents for the NSLP and SBP Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  Contains the Exhibit A oz eq requirements
• Grain Ounce Equivalents for the NSLP and SBP Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
• Grain Ounce Equivalents for the Preschool Meal Patterns of the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• How to Use the Grain Ounce Equivalents Chart for the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
• Training: Module 13: Grain Ounce Equivalents (CSDE's What’s in a Meal training program)
• When Commercial Grain Products Require a Product Formulation Statement to Credit in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)

NSLP, SBP, and ASP for preschool

• Chart: Grain Ounce Equivalents for the NSLP and SBP Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  Contains the Exhibit A oz eq requirements 
• CACFP Grains Ounce Equivalents Resources (USDA webpage)
• Calculation Methods for Grain Ounce Equivalents for the NSLP and SBP Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
• Calculation Methods for Grain Ounce Equivalents for the Preschool Meal Patterns of the School Nutrition Programs (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)
• Crediting Single-Serving Packages of Grains in the CACFP (USDA webpage)
• Determining Ounce Equivalents of Grains in CACFP Recipes (USDA)
• How to Use the Grain Ounce Equivalents Chart for the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
• Using Ounce Equivalents for Grains in the CACFP (USDA)
• When Commercial Grain Products Require a Product Formulation Statement to Credit in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)

ASP for Grades K-12

Grains/breads are measured in servings through June 30, 2025. Effective July 1, 2025, the grains/breads component changes to the grains and the required quantities change to oz eq.

• Chart: Servings for Grains/Breads in the ASP Meal Pattern for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  Contains the Exhibit A servings requirements
• Calculation Methods for Grains/Breads Servings for the Afterschool Snack Program Meal Pattern for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
• How to Use the Grains/Breads Servings Chart for the ASP Meal Pattern for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
• When Commercial Grain Products Require a Product Formulation Statement to Credit in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)

General Crediting Guidance

• Comparison of Meal Pattern Requirements for the Grains Component in School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Enriched Grains in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Crediting Whole 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
• Food Buying Guide: Section 4 Grains (USDA)
  • Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Grains Component
  • Yield Table for Grains
• Preschool
  • How to Identify Creditable Grains for the Preschool Meal Patterns of the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
  • USDA Memo CACFP 09-2018: Grain Requirements in the CACFP: Q&As\
  • Using the WIC Food Lists to Identify Grains for the CACFP (USDA webpage)
• Training
  • Module 11: Grains Component (CSDE's What’s in a Meal training program)
  • Module 12: Whole Grain-rich (WGR) Requirement (CSDE's What’s in a Meal training program)
  • Module 13: Grain Ounce Equivalents (CSDE's What’s in a Meal training program)
  • Module 7: Grains Component (CSDE's Preschool Meal Pattern Training for the School Nutrition Programs)
• USDA Memos
  • USDA Memo SP 26-2012: Formulated Grain Fruit Products
  • 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
• When Commercial Grain Products Require a Product Formulation Statement to Credit in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)

Breakfast Cereals

• NSLP and SBP for grades K-12: Effective July 1, 2025, breakfast cereals cannot exceed 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce.
  • Crediting Breakfast Cereals in the Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• ASP for grades K-12: Effective July 1, 2025, breakfast cereals cannot exceed 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce.
• NSLP, SBP, and ASP for preschool: 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 Preschool Meal Patterns for the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)

Enriched Grains

• NSLP and SBP limits for grades K-12: Enriched grains cannot exceed 20 percent of all grains offered during the week. Enriched grains must meet the limit for noncreditable grains. Noncreditable grains cannot exceed 3.99 grams per portion for groups A-G or 6.99 grams per portion for groups H-I.
• Crediting Enriched Grains in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)

Grain-based Desserts

Examples of grain-based desserts include cookies, piecrusts in sweet pies, doughnuts, cereal bars, granola bars, sweet rolls, pastries, toaster pastries, cake, and brownies. 

• NSLP and SBP for grades K-12: At lunch, grain-based desserts cannot exceed 2 oz eq per week. The breakfast meal pattern does not require a weekly limit for grain-based desserts but restricts the types that are allowed.
  • Crediting Grain-based Desserts in the Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 in the School Nutrition Program (CSDE) 
• ASP for grades K-12: Effective July 1, 2025, grain-based desserts do not credit. 
• NSLP, SBP, and ASP for preschool: Grain-based desserts do not credit. Sweet crackers such as graham crackers and animal crackers are allowed in the preschool meal patterns but should be limited to no more than twice per week between all meals and snacks. 

Popcorn

• USDA Memo SP 23-2019, CACFP 10-2019, and SFSP 9-2019: Crediting Popcorn in the Child Nutrition Programs

Whole Grain-rich Requirement

• NSLP and SBP for grades K-12: At least 80 percent of the weekly grains offered at lunch and breakfast must be WGR based on the oz eq of offered grains. A WGR food must meet two criteria: 1) the food is 100 percent whole grain or contains a blend of whole and enriched grains that is at least 50 percent whole grain; and 2) noncreditable grains cannot exceed 3.99 grams per portion for groups A-G or 6.99 grams per portion for groups H-I.
  • Calculating the Weekly Percentage of Whole Grain-rich Menu Items in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
    • Worksheet to Calculate the Weekly Percentage of Whole Grain-rich Menu Items in School Lunch and Breakfast Menus for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  • CSDE Guide: Guide to Meeting the Whole Grain-rich Requirement for the NSLP and SBP Meal Patterns for Grades K-12
  • CSDE Operational Memo No. 22-14: Evaluating Products for Compliance with the WGR Criteria for School Nutrition Programs
  • Crediting Whole Grains in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
  • The Whole Grain Resource for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs (USDA)
  • Tools for Schools: Serving Whole Grain-rich (USDA) 
  • Training: Module 12: Whole Grain-rich (WGR) Requirement (CSDE's What’s in a Meal training program)
• ASP for grades K-12: Effective July 1, 2025, at least 80 percent of the weekly grains offered at snack must be WGR based on the oz eq of offered grains. WGR grains are identified using the NSLP and SBP WGR criteria.
• NSLP, SBP, and ASP for preschool: Preschool menus must include at least one WGR serving per day, between all meals and snacks served to preschoolers. 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) 
  • 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)