USDA Meal Pattern

It's commonly known that the USDA has created (and recently updated) the Food Pyramid.  The pyramid is designed to help us make the right dietary decisions.  Expanding on the Food Pyramid, the USDA has defined exactly what constitutes a nutritious meal for children participating in the CACFP. 

The CACFP reimburses for breakfast, lunches, dinners/suppers, and snacks (including a morning, afternoon, and evening snack).   The reimbursement is limited to two meals and a snack (or two snacks and a meal) per day, per child, but the USDA provides reimbursement if a child is claimed at any of those 6 meals/snacks. 

The CACFP meal pattern instructs child care providers to serve specific types of foods at different meals or snacks during the day.  For example, at Breakfast, most children should be served some kind of bread or similar grain, a fruit or vegetable, and milk.  But the meal pattern instructions are quite specific, with different quantities of different foods for children of different ages, and with allowances for special developmental needs. 

Click here to see the full USDA meal pattern description.