Overview
School Nutrition Programs | Program Guidance | Forms | Resources | Nutrition Education
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) preschool meal patterns (ages 1-5) for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Afterschool Snack Program (ASP) follow the same requirements as the CACFP meal patterns for children. The Seamless Summer Option (SSO) of the NSLP follows the NSLP, SBP, and ASP meal patterns. For detailed guidance on the preschool meal patterns and crediting requirements, refer to the CSDE's Guide to Meeting the Preschool Meal Patterns and Crediting Requirements for the School Nutrition Programs.
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 preschool meal patterns. Some menu planning flexibilities are effective July 1, 2024. Changes to preschool menus are not required until school year 2025-26 (beginning July 1, 2025). 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.
Meal Patterns |
Menu Planning |
Meal Service
Serving the Same Menu to Preschool and Grades K-12
Co-mingled Meals and Afterschool Snacks
Preschool Meal Patterns
- Comparison Charts
- Grain Ounce Equivalents
- Grain Ounce Equivalents for the Preschool Meal Patterns of the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
- Ounce Equivalents ("Related Resources" section of CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs webpage)
- Meal Patterns
- ASP Preschool Meal Pattern (CSDE)
- NSLP Preschool Meal Pattern (CSDE)
- SBP Preschool Meal Pattern (CSDE)
- Nutrition Standards for CACFP Meals and Snacks (USDA webpage)
- Meal Pattern Changes: 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 preschool meal patterns. Some menu planning flexibilities take effect with school year 2024-25 (beginning July 1, 2024). Changes to preschool menus are not required until school year 2025-26 (beginning July 1, 2025). 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.
- Training Resources
- CACFP Cooking Videos (USDA webpage)
- CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays webinar Series (USDA Team Nutrition)
- CACFP Meal Pattern Training Slides (USDA webpage)
- CACFP Training Tools (USDA webpage)
- CARE Connection Step-by-Step Menu Planning (Institute of Child Nutrition Online Training)
- CSDE Training Modules: Preschool Meal Pattern Training for the School Nutrition Programs ("How To" section of CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Program webpage)
- Training for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
- USDA Memos
- USDA Memo SP 01-2018: Updated Infant and Preschool Meal Patterns in NSLP and SBP: Q&As
- USDA Memo SP 01-2019 and CACFP 01-2019: Guidance for FY19: Updated CACFP Meal Patterns and Updated NSLP and SBP Infant and Preschool Meal Patterns
Menu Planning
- Best Practices
- USDA Memo CACFP 15-2016: Optional Best Practices to Further Improve Nutrition in the Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Pattern
- Breakfast
- 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)
- Sample Menus for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms" section of CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Crediting Foods
- 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)
- 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)
- Food Safety
- Lunch
- Cycle Menus for Child Care: Preschoolers (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Sample Menus for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms" section of CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Menu Planning Guidance
- CSDE's Menu Planning Guidance Series for the Preschool Meal Patterns
- Menu Forms for Preschoolers ("Documents/Forms" section)
- Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
- Sample Menus for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms" section of CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Serving School Meals to Preschoolers (USDA)
- Nutrition Facts Label
- Reading Food Labels for Allergens ("Documents/Forms" section of CSDE's Special Diets in School Nutrition Programs webpage)
- Using the Nutrition Facts Label in the CACFP (USDA)
- Production Records
- Production Records for Preschoolers ("Documents/Forms" section)
- Recipes
- Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE's Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs webpage)
- Resource Lists
- Snacks
- 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)
- Sample Menus for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms" section of CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
- Serving Snacks in the CACFP (USDA)
- Snack Inspiration: Menus with 240 Snack Ideas (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)
- Special Diets
- Sugars Limits for Preschool Menus
- Breakfast Cereals
- Yogurt
- Vegetables
Meal Service
- Family Style Meal Service
- CACFP and Family Style Meal Service (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Family-Style Dining in Child Care Settings (Virtual Lab School)
- Family Style Meal Service (Oregon Department of Education)
- Serving School Meals to Preschoolers (USDA)
- Supplement E: Support Family Style Meals (From USDA's Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program)
- Section 3 — Types of Meal Service: Guide to Meal Service Requirements for Preschoolers in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
- Tips for Serving Meals Family-Style (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- USDA Memo SP 01-2018: Updated Infant and Preschool Meal Patterns in NSLP and SBP: Q&As (refer to Section III: Meal Service Options)
- Why You Should Serve Family Style (National CACFP Association)
- Field Trip Meals
- Requirements for Field Trip Meals in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
- Section 5 — Field Trip Meals: Guide to Meal Service Requirements for Preschoolers in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
- Meal Schedules: Timing and Length
- Section 2 — Meal Schedules: Guide to Meal Service Requirements for Preschoolers in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
- Lunch Periods: Required Time (CSDE's Program Guidance for School Nutrition Programs webpage)
- Offer versus Serve (OVS)
- OVS is allowed only when preschoolers are co-mingled with older grades in the NSLP, SBP, SSO, or ASP (refer to Co-mingled Meals and Afterschool Snacks below); otherwise, OVS is not allowed in the preschool meal patterns.
- Serving School Meals to Preschoolers (USDA)
- Water Availability During Meal Service (CSDE's Program Guidance for School Nutrition Programs webpage)
Serving the Same Menu to Preschool and Grades K-12
The preschool meal patterns and meal patterns for grades K-12 have different requirements. When school food authorities (SFAs) serve the same lunch, breakfast, or afterschool snack menu to both groups, the menu items must comply with whichever requirements are stricter. For example, the NSLP and SBP meal patterns for grades K-12 have stricter whole grain-rich (WGR) criteria than the preschool meal patterns. Meals served to both groups must comply with the WGR criteria for grades K-12. The NSLP, SBP, and ASP preschool meal patterns require a sugars limit for yogurt and breakfast cereals, but the meal patterns for grades K-12 do not. Yogurt and breakfast cereals served to both groups must comply with the preschool sugars limit.
- Comparison of ASP Meal Pattern Requirements for Preschool and Grades K-12 (CSDE)
- Comparison of Lunch and Breakfast Meal Pattern Requirements for Preschool and Grades K-12 in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
- Section 4 — Co-mingled Meals and Afterschool Snacks: Guide to Meal Service Requirements for Preschoolers in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
Co-mingled Meals and Afterschool Snacks
“Co-mingling” is the practice of serving meals or afterschool snacks to a variety of grades in the same service area at the same time. This practice typically occurs due to operational constraints within a school, such as limited time and space. SFAs may use the meal pattern of the older grades for both grade groups (preschoolers and the older grade group) when the co-mingled meal or afterschool snack service meets the requirements below.
- The preschoolers and students from older grade groups are served meals or afterschool snacks together in the same place at the same time.
- It is hard to tell the preschoolers from older students.
- It would be operationally difficult to serve different foods or different amounts of foods during the combined meal or afterschool snack service.
For example, if the SFA serves lunch or breakfast to preschoolers and grades K-5 in the same service area at the same time, the SFA may choose to follow the K-5 meal pattern for both groups. If the SFA serves afterschool snack to preschoolers and grades K-12 in the same service area at the same time, the SFA may choose to follow the ASP meal pattern for grades K-12 for both groups.
The preschool meal patterns provide the amounts and types of foods that most younger children need for healthy growth and development. The USDA strongly encourages SFAs to find ways to serve grade-appropriate meals and afterschool snacks to preschoolers and older students to best address their nutritional needs. SFAs must follow the preschool meal patterns when meals and afterschool snacks are served to preschoolers in a different area (such as a separate serving line or meals in the classroom) or at a different time.
- Module 2: Introduction to Preschool Meal Patterns (CSDE’s Preschool Meal Pattern Training for the School Nutrition Programs)
- Section 4 — Co-mingled Meals and Afterschool Snacks: Guide to Meal Service Requirements for Preschoolers in the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
- Serving School Meals to Preschoolers (USDA)
- USDA Memo SP 37-2017: Flexibility for Co-Mingled Preschool Meals: Questions and Answers