20 CAR pt. 1028, Appendix A – Child Care Meal Pattern

APPENDIX A

When children over age one (1) participate in the Program, the total amount of food authorized in the meal pattern set forth below shall be provided in order to qualify for reimbursement. Children age twelve (12) and up may be served adult-size portions based on the greater food needs of older children but shall be served not less than the minimum quantities specified in this section for children age six (6) through twelve (12) years. For purposes of the requirements outlined in this paragraph, a cup means a standard measuring cup.

Bread, pasta or noodle products, and cereal grains shall be whole grain or enriched; cornbread, biscuits, rolls, muffins, etc. shall be made with whole grain or enriched meal or flour; cereal shall be whole grain or enriched or fortified.

Breakfast (Select all three components for a reimbursable meal)
Food Components and Food Items¹	Ages 1-2	Ages 3-5	Ages 6-12	Ages 13-18² (at-risk afterschool programs and emergency shelters)
Fluid Milk³	4 fluid ounces	6 fluid ounces	8 fluid ounces	8 fluid ounces
Vegetables, fruits, or portions of both⁴	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Grains (oz eq)^5,6,7
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread	½ slice	½ slice	1 slice	1 slice
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread product, such as biscuit, roll, or muffin	½ serving	½ serving	1 serving	1 serving
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified cooked breakfast cereal⁸, cereal grain, or pasta	¼ cup	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereal (dry, cold)^8,9
Flakes or rounds	½ cup	½ cup	1 cup	1 cup
Puffed cereal	¾ cup	¾ cup	1 ¼ cup	1 ¼ cup
Granola	¼ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup

¹ Must serve all three (3) components for a reimbursable meal. Offer versus serve is an option for at-risk afterschool participants.

² Larger portion sizes than specified may need to be served to children thirteen (13) through eighteen (18) years old to meet their nutritional needs.

³ Must be unflavored whole milk for children age one (1). Must be unflavored low-fat (one percent (1%)) or unflavored fat-free (skim) milk for children two (2) through five (5) years old. Must be unflavored low-fat (one percent (1%)), unflavored fat-free (skim), or flavored fat-free (skim) milk for children six (6) years old and older.

⁴ Pasteurized full-strength juice may only be used to meet the vegetable or fruit requirement at one (1) meal, including snack, per day.

⁵ At least one (1) serving per day, across all eating occasions, must be whole grain-rich. Grain-based

desserts do not count towards meeting the grains requirement.

⁶ Meat and meat alternates may be used to meet the entire grains requirement a maximum of three (3) times a week. One (1) ounce of meat and meat alternates is equal to one (1) ounce equivalent of grains.

⁷ Beginning October 1, 2019, ounce equivalents are used to determine the quantity of creditable grains.

⁸ Breakfast cereals must contain no more than six (6) grams of sugar per dry ounce (no more than twenty-one and two-tenths (21.2) grams sucrose and other sugars per one hundred (100) grams of dry cereal).

⁹ Beginning October 1, 2019, the minimum serving size specified in this section for ready-to-eat breakfast cereals must be served.

Lunch and Supper (Select all five components for a reimbursable meal)
Food Components and Food Items¹	Ages 1-2	Ages 3-5	Ages 6-12	Ages 13-18² (at-risk afterschool programs and emergency shelters)
Fluid Milk³	4 fluid ounces	6 fluid ounces	8 fluid ounces	8 fluid ounces
Meat/meat alternates
Lean meat, poultry, or fish	1 ounce	1 ½ ounce	2 ounces	2 ounces
Tofu, soy product, or alternate protein products⁴	1 ounce	1 ½ ounce	2 ounces	2 ounces
Cheese	1 ounce	1 ½ ounce	2 ounces	2 ounces
Large egg	½	¾	1	1
Cooked dry beans or peas	¼ cup	¾ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Peanut butter or soy nut butter or other nut or seed butters	2 tbsp	3 tbsp	4 tbsp	4 tbsp
Yogurt, plain or flavored unsweetened or sweetened⁵	4 ounces or ½ cup	6 ounces or ¾ cup	8 ounces or 1 cup	8 ounces or 1 cup
The following may be used to meet no more than 50% of the requirement: Peanuts, soy nuts, tree nuts, or seeds, as listed in program guidance, or an equivalent quantity of any combination of the above meat/meat alternates (1 ounce of nuts/seeds = 1 ounce of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish)	½ ounce = 50%	¾ ounce = 50%	1 ounce = 50%	1 ounce = 50%
Vegetables⁶	¼ cup	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Fruits^6,7	¼ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup
Grains (oz eq)^8,9
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread	½ slice	½ slice	1 slice	1 slice

Whole grain-rich or enriched bread product, such as biscuit, roll, or muffin	½ serving	½ serving	1 serving	1 serving
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified cooked breakfast cereal¹⁰, cereal grain, or pasta	¼ cup	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup

Until October 1, 2019, the minimum serving size for any type of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals is one-fourth (¼) cup for children ages one (1) – two (2); one-third (1/3) cup for children ages three (3) – five (5); and three-forth (¾) cup for children ages six (6) – twelve (12).

CHILD CARE MEAL PATTERN

Snack (Select two of the five components for a reimbursable snack)
Food Components and Food Items¹	Ages 1-2	Ages 3-5	Ages 6-12	Ages 13-18² (at-risk afterschool programs and emergency shelters)
Fluid Milk³	4 fluid ounces	4 fluid ounces	8 fluid ounces	8 fluid ounces
Meat/meat alternates
Lean meat, poultry, or fish	½ ounce	½ ounce	1 ounce	1 ounce
Tofu, soy product, or alternate protein products⁴	½ ounce	½ ounce	1 ounce	1 ounce
Cheese	½ ounce	½ ounce	1 ounce	1 ounce
Large egg	½	½	½	½
Cooked dry beans or peas	¼ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup
Peanut butter or soy nut butter or other nut or seed butters	1 tbsp	1 tbsp	2 tbsp	2 tbsp
Yogurt, plain or flavored unsweetened or sweetened⁵	2 ounces or ¼ cup	2 ounces or ¼ cup	4 ounces or ½ cup	4 ounces or ½ cup
Peanuts, soy nuts, tree nuts, or seeds	½ ounce	½ ounce	1 ounce	1 ounce
Vegetables⁶	½ cup	½ cup	¾ cup	¾ cup
Fruits⁶	½ cup	½ cup	¾ cup	¾ cup
Grains (oz eq)^7,8
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread	½ slice	½ slice	1 slice	1 slice
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread product, such as biscuit, roll, or muffin	½ serving	½ serving	1 serving	1 serving
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified cooked breakfast cereal⁹, cereal grain, or pasta	¼ cup	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereal (dry, cold)^9,10
Flakes or rounds	½ cup	½ cup	1 cup	1 cup
Puffed cereal	¾ cup	¾ cup	1 ¼ cup	1 ¼ cup
Granola	¼ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup

² Larger portion sizes than specified may need to be served to children thirteen (13) through eighteen (18) years old to meet their nutritional needs.

³ Must be unflavored whole milk for children age one (1). Must be unflavored low-fat (one (1) percent) or unflavored fat-free (skim) milk for children two (2) through five (5) years old. Must be unflavored low-fat (one percent (1%)), unflavored fat-free (skim), or flavored fat-free (skim) milk for children six (6) years old and older.

⁴ Alternate protein products must meet the requirements in Appendix A to Part 226.

⁵ Yogurt must contain no more than twenty-three (23) grams of total sugars per six (6) ounces.

⁶ Pasteurized full-strength juice may only be used to meet the vegetable or fruit requirement at one (1) meal, including snack, per day.

⁷ A vegetable may be used to meet the entire fruit requirement. When two (2) vegetables are served at lunch or supper, two (2) different kinds of vegetables must be served.

⁸ At least one (1) serving per day, across all eating occasions, must be whole grain-rich. Grain-based desserts do not count towards the grain’s requirement.

⁹ Beginning October 1, 2019, ounce equivalents are used to determine the quantity of the creditable grain.

¹⁰ Breakfast cereals must contain no more than six (6) grams of sugar per dry ounce (no more than twenty-one and two-tenths (21.2) grams sucrose and other sugars per one hundred (100) grams of dry cereal).