PRE-K MEAL PATTERN

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Child and Adult Care Food Program

(CACFP) Requirements for Pre-K

Updated Meal Pattern 2

Breakfast Meal Pattern: Pre-K (NEW) 3

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CACFP Breakfast Meal Pattern

Must serve all three (3) components for a reimbursable meal.

Infant meals can be reimbursed when the mother breastfeeds on-site.

Pasteurized full-strength juice may only be used to meet the vegetable or fruit requirement at one (1) meal, including snack, per day.

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CACFP Breakfast Meal Pattern

Meat and meat alternates may be used to meet the entire grains requirement, a maximum of, three (3) times a week.

(1 oz. M/MA = 1 oz. grains)

Breakfast cereals must contain no more than six (6) grams of sugar per dry ounce (no more than 21.2 grams sucrose and other sugars per 100 grams of dry cereal).

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CACFP Breakfast Meal Pattern

New Milk Requirements

Age 1: Must be unflavored whole milk for children age one.

Age 2-5: Must be unflavored low-fat (1 percent), or unflavored fat-free (skim) milk.

Age 6 & Up: Must be unflavored low-fat (1 percent), unflavored fat-free (skim), or flavored fat-free (skim)

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Lunch Meal Pattern: Pre-K (NEW) 8

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CACFP Lunch Meal Pattern

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CACFP Lunch Meal Pattern

CACFP Lunch Meal Pattern 11

Must serve all five (5) components for a reimbursable meal.

Infant meals can be reimbursed when the mother breastfeeds on-site.

Yogurt must contain no more than 23 grams of total sugars per six (6) ounces.

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CACFP Lunch Meal Pattern

Pasteurized full-strength juice may only be used to meet the vegetable or fruit requirement at one (1) meal, including snack, per day.

A vegetable may be used to meet the entire fruit requirement. When two (2) vegetables are served at lunch, two (2) different kinds of vegetables must be served.

At least one (1) serving per day, across all eating occasions, must be WGR. Grain-based desserts do not count towards the grains requirement.

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CACFP Lunch Meal Pattern

Grain-based desserts are defined as foods denoted with a superscript 3 or 4 in Exhibit A

https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/whole-grain-resource-national-school-lunch-and-school-breakfast-programs-0

Some examples include cookies, dessert pies, fruit turnovers, doughnuts, granola bars, sweet roll, and toaster pastry

Exhibit A has been revised to exclude sweet crackers from the above definition but should still be limited due to their added sugar content

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Grain Requirements

15 Snack Meal Pattern: Pre-K (NEW)

CACFP Snack Meal Pattern 16

CACFP Snack Meal Pattern 17

CACFP Snack Meal Pattern

Select 2 of the 5 components for a reimbursable snack

Only 1 of the 2 components may be a beverage

Milk must be unflavored low-fat (1 percent) or unflavored fat-free (skim) milk for children two through five years old. Must be unflavored low-fat (1 percent), unflavored fat-free (skim), or flavored fat-free (skim) milk for children six years old and older.

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CACFP Meal Pattern Flexibilities

When preschoolers are served meals in a different area or at a different time than K-5 students, schools must follow the preschool meal pattern

When preschoolers and K-5 students are in the same service area at the same time, schools may chose to follow the K-5 meal pattern

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USDA strongly encourages schools to serve grade-appropriate meals to preschoolers and K-5 students be best address their nutritional needs

Best practice:

Avoid co-mingling by serving breakfast in the classroom or staggering the meal service times for preschoolers and K-5 students

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CACFP Meal Pattern Flexibilities

CACFP Meal Pattern

Meal pattern requirements comparison chart

https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/compare_meal_patterns_1.pdf

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Helpful Resources

Questions and Answers on the Updated Meal Pattern Requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/cacfp/CACFP08-2017os.pdf

Updated Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Patterns: Child and Adult Meals

http://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/nutrition/foodprograms/cacfp/pdf/UpdatedProgramChild_AdultMeals.pdf

Flexibility for Co-Mingled Preschool Meals: Questions and Answers

https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/food/documents/SP37-2017s.pdf

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