Overview

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) CACFP meal patterns for children are designed to meet children’s calorie needs, provide key nutrients, and align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These meal patterns require minimum servings of specific meal components for breakfast, lunch/supper, and snack for four different age groups: ages 1-2; ages 3-5; ages 6-12; and ages 13-18 (applies only to at-risk afterschool programs and emergency shelters). Meals and snacks served to children are eligible for USDA reimbursement when they contain the minimum portion of each required meal component for each age group.

A meal component is one of the five food groups that comprise reimbursable meals and snacks in the CACFP meal patterns for children, including milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats/meat alternates. Each meal component has specific crediting requirements to count as a meal component of reimbursable meals and snacks. For more information, visit the CSDE's Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage.

For information on the meal patterns for infants (birth through 11 months), visit the CSDE's Feeding Infants in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage.

CACFP Meal Patterns for Children  |   CSDE Menu Planning Guidance Series
Meal Pattern Guidance  |   CACFP Meal Pattern Updates

CACFP Meal Patterns for Children

• CACFP Meal Patterns for Children
  • Breakfast: CACFP Breakfast Meal Pattern for Children (CSDE)
  • Lunch/Supper: CACFP Lunch/Supper Meal Pattern for Children (CSDE)
  • Snack: CACFP Snack Meal Pattern for Children (CSDE)
• CACFP Meal Pattern Posters (USDA webpage)
• CACFP Meal Pattern Training Slides (USDA webpage)
• CSDE Training: Bite Size: Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children
• Guide to Meeting the Meal Pattern Requirements for CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE)
• Grain Ounce Equivalents for the CACFP (CSDE) 
• Noncreditable Foods for Child Care Programs in the CACFP (CSDE)
• Nutrition Standards for CACFP Meals and Snacks (USDA webpage)
• Resources for the CACFP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
• USDA Memo CACFP 08-2017: Questions and Answers on the Updated Meal Pattern Requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

CSDE Menu Planning Guidance Series

• Guide to Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children and Crediting Requirements (CSDE)
• Guide to Menu Documentation for the CACFP (CSDE)
• Guide to Meal Service Requirements for CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE)

Meal Pattern Guidance

• Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs ("How To" section)
• Meal Service in CACFP Child Care Programs ("How To" section)
• Menu Forms for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms" section)
• Menu Planning for CACFP Child Care Programs ("How To" section)
• Production Records for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms" section)
• Sample Menus for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms section)

CACFP Meal Pattern Updates

On April 25, 2024, the USDA published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (89 FR 31962). This final rule implements gradual updates to the Child Nutrition Programs in several key areas, including the CACFP meal patterns. Some menu planning flexibilities are effective July 1, 2024. Changes to CACFP menus are not required until program year 2025-26 (beginning October 1, 2025). For more information, visit the "CACFP Meal Pattern Updates" section of the CSDE's CACFP webpage.