Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs

Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs

Sponsors of the Child Nutrition Programs must ensure that local menus comply with the USDA meal patterns. Recipes and menus that are not from USDA should be checked for compliance with the USDA meal patterns, and adapted as needed.

CACFP Recipes  |   Multicultural Recipes  |   School Recipes
Spices and Seasonings  |   Standardized Recipes

CACFP Recipes

• CACFP Cooking Videos (USDA webpage)
• CACFP Recipes for Child Care Homes and Adult Day Care (USDA webpage)
• Child Nutrition Recipe Box (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• Multicultural Recipes for Child Care Centers, Family Day Homes and Adult Daycare Centers (Texas Department of Agriculture)
• Recipes for Healthy Kids: Cookbook for Child Care Centers (USDA webpage)
• Recipes for Healthy Kids: Cookbook for Homes (USDA webpage)
• Team Nutrition Recipes (USDA)
• More resources: "Recipes" in CSDE's Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production for Child Nutrition Programs 

Multicultural Recipes

• Back to Basics: Asian Fusion Recipes (John Stalker Institute, Framingham State University)
• Back to Basics: Indian Fare Recipes (John Stalker Institute, Framingham State University)
• Back to Basics: Latin American Cuisine Recipes (John Stalker Institute, Framingham State University)
• Back to Basics: Mediterranean Flavors Recipes (John Stalker Institute, Framingham State University)
• Culturally Inclusive Recipes Toolkit for School Nutrition Programs (Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition [CICN])
• Culture and Food (USDA webpage): Menu planning resources, ideas, and recipes. Note: Recipes do not indicate the meal pattern contribution for Child Nutrition Programs.
• Menus of Flavor (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• Multicultural Recipes for Child Care Centers, Family Day Homes and Adult Daycare Centers (Texas Department of Agriculture)

School Recipes

• Child Nutrition Recipe Box (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• Grab & Go Recipes (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• New School Cuisine: Nutritious and Seasonal Recipes for School Cooks by School Cooks (Vermont Agency of Education)
• Recipes (John Stalker Institute, Framingham State University)
• Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook for Schools (USDA webpage)
• Team Nutrition Recipes (USDA)
• More resources: "Recipes" in CSDE's Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production for Child Nutrition Programs 

Spices and Seasonings

• Boost flavors with herbs and spices: page 54 of the Institute of Child Nutrition's Menu Planning Basics: A Guide for CACFP Operators in Child Care
• No Time to Train - Short Lessons for School Nutrition Assistants: Adjusting a Recipe with Herbs and Spices (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• No Time to Train - Short Lessons for School Nutrition Assistants: Herbs, Spices, and Seasonings (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• Flavor Chart (Georgia Department of Education)
• Using Herbs and Spices to Flavor Foods: Enhancing Flavor and Appeal (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• Using Herbs and Spices to Flavor Foods: Purchasing and Storing (Institute of Child Nutrition)

Standardized Recipes

• Manager’s Corner: Standardized Recipes (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• Measuring Success with Standardized Recipes (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• Menu Planner for School Meals: Chapter 4: Meal Preparation Documentation (USDA)
• Recipe Analysis Workbook (USDA's Food Buying Guide): Develops standardized recipes with meal pattern contribution per serving (users must create a free account)
• Recipe Standardization Guide for the CACFP (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• Standardized Recipe Form for the CACFP (CSDE)
• Standardized Recipe Form for the School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Standardized Recipe Form for the SFSP (CSDE)
• USDA Recipe Standardization Guide for School Nutrition Programs (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• What’s Standard About Standardized Recipes? (The Journal of Child Nutrition & Management)
• Why Use Standardized Recipes? Fact Sheet (Institute of Child Nutrition)
• Training on standardized recipes
  • Basic Culinary Math for School Nutrition Professionals (Institute of Child Nutrition)
  • No Time to Train: Short Lessons for School Nutrition Assistants: Identifying the Parts of a USDA Quantity Recipe (Institute of Child Nutrition) 
  • No Time to Train: Short Lessons for School Nutrition Assistants: Portioning Matters (Institute of Child Nutrition)
  • On the Road to Professional Food Preparation eLearning: Portion Control (Institute of Child Nutrition)
  • On the Road to Professional Food Preparation eLearning: Recipe Adjustments (Institute of Child Nutrition)
  • On the Road to Professional Food Preparation eLearning: Weights and Measures (Institute of Child Nutrition) 
  • STAR Strategies for Utilizing Standardized Recipes (Institute of Child Nutrition)