Documents/Forms
Crediting Foods in the SFSP
Foods and beverages served in reimbursable meals and snacks must meet specific requirements to credit toward the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) SFSP meal patterns.
General Crediting Guidance |
Crediting Commercial Processed Products
Crediting Foods Made from Scratch |
SFSP Meal Pattern Components
General Crediting Guidance
Food Buying Guide | Meal Patterns and Crediting | Portion Control | Weights/Measures
Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG)
- Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (USDA webpage)
- Grab and Go Lesson: Food Buying Guide Calculator (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Training on FBG
- Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs: Training Resources (USDA webpage)
- FBG Training Modules (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Exhibit A Grains Tool to the Rescue! (USDA webinar)
- Food Buying Guide Goes Digital (USDA webinar)
- How to Maximize the Exhibit A Grains Tool (USDA webinar)
- Navigating the Food Buying Guide Calculator (USDA webinar)
Meal Patterns and Crediting
- Crediting Summary Charts for the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
- Crediting Updates for Child Nutrition Programs: Be in the Know! Webinar Series (USDA webpage)
- Meal Patterns for the SFSP ("How To" section of CSDE's SFSP webpage)
- Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
- Noncreditable Foods in the SFSP (CSDE)
- Resources for the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 08-2019, CACFP 02-2019, and SFSP 02-2019: Update of Food Crediting in the Child Nutrition Programs
Portion Control
- Basics at a Glance (Institute of Child Nutrition): Recipe abbreviations, measurement conversions, portioning tools, and steamtable pan capacity
- No Time to Train: How Foods Are Portioned (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- No Time to Train: Portioning Matters (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- On the Road to Professional Food Preparation eLearning: Portion Control (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Portion Guide for Fresh Fruits: Start with Half a Cup (CSDE's Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs webpage)
- Portion Guide for Fresh Vegetables: Start with Half a Cup (CSDE's Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs webpage)
Weights and Measures
- Weights and Measures (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- On the Road to Professional Food Preparation eLearning: Weights and Measures (Institute of Child Nutrition)
Crediting Commercial Processed Products
SFSP sponsors must obtain appropriate crediting documentation for commercial products. For example, to credit a commercial breaded chicken patty as 2 ounces of the meat/meat alternates component, the manufacturer’s documentation must indicate that the serving contains 2 ounces of cooked chicken. Allowable documentation includes:
- the original Child Nutrition (CN) label from the product carton or a photocopy or photograph of the CN label shown attached to the original product carton; or
- a product formulation statement (PFS) signed by an official of the manufacturer stating the amount of each meal pattern component contained in one serving of the product.
These are the only acceptable documents for determining a commercial product’s contribution to the SFSP meal patterns. Without this documentation, SFSP sponsors cannot credit commercial products toward the SFSP meal patterns.
CN Labels | Product Formulation Statements | Documentation for Processed Foods
Child Nutrition (CN) Labels
- Child Nutrition (CN) Labeling Manual (USDA)
- CN Authorized Manufacturers and Labels (USDA webpage)
- CN Labeling Program(USDA webpage)
- Using Child Nutrition (CN) Labels in the Summer Food Service Program (CDSE)
- USDA Memo SP 05-2025, CACFP 04-2025, and SFSP 02-2025: Guidance for Accepting Processed Product Documentation for Meal Pattern Requirements
- Training on CN labels
- Manufacturer's Product Formulation Statement: Is it Acceptable? (Institute of Child Nutrition and USDA)
- Slides for Manufacturer's Product Formulation Statement: Is it Acceptable? (Institute of Child Nutrition and USDA)
- What’s in a Meal Module 6: Meal Pattern Documentation (CSDE's Meal Pattern Training for School Nutrition Programs webpage)
Product Formulation Statements
- Reviewer’s Checklist for Evaluating Manufacturer Product Formulation Statements for Meat/Meat Alternates (USDA)
- Tips for Evaluating a Manufacturer's PFS (USDA)
- USDA Memo SP 05-2025, CACFP 04-2025, and SFSP 02-2025: Guidance for Accepting Processed Product Documentation for Meal Pattern Requirements
- Using Product Formulation Statements in the SFSP (CSDE)
- When Commercial Grain Products Require a Product Formulation Statement to Credit in the SFSP (CSDE)
- Training on PFS
- FBG Module 3: Product Formulation Statements (PFS) (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Manufacturer's Product Formulation Statement: Is it Acceptable? (Institute of Child Nutrition and USDA)
- Slides for Manufacturer's Product Formulation Statement: Is it Acceptable? (Institute of Child Nutrition and USDA)
- What’s in a Meal Module 6: Meal Pattern Documentation (CSDE's Meal Pattern Training for School Nutrition Programs webpage)
- USDA PFS for the SFSP (available on USDA’s CN Labeling and PFS Guidance for Food Manufacturers/Industry webpage)
- Grains/Breads: Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Grains/Breads Servings in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and NSLP Afterschool Snacks (USDA)
- Completed Sample: Grains/Breads Servings (USDA)
- Meat/Meat Alternates: Product Formulation Statement (Product Analysis) for Meat/Meat Alternate (M/MA) Products in Child Nutrition Programs (USDA)
- Vegetables/Fruits: Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Vegetables and Fruits in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and NSLP Afterschool Snacks (USDA)
- Grains/Breads: Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Grains/Breads Servings in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and NSLP Afterschool Snacks (USDA)
Required Documentation for Processed Foods
- Accepting Processed Product Documentation in the SFSP (CSDE)
- Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (USDA webpage)
- USDA Memo SP 05-2025, CACFP 04-2025, and SFSP 02-2025: Guidance for Accepting Processed Product Documentation for Meal Pattern Requirements
- Yield Study Form for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
Crediting Foods Made from Scratch
Foods made from scratch require a recipe that documents the SFSP meal pattern crediting information per serving. For example, to credit macaroni and cheese as 2 ounces of the meat/meat alternates component and 2 servings of the grains/breads component, the recipe must indicate that each serving contains 2 ounces of cheese and 1 cup of whole grain or enriched pasta. The CSDE encourages SFSP sponsors to use standardized recipes to ensure accurate crediting information.
Standardized Recipes
- Basics at a Glance Poster (Institute of Child Nutrition): Recipe abbreviations, measurement conversions, portioning tools, and steamtable pan capacity
- Manager’s Corner: Standardized Recipes (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Measuring Success with Standardized Recipes (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- No Time to Train: Identifying the Parts of a USDA Quantity Recipe (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- Recipe Analysis Workbook (USDA's Food Buying Guide): Develops standardized recipes with meal pattern contribution per serving (users must create a free account)
- Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE's Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs webpage)
- Standardized Recipe Form for the SFSP (CSDE)
- Training on standardized recipes
- Basic Culinary Math for School Nutrition Professionals (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- On the Road to Professional Food Preparation eLearning: Recipe Adjustments (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- STAR Strategies for Utilizing Standardized Recipes (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- USDA Guide: USDA Recipe Standardization Guide for School Nutrition Programs (Institute of Child Nutrition)
- What’s Standard about Standardized Recipes? (School Nutrition Association)
- Why Use Standardized Recipes? Fact Sheet (Institute of Child Nutrition)
Crediting Requirements for SFSP Meal Pattern Components
The resources below provide guidance on meeting the crediting requirements for the four SFSP meal pattern components.
Milk | Meat/Meat Alternates | Vegetables/Fruits | Grains/Breads
Milk Component for the SFSP
The milk component requires fluid milk. Milk must be pasteurized, meet all state and local requirements, and contain vitamins A and D at levels specified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Allowable types of milk include unflavored or flavored whole milk, reduced-fat (2%) milk, low-fat (1%) milk, fat-free milk, buttermilk, lactose-reduced milk, acidophilus milk, and lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk.
- Recommended fat content: Serve unflavored whole milk for age 1, unflavored low-fat or fat-free milk for ages 2-5, and unflavored or flavored low-fat or fat-free milk for ages 6 and older.
- Serving size: Milk is measured in cups. The minimum creditable amount is the full 1-cup serving, with an exception for milk in smoothies.
- Milk in smoothies: The minimum creditable amount of milk in a smoothie is ¼ cup. SFSP sponsors must have a standardized recipe or product formulation statement (PFS) to document the type and amount of milk in the smoothie serving. Refer to the CSDE's Crediting Smoothies in the SFSP.
- Nondairy milk substitutes: Nondairy milk substitutes (such as soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk, and oat milk) are allowed only for children whose disability restricts their diet. Juice, water, and other beverages cannot substitute for milk in SFSP meals and snacks for children without a disability.
- Nondairy milk substitutes for school food authorities (SFAs) operating the SFSP: SFAs operating the SFSP may serve nondairy milk substitutes that meet the USDA’s nutrition standards for fluid milk substitutes and comply with the state beverage requirements for nondairy milk substitutes (Section 10-221q of the Connecticut General Statutes). Refer to the CSDE's Allowable Milk Substitutes for Children with Disabilities in School Nutrition Programs. This option does not apply to non-school SFSP sites.
- Overview of requirements: Requirements for the Milk Component of the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
General Crediting Guidance for Milk
- Crediting Fluid Milk in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
- FBG Section 5 Milk: Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Milk Component and Yield Table for Milk (USDA)
- FNS Instruction 783-7 Rev. 1: Milk Requirement Child Nutrition Programs (USDA)
Milk Substitutes (SFAs only
- Milk Substitutes in School Nutrition Programs (CSDE's Special Diets in School Nutrition Programs webpage)
- Requirements for the Milk Component of the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
Meat/Meat Alternates Component for the SFSP
The meat/meat alternates (MMA) component includes fresh and frozen meats (e.g., lean beef, pork, poultry, fish, and shellfish), processed meats (e.g., chicken nuggets, deli meats, and fish sticks), canned meats (e.g., chicken, tuna, and salmon), and meat alternates (e.g., eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts and seeds and their butters, legumes (cooked dry beans and peas), tofu, and tempeh). Legumes credit as either MMA or vegetables but one serving cannot credit as both components in the same meal or snack.
- Serving size: MMA are measured in ounces. The minimum creditable amount is ¼ ounce.
- Required quantities for 1 ounce of MMA: The required quantities depend on the type of meat or meat alternate and refer to the edible portion of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish (i.e., without bone, breading, binders, fillers, extenders, liquids, or other ingredients). A 1-ounce serving of the MMA component equals 1 ounce of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish; 1 ounce of cheese (low-fat recommended); 2 ounces of cottage or ricotta cheese, cheese food/spread, or cheese substitute (low-fat recommended); ¼ cup of cooked legumes; ½ large egg; 2 tablespoons of nut/seed butter; 1 ounce of nuts/seeds; 1 ounce of commercial tofu (must contain at least 5 grams of protein in 2.2 ounces); 1 ounce of tempeh; 3 ounces of surimi; ½ cup or 4 ounces of yogurt or soy yogurt; and 1 ounce of alternate protein products (APPs).
- Limit for nuts and seeds at lunch/supper: Nuts and seeds cannot credit for more than half of the MMA component, i.e., no more than 1 ounce.
- Commerical processed products: Commercial processed products require a CN label or PFS to document their meal pattern contribution. Products without this documentation cannot credit in school meals.
- Overview of requirements: Requirements for the Meat/Meat Alternates Component of the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
General Crediting Guidance for MMA
- Crediting Meats/Meat Alternates in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
- Food Buying Guide Section 1 Meat/Meat Alternates: Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Meat/Meat Alternates Component and Yield Table for Meat/Meat Alternates (USDA)
Alternate Protein Products (APPs)
- Questions and Answers on Alternate Protein Products (USDA)
- Requirements for Alternate Protein Products in the SFSP (CSDE)
Commercial Products
- Crediting Commercial Meat/Meat Alternate Products in the SFSP (CSDE)
- Crediting Deli Meats in the SFSP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 01-2016: Procuring Local Meat, Poultry, Game, and Eggs for Child Nutrition Programs
Crediting Guidance and Food Buying Guide
- Crediting Meats/Meat Alternates in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
- FBG Section 1 Meat/Meat Alternates: Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Meat/Meat Alternates Component and Yield Table for Meat/Meat Alternates (USDA)
- Requirements for the Meat/Meat Alternates Component of the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
Dried Meats
- USDA Memo SP 21-2019, CACFP 08-2019, and SFSP 07-2019: Crediting Shelf-Stable, Dried and Semi-Dried Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Products in the Child Nutrition Programs
- USDA Webinar: Moving Forward: Update on Food Crediting in Child Nutrition Programs with Guidance for Dried Meat Products (April 24, 2019)
Legumes
- Crediting Legumes in the SFSP (CSDE)
- "Legumes (Beans/Peas)" in CSDE's Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production in Child Nutrition Programs
- USDA Memo SP 26-2019, CACFP 13-2019, and SFSP 12-2019: Crediting Pasta Products Made of Vegetable Flour in the Child Nutrition Programs
Nuts and Seeds: Crediting Nuts and Seeds in the SFSP (CSDE)
Tempeh and Surimi
- USDA Memo SP 24-2019, CACFP 11-2019, and SFSP 10-2019: Crediting Surimi Seafood in the Child Nutrition Programs
- USDA Memo SP 25-2019, CACFP 12-2019, and SFSP 11-2019: Crediting Tempeh in the Child Nutrition Programs
- USDA Webinar: Additional Meat/Meat Alternates Options for CNPs: Crediting Tempeh and Surimi (May 8, 2019)
Tofu and Tofu Products
- Crediting Tofu and Tofu Products in the SFSP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 02-2024, CACFP 02-2024, and SFSP 02-2024: Revised: Crediting Tofu and Soy Yogurt Products in the School Meal Programs, CACFP, and SFSP
Yogurt
- Crediting Yogurt in the SFSP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 02-2024, CACFP 02-2024, and SFSP 02-2024: Revised: Crediting Tofu and Soy Yogurt Products in the School Meal Programs, CACFP, and SFSP
Vegetables/Fruits Component for the SFSP
The vegetables/fruits component includes fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables; fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruit (packed in water, full-strength juice, or light syrup); and pasteurized full-strength juice (fruit, vegetable, or combination). Legumes (cooked dry beans and peas) credit as either vegetables or MMA but one serving cannot credit as both components in the same meal or snack. The fruits component includes fresh fruit, frozen fruit, canned fruit (packed in water, full-strength juice, or light syrup), dried fruit, and pasteurized 100 percent full-strength fruit juice.
- Serving size: Vegetables and fruits are measured by volume (cups). The minimum creditable amount is ⅛ cup.
- Required servings at lunch/supper: Lunch and supper must contain at least two different servings of vegetables and/or fruits, i.e., two different vegetables, two different fruits, or one vegetable and one fruit. Mixed vegetables and mixed fruits credit as only one of the two required servings.
- Canned fruits and vegetables: A serving of fruit may include the juice in which it is packed. A serving of cooked vegetables must be drained.
- Juice limit: Juice cannot credit for more than half of the vegetables/fruits component at lunch and supper. Juice cannot be served at snack when milk is the only other snack component. The USDA recommends serving whole fruits (fresh, frozen, canned, and dried) more often than juice.
- Overview of requirements: Requirements for the Vegetables/Fruits Component of the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
General Crediting Guidance for Vegetables/Fruits
- Crediting Fruits in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
- Crediting Vegetables in Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet (USDA)
- Food Buying Guide Section 2 Vegetables: Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Vegetables Component and Yield Table for Vegetables (USDA)
- Food Buying Guide Section 3 Fruits: Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Fruits Component and Yield Table for Fruits (USDA)
- Requirements for the Vegetables/Fruits Component of the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
Coconut: USDA Memo SP 34-2019, CACFP 15-2019, and SFSP 15-2019: Crediting Coconut, Hominy, Corn Masa, and Corn Flour in the Child Nutrition Programs
Juice: Crediting Juice in the SFSP (CSDE)Legumes
- Crediting Legumes in the SFSP (CSDE)
- "Legumes (Beans/Peas)" in CSDE's Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production in Child Nutrition Programs)
- USDA Memo SP 26-2019, CACFP 13-2019, and SFSP 12-2019: Crediting Pasta Products Made of Vegetable Flour in the Child Nutrition Programs
Smoothies
- Crediting Smoothies in the SFSP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 40-2019, CACFP 17-2019, and SFSP 17-2019: Smoothies Offered in the Child Nutrition Programs
Grains/Breads Component for the SFSP
The grains/breads component includes foods made with creditable grains. Creditable grains include whole grains, enriched grains, bran (such as oat bran, wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran, and rye bran), and germ (such as wheat germ). Examples of creditable grain foods include breads and bread products (e.g., biscuits, bagels, rolls, tortillas, and muffins), snack products (e.g., crackers, animal crackers, graham crackers, hard pretzels, tortilla chips, and popcorn), cereal grains (e.g., buckwheat, brown rice, bulgur, and quinoa), ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereals, cooked breakfast cereals like oatmeal), pasta, and bread products used as an ingredient in another menu item such as combination foods (e.g., breading on fish or poultry and pizza crust in pizza) .
- Serving size: Grains/breads are measured in servings. The minimum creditable amount is ¼ serving. The serving must meet the required weight (groups A-G) or volume (groups H-I) in the USDA’s Exhibit A chart (refer to the CSDE's Servings for Grains/Breads in the SFSP) or provide the minimum creditable grains (refer to the CSDE's Calculation Methods for Grains/Breads Servings in the SFSP).
- Breakfast cereals: RTE and cooked breakfast cereals must be whole grain, enriched, or fortified. One serving of RTE breakfast cereal must measure ¾ cup or weigh 1 ounce, whichever is less. One serving of cooked breakfast cereal must measure ½ cup cooked or weigh 25 grams dry. Breakfast cereals may be served at any meal or snack.
- Grain-based desserts: Grain-based desserts cannot credit at lunch or supper and are restricted to certain types at breakfast and snack (refer to the CSDE's Servings for Grains/Breads in the SFSP).
- Overview of Requirements: Requirements for the Grains/Breads Component of the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
General Crediting Guidance for Grains/Breads
- Crediting Enriched Grains in the SFSP (CSDE)
- Crediting Grains in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheets (USDA): Part 1: Creditable Grains in Child Nutrition Programs; Part 2: Identifying Grain Products that are Whole Grain-Rich; and Part 3: Program Requirements
- Crediting Whole Grains in the SFSP (CSDE)
- FBG Section 4 Grains: Overview of Crediting Requirements for the Grains Component and Yield Table for Grains (USDA)
- Requirements for the Grains/Breads Component of the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 34-2019, CACFP 15-2019, and SFSP 15-2019: Crediting Coconut, Hominy, Corn Masa, and Masa Harina in the Child Nutrition Programs
- When Commercial Grain Products Require a Product Formulation Statement to Credit in the SFSP (CSDE)
Breakfast Cereals
Creditable Grains
- Crediting Enriched Grains in the SFSP (CSDE)
- Crediting Whole Grains in the SFSP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 34-2019, CACFP 15-2019, and SFSP 15-2019: Crediting Coconut, Hominy, Corn Masa, and Masa Harina in the Child Nutrition Programs
- When Commercial Grain Products Require a Product Formulation Statement to Credit in the SFSP (CSDE)
Popcorn: USDA Memo SP 23-2019, CACFP 10-2019, and SFSP 9-2019: Crediting Popcorn in the Child Nutrition Programs
Serving Size for Grains/Breads
- CSDE Chart: Servings for Grains/Breads in the SFSP (CSDE) This document contains the Exhibit A requirements that apply to the grains/breads component of the SFSP meal patterns.
- Calculation Methods for Grains/Breads Servings in the SFSP (CSDE)
- Exhibit A: Refers to USDA’s Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs, which summarizes the different grain requirements (ounce equivalents and servings) for different Child Nutrition Programs. Grains/breads servings are required for the SFSP.
- Exhibit A Grains Tool (USDA's Food Buying Guide)
- Exhibit A Grains Tool to the Rescue (USDA webinar)
- How to Use the Grains/Breads Servings Chart for the SFSP (CSDE)
- When Commercial Grain Products Require a Product Formulation Statement to Credit in the SFSP (CSDE)
Whole Grains
- Crediting Whole Grains in the SFSP (CSDE)
- Make Half Your Grains Whole (USDA MyPlate)