Crediting Foods in School Nutrition Programs

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  |   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.

NSLP and SBP for grades K-12

NSLP, SBP, and ASP for preschool

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.

General Crediting Guidance

Grain products and recipes must be made with creditable grains (whole grains, enriched grains, bran, and germ). 

Breakfast Cereals

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.

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.
  • 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

Whole Grain-rich Requirement