Meal Patterns for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

Bite Size Meal Pattern Training

Bite Size: Meeting the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Meal Patterns

The CSDE's Bite Size training program is a series of recorded modules that provide comprehensive guidance on complying with the CACFP meal patterns, crediting requirements, and meal service requirements for CACFP child care facilities (including child care and Head Start centers, at-risk afterschool care centers, emergency shelters, and family day care homes) and adult day care centers. Bite Size reflects the current CACFP meal pattern requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s CACFP regulations 7 CFR Part 226 and legislation and policies for the CACFP, including the changes required by the USDA final rules, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (effective October 1, 2025) and Expanding Fluid Milk Options in Child Nutrition Programs (effective June 8, 2026). For guidance on recent updates, visit the "CACFP Meal Pattern Updates" section of this webpage.

Objectives

To review the CACFP meal pattern requirements for reimbursable meals and snacks, including the required meal components and servings in the CACFP meal patterns for children and the CACFP adult meal patterns.
To describe the crediting criteria for the five meal components of the CACFP meal patterns, including considerations for crediting different foods, the required crediting documentation for meals and snacks, and how to identify noncreditable foods.
To review the meal service requirements for children, including the meal service options and the USDA’s requirement to offer and make water available to children upon request throughout the day.
To review the CACFP offer versus serve (OVS) requirements for adult participants in adult day care centers and children ages 13-18 in at-risk afterschool supper programs.
To identify resources for guidance and training on the CACFP meal patterns, crediting requirements, and meal service requirements.

Target audience: Bite Size is intended for the staff responsible for menu planning and ensuring that meals and snacks comply with the CACFP meal patterns.

Module descriptions: Description of Modules in the Bite Size Meal Pattern Training

Accessing the modules: The training module videos are housed in Qualtrics. Click on each module title below to register and view the video.

Navigating the modules: The videos include a toolbar that can be used to pause, rewind, and resume the video, adjust the sound, turn on closed captioning, and search for topics. The chapters feature (the icon with three dots and three lines on the far right of the toolbar) allows easy navigation to each topic. To access the toolbar during the video, move the mouse to the green bar at the bottom of the video.

Knowledge check and training documentation: After viewing modules 1-2, 4, and 6-19, attendees will complete a brief knowledge check. The score will display after all questions are complete. Attendees may print their knowledge check score to document participation in each module. Note: Modules 3 and 5 are their own knowledge checks and do not have an additional Qualtrics knowledge check.

1: Introduction to Training  |   2: CACFP Meal Patterns for Children
3: Meal or No Meal: CACFP Meal Patterns for Children  |   4: CACFP Adult Meal Patterns
5: Meal or No Meal: CACFP Adult Meal Patterns
6: Menus, Production Records, and Standardized Recipes
7: Introduction to Crediting Documentation  |   8: Child Nutrition (CN) Labels
9: Product Formulation Statements  |   10: Milk  |   11: Meats/Meat Alternates (MMA)
12: Vegetables  |   13: Fruits  |   14: Grains  |   15: Offering Water in the CACFP
16: Meal Service for Children  |   17: OVS at Breakfast in Adult Day Care Centers
18: OVS at Lunch/Supper in Adult Day Care Centers
19: OVS at Supper in At-risk Afterschool Programs

Module 1: Introduction to Training (length 15:13)

This module introduces the Bite Size training program, provides an overview of the training objectives and modules, identifies common acronyms and abbreviations, and describes key resources for guidance and training.

Module 2: CACFP Patterns for Children (length 39:56)

This module reviews the CACFP meal patterns for children in child care programs and family day care homes. Topics include an overview of federal legislation for the CACFP meal patterns, the CACFP meal pattern requirements (including meal components, minimum servings, and nutrition standard and restrictions), USDA best practices, and key resources for guidance and training on the CACFP meal patterns for children.

Module 3: Meal or No Meal Knowledge Check for CACFP Patterns for Children (length 25:24)

This module is the knowledge check for Module 2: CACFP Meal Patterns for Children. Attendees review sample breakfast, lunch/supper, and snack menus to determine if they meet the CACFP meal patterns. Note: Complete module 2 before completing this module.

Module 4: CACFP Adult Meal Patterns (length 35:06)

This module reviews the CACFP adult meal patterns for adult participants in adult day care centers. Topics include an overview of federal legislation for the CACFP adult meal patterns, the CACFP adult meal pattern requirements (including meal components, minimum servings, and nutrition standard and restrictions), USDA best practices, and key resources for guidance and training on the CACFP adult meal patterns.

Module 5: Meal or No Meal Knowledge Check for CACFP Adult Meal Patterns (length 24:58)

This module is the knowledge check for Module 4: CACFP Adult Meal Patterns. Attendees review sample breakfast, lunch/supper, and snack menus to determine if they meet the CACFP adult meal patterns. Note: Complete module 4 before completing this module.

Module 6: Menus, Production Records, and Standardized Recipes (length 35:52)

This module reviews the menu documentation requirements for CACFP child care programs and adult day care centers. Topics include the importance of menu documentation, CACFP menus, production records, requirements for electronic production records, standardized recipes, and key resources for guidance and training on documentation for CACFP menus.

Module 7: Introduction to Crediting Documentation (length 33:21)

This module introduces the requirements for crediting foods in CACFP child care programs and adult day care centers. Topics include crediting foods, the USDA’s Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs, crediting documentation for commercial processed products, nutrition information, crediting documentation for foods made from scratch, maintaining crediting documentation, and key resources for guidance and training on crediting documentation.

Module 8: Child Nutrition (CN) Labels (length 22:20)

This module provides guidance on using CN labels to credit commercial processed products in CACFP child care programs and adult day care centers. Topics include an introduction to CN labels (how the CN Labeling Program operates, the benefits of using CN labels, and eligible products), the USDA’s CN Label Verification System, the required elements of CN labels, acceptable documentation for CN-labeled foods, the requirements for maintaining and storing CN labels, and key resources for guidance and training on CN labels.

Module 9: Product Formulation Statements (length 31:43)

This module provides guidance on using a product formulation statement (PFS) to credit commercial processed products in CACFP child care programs and adult day care centers. Topics include an introduction to PFS forms, when a PFS is required, the required elements for PFS forms, how to review a PFS for accuracy, the requirements for maintaining and storing PFS forms, and key resources for guidance and training on PFS forms.

Module 10: Milk Component (length 24:08)

This module reviews the requirements and crediting information for the milk component of the CACFP meal patterns for children and the CACFP adult meal patterns. Topics include the required servings, menu planning considerations, allowable types of milk, required menu documentation for milk, requirements for fluid milk substitutes for non-disability reasons, a knowledge check on milk substitutes for non-disability reasons, noncreditable milk, and key resources for guidance and training on the milk component.

Module 11: Meats/Meat Alternates (MMA) Component (length 45:16)

This module reviews the requirements and crediting information for the meats/meat alternates component of the CACFP meal patterns for children and the CACFP adult meal patterns. Topics include the required servings, offering MMA at breakfast, main dish requirement for lunch, crediting requirements for different types of MMA (commercial processed products, dried meats, cheeses, eggs, beans, peas, and lentils (including roasted beans, peas, and lentils and pasta made of 100 percent bean, pea, or lentils flour), nuts and seeds, nut and seed butters, yogurt and soy yogurt, tofu, tempeh, surimi, alternate protein products (APPs), noncreditable MMA, USDA best practices for MMA, and key resources for guidance and training on the MMA component.

Module 12: Vegetables Component (length 33:16)

This module reviews the requirements and crediting information for the vegetables component of the CACFP meal patterns. Topics include the required servings, the daily juice limit, preparing vegetables safely, crediting requirements for different types of vegetables (vegetable juice, raw leafy greens, canned vegetables, hominy, dried vegetables, pureed vegetables, vegetable smoothies, soups, mixed vegetables, vegetable and fruit mixtures, and vegetable flour pasta), noncreditable vegetables, USDA best practices for vegetables, and key resources for guidance and training on the vegetables component.

Module 13: Fruits Component (length 25:09)

This module reviews the requirements and crediting information for the fruits component of the CACFP meal patterns for children and the CACFP adult meal patterns. Topics include the required servings, the daily juice limit, crediting requirements for different types of fruits (whole fresh fruits, frozen fruits, canned fruits, dried fruits, fruit juice, coconut, and pureed fruits including fruit smoothies), noncreditable fruits, USDA best practices for fruits, and key resources for guidance and training on the fruits component.

Module 14: Grains Component (length 31:45)

This module reviews the requirements and crediting information for the grains component of the CACFP meal patterns for children and the CACFP adult meal patterns. Topics include the required servings, allowable grain foods, the whole grain-rich (WGR) requirement and menu planning considerations, the WGR criteria and methods to determine if foods are WGR, identifying grain-based desserts (not allowed), noncreditable grain foods, how to determine ounce equivalents contribution, and key resources for guidance and training on the grains component.

Module 15: Offering Water in the CACFP (length 13:53)

This module reviews the requirements and considerations for offering water to children in the CACFP. Topics include an overview of the water requirement, examples of how to offer water, important considerations for offering water, allowable costs, and key resources for guidance and training on the water requirement.

Module 16: Meal Service for Children (length 24:03)

This module reviews the meal service options and requirements for children in the CACFP. Topics include the allowable types of meal service (pre-plated meal service, cafeteria-style meal service, family-style meal service, and combination-style meal service), accurate meal counts at point of service, and resources for guidance and training on meal service.

Module 17: Offer versus Serve (OVS) at Breakfast in Adult Day Care Centers (length 35:06)

This module reviews the OVS requirements for breakfast in adult day care centers. Topics include an overview of OVS definitions for OVS at breakfast, accurate breakfast meal counts with OVS, the OVS requirements for breakfast, options for increasing variety, combination foods, instructions and signage for OVS, and key resources for guidance and training on OVS. This module also includes Meal or No Meal OVS Breakfast Edition, knowledge check for attendees to test their skills at identifying reimbursable breakfasts with OVS.

Module 18: Offer versus Serve (OVS) at Lunch and Supper in Adult Day Care Centers (length 35:24)

This module reviews the OVS requirements for lunch and supper in adult day care centers. Topics include an overview of OVS definitions for OVS at lunch/supper, accurate lunch/supper meal counts with OVS, the OVS requirements for lunch/supper, options for increasing variety, combination foods, instructions and signage for OVS, and key resources for guidance and training on OVS. This module also includes Meal or No Meal OVS Lunch/Supper Edition, a knowledge check for attendees to test their skills at identifying reimbursable lunches and suppers with OVS.

Module 19: Offer versus Serve (OVS) at Supper in At-risk Afterschool Programs (length 33:58)

This module reviews the OVS requirements for supper in at-risk afterschool programs. Topics include an overview of OVS, definitions for OVS at supper, accurate supper meal counts with OVS, the OVS requirements for reimbursable suppers, options for increasing variety, combination foods, instructions and signage for OVS, and key resources for guidance and training on OVS. This module also includes Meal or No Meal OVS Supper Edition, a knowledge check for attendees to test their skills at identifying reimbursable suppers with OVS.