Overview

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Program Guidance Child Care  |    Operational Memos  |   Resources

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal patterns for children and CACFP adult meal patterns are designed to meet participants' 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. Meals and snacks served to participants are eligible for USDA reimbursement when they contain the minimum portion of each required meal component.

A meal component is one of the five food groups that comprise reimbursable meals and snacks in the CACFP meal patterns, 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. The USDA requires crediting documentation to demonstrate how menu items meet the requirements of the CACFP meal pattern regulations. For more information, visit the CSDE's Crediting Foods in the Child and Adult Care Food Program webpage and Crediting Documentation for the Child Nutrition 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  |   CACFP Adult Meal Patterns  |   Meal Pattern Resources
CSDE Menu Planning Guidance Series  |   Crediting Guidance  |   CACFP Meal Pattern Updates

CACFP Meal Patterns for Children

The CACFP meal patterns for children include 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.

• 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)
• CSDE Guide: Guide to Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children  

CACFP Adult Meal Patterns

Meals and snacks served to adult participants are eligible for USDA reimbursement when they contain the minimum portion of each required meal component.

• CACFP Adult Meal Patterns
  • Breakfast: CACFP Breakfast Meal Pattern for Adult Day Care Centers (CSDE)
  • Lunch/Supper: CACFP Lunch/Supper Meal Pattern for Adult Day Care Centers (CSDE)
  • Snack: CACFP Snack Meal Pattern for Adult Day Care Centers (CSDE)
• CSDE Guide: Guide to Meeting the CACFP Adult Meal Patterns (CSDE)

Meal Pattern Resources

• CACFP Meal Pattern Posters (USDA webpage)
• CACFP Meal Pattern Training Slides (USDA webpage)
• CSDE Training: Bite Size: Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children
• Grain Ounce Equivalents for the CACFP (CSDE) 
• Noncreditable Foods in the CACFP (CSDE)
• Nutrition Standards for CACFP Meals and Snacks (USDA webpage)
• Resources for the CACFP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
• Sample Menus for CACFP Adult Day Care Centers ("Menu Planning" section)
• Sample Menus for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Menu Planning" section)
• 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 Adult Meal Patterns (CSDE)
• Guide to Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children  (CSDE)
• Crediting Guide for the CACFP (CSDE)
• Guide to Menu Documentation for the CACFP (CSDE)
• Guide to Meal Service Requirements for CACFP Adult Day Care Centers (CSDE)
• Guide to Meal Service Requirements for CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE)

Crediting Guidance

• Crediting Documentation for the Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
• Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE webpage)

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.