How To
Crediting Foods | Meal Service | Menu Planning
Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs
- CSDE Guide: Guide to Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children and Crediting Requirements
- Crediting Commercial Processed Products (CSDE's Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Crediting Foods Made from Scratch (CSDE's Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE webpage)
- Crediting Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (USDA)
- CSDE Operational Memo No. 7A, 9C-16 and 9H-16: Requirements for Documenting CACFP Meal Pattern Contribution of Processed Foods
Meal Service in CACFP Child Care Programs
Eating Environment | Family Style | OVS | Water Availability
Eating Environment
- Best Practices for Child Care Professionals Creating and Maintaining a Wellness Environment in Child Care Centers Participating in the CACFP (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- CSDE Guide: Guide to Meal Service Requirements for CACFP Child Care Programs
- Creating and Maintaining a Wellness Environment in Child Care Centers Participating in the CACFP (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Introduction to Happy Mealtimes in Child Care Settings (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Mealtimes with Toddlers in the CACFP (USDA webpage)
- Positive Eating Environment Tool (U.S. Department of Human Services Head Start)
- Ready, Set, Go! Creating and Maintaining a Wellness Environment in Child Care Centers Participating in the CACFP (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- More resources: "Child Care Eating Environment" in CSDE's Resource List for Wellness Policies in Schools and Child Care
Family Style Meal Service
- CACFP and Family Style Meal Service (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- CSDE Guide: Guide to Meal Service Requirements for CACFP Child Care Programs
- Family-Style Dining in Child Care Settings (Virtual Lab School)
- Family Style Meal Service (Oregon Department of Education)
- Family Style Meal Service with Children in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (USDA webpage)
- Grab and Go Lesson: Benefits for Serving Meals Family Style in Child Care (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Grab and Go Lesson: CACFP and Family Style Meal Service (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Mealtime Memo: The Basic Guide to Family Style Dining – Part 1 (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals (National CACFP Association)
- Parent Handout: Serving Meals "Family Style" (USDA)
- Tips for Serving Meals Family-Style (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- USDA Guide: Family Style Meal Service with Children in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
- USDA Memo CACFP 05-2017: Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
- Why You Should Serve Family Style (National CACFP Association)
Offer versus Serve (OVS) Allowed only for at-risk afterschool centers
- Offer versus Serve in At-risk Afterschool Centers (CSDE)
- USDA Memo CACFP 05-17: Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Water Availability
- CSDE Guide: Guide to Meal Service Requirements for CACFP Child Care Programs
- Grab and Go Lesson: Offering and Making Water Available in Child Care (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Offering Water in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (USDA)
- USDA Memo CACFP 18-2016: Water Availability in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
- USDA Memo CACFP 20-2016: Resources for Making Potable Water Available in Schools and Child Care Facilities
- "Water Availability" in CSDE's Resource List for Child Nutrition Programs
Menu Planning for CACFP Child Care Programs
Cycle Menus | Menu Planning Guidance | Menu Planning Training
Cycle Menus
- CACFP Fact Sheet: Cycle Menus (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- CARE Connection Online Training: Planning Cycle Menus in Child Care (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Cooking Up Healthy Habits: A Guide to CACFP Meals (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)
- Cycle Menus for Child Care: Preschoolers (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE's Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs webpage)
- Snack Inspiration: Menus with 240 Snack Ideas (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)
Menu Planning Guidance
- General Guidance
- Best Practices: USDA Memo CACFP 15-2016: Optional Best Practices to Further Improve Nutrition in the Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Pattern
- Best Practices for Menu Planning (National CACFP Association)
- CSDE Guide: Guide to Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children and Crediting Requirements
- Menu Planning Basics: A Guide for CACFP Operators in Child Care (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Menu Planning Basics for CACFP: CACFP iTrain Simple Lesson Plan (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
- Sample CACFP Menus ("Documents/Forms" section of CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Breakfast
- CSDE Sample Menus for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms section)
- Cycle Menus for Child Care: Preschoolers (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- It's Breakfast Time! Child and Adult Care Food Program Breakfast Menu Planner for Children 3 Through 18 Years of Age (USDA)
- Lunch and Supper
- CSDE Sample Menus for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms section)
- Cycle Menus for Child Care: Preschoolers (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Nutrition Facts Label
- CARE Connection Online Training: CACFP: Navigating Nutrition Facts Labels (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Reading Food Labels for Allergens ("Documents/Forms" section of CSDE's Special Diets in CACFP Adult Day Care Centers webpage)
- Using the Nutrition Facts Label in the CACFP (USDA webpage)
- Snacks
- CSDE Sample Menus for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms section)
- Cycle Menus for Child Care: Preschoolers (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Let's Make a Snack: Child and Adult Care Food Program Snack Menu Planner for Children 3 Through 18 Years of Age (USDA)
- Serving Snacks in the CACFP (USDA)
- Snack Inspiration: Menus with 240 Snack Ideas (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)
- Resource Lists
- Special Diets
- Sugar Limit for Breakfast Cereals and Yogurt
Menu Planning Training
- CACFP Cooking Videos (USDA webpage)
- CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays Training Webinar Series: Topics related to the CACFP meal pattern requirements (USDA)
- CACFP Meal Pattern Training Slides (USDA webpage)
- CACFP Training Tools (USDA webpage)
- CARE Connection Online Training: Planning Cycle Menus in Child Care (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- CARE Connection Online Training: Serving Nutritious Foods in Child Care (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- CARE Connection Online Training: Step-by-Step Menu Planning (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- More training: Training for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)