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Meal Pattern Minute: Exhibit A Grains Chart

May 31, 2024

You have come across a new grain item, and you wonder if it is creditable in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Looking at the Exhibit A Grains Tool provides a list of grains that may be reimbursable meal in the Child Nutrition Programs. But are all grain items on the Exhibit A Grains chart creditable in the CACFP?  

 Understanding how to read the Exhibit A Grains Tool is not difficult. Listen in to Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, as she discusses how to read the Exhibit A Grains chart and what to look out for to determine if the grain is creditable in the CACFP. 

 After watching the video, here are some additional resources that you can review to help you further understand which prepared grains are creditable in the CACFP. 

  • Exhibit A Grains Tool: This chart provides a general guideline for crediting prepared grains items. 
  • Free USDA Food Buying Guide Webinars Using Exhibit A Grains Tool 
    • Exhibit A Grains Tool to the Rescue!
      • Learn about the Exhibit A Grains Tool, a feature included with the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs Interactive Web-Based Tool. The Exhibit A Grains Tool allows you to search for your grain product (as listed on Exhibit A) and enter in the serving size from the product label. The tool then helps you determine: 1) ounce equivalent (oz eq) grains or grains/bread serving(s) for the grain product, and 2) amount to serve to provide your desired grains contribution. In this webinar, Team Nutrition also provided in-depth practice for using the grains tool as well as highlighting the available training video. Participants can also experience the Exhibit A Grains Tool on the Mobile App. Program operators can calculate the grain contributions on-the-go.
    • How to Maximize Exhibit A Grains Tool 
      • Team Nutrition demonstrates the latest enhancements to the Exhibit A Grains Tool. The Exhibit A Grains Tool allows you to search for your grain product as listed on Exhibit A and enter in the serving size from the product label. The tool helps you determine: 1) ounce equivalent (oz eq) grains or grains/bread serving(s) for the grain product, 2) amount to serve to provide your desired grains contribution, and (3) with the new update, the amount to serve for a grain product in order to meet the minimum grains requirement by age/grade groups for specific child nutrition programs. This webinar provides a demonstration and in-depth practice for using the grains tool on the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) Interactive Web-Based Tool. Participants will also experience the Exhibit A Grains Tool on the Mobile App, which allows program operators to determine the grains contribution and the amount to serve on-the-go.
      • This webinar is also available with Spanish subtitles.

 Get inspired with these recipes using grains! 

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