Related Resources

Crediting Foods  |   Meal Service  |   Menu Planning

Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs

• Crediting Commercial Processed Products (CSDE's Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
• Crediting Foods Prepared on Site (CSDE's Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
• Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE webpage)
• Crediting Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (USDA)
• CSDE Operational Memo No. 7A, 9C-16 and 9H-16: Requirements for Documenting CACFP Meal Pattern Contribution of Processed Foods 

Meal Service in CACFP Child Care Programs

• Family Style
  • Family Style Dining Guide: A Mealtime Approach for Early Care and Education Programs (Ohio Child Care Resource & Referral Association and The Nemours Foundation)
  • Support Family Style Meals (Supplement E from Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program) (USDA)
  • The Basic Guide to Family Style Dining – Part 1 (ICN)
  • Why You Should Serve Family Style (National CACFP Association)
• Offer versus Serve (OVS)  Applies only to at-risk afterschool centers
  • Offer versus Serve in At-risk Afterschool Centers (CSDE)
  • USDA Memo CACFP 05-17: Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
• Mealtimes with Toddlers
  • Mealtimes with Toddlers in the CACFP (USDA): Booklet, family handout, and videos (assisting toddlers in learning how to feed themselves; encouraging toddlers to try new foods; and types of milk to serve children in the CACFP) in English and Spanish
• Water Availability
  • Resources for promoting water in child care (see "Water Availability" in the CSDE's Resource List for Child Nutrition Programs)
  • USDA Memo CACFP 18-2016: Water Availability in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
  • USDA Memo CACFP 20-2016: Resources for Making Potable Water Available in Schools and Child Care Facilities

Menu Planning for CACFP Child Care Programs

• Best Practices
  • CACFP Best Practices (English) (USDA)
  • CACFP Best Practices (Spanish) (USDA)
    • Programa de comidas para niños y adultos: Buenas practicas
  • USDA Memo CACFP 15-2016: Optional Best Practices to Further Improve Nutrition in the Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Pattern 
• CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays Training Webinar Series: Topics related to the CACFP meal pattern requirements (USDA)
• CACFP Training Tools (USDA)
• Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Planning Healthy Meals in CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE)
• Resource List for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Resource List for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Resources for the CACFP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
• Sample CACFP Menus (CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
• Serving Snacks in the CACFP (USDA)Serving Vegetables in the CACFP (USDA) 
• Special Diets
  • Resource List for Special Diets in Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
  • Special Diets in CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE)
• Sugar Limits for the CACFP
  • Breakfast Cereals
    • Calculating Sugar Limits for Breakfast Cereals in the CACFP (USDA)
    • Choose Breakfast Cereals That Are Lower in Added Sugars (USDA)
    • Crediting Breakfast Cereals in the CACFP (CSDE)
  • Yogurt
    • Calculating Sugar Limits for Yogurt in the CACFP (USDA)
    • Choose Yogurts That Are Lower in Added Sugars (USDA)
    • Crediting Yogurt in the CACFP (CSDE)
• Using the Nutrition Facts Label in the CACFP (USDA)
• Vegetable Subgroups in the CACFP (CSDE)