Meal Pattern Minute: Corn Masa

Corn is a common food used in many cultures either as a grain or as a vegetable depending on when it is harvested. Fresh, canned or frozen corn is creditable as a vegetable while some mature and dry corn is creditable as a grain. Examples of corn that is creditable as a grain are popcorn, enriched corn flour, and whole-grain grits. In some ethnic traditions, corn tortillas and arepas are made using corn masa which can be readily found in many grocery stores. But is corn masa creditable in the Child and Adult Care Food Program? 

Find out by listening to Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, as she discusses corn masa and how it may or may not be creditable in the CACFP. 

Need more resources about corn masa and the CACFP? Review the links below for downloadable, printable materials, USDA memorandum on corn masa, and free webinar.  

• MEMO: Crediting Coconut, Hominy, Corn Masa, and Masa Harina in the Child Nutrition Program
  • Program operators now may calculate contributions from corn masa, masa harina, nixtamalized corn flour, and nixtamalized cornmeal in the same manner as all other creditable grain ingredients and food items. Crediting is determined by weight as listed in Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs, or by grams of creditable grain per portion. However, if any non-whole corn ingredient is labeled as enriched, or includes nutrients sub-listed after the corn ingredient in the ingredient statement, such as: yellow corn flour (folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine), then the corn ingredient can contribute only to the enriched grain requirements. Corn that is not “whole” or “enriched” or is not treated with lime (nixtamalized) does not credit as a grain in the CNPs.
• Crediting Grains in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet
  • This tip sheet identifies creditable grains in CNP that meet meal pattern requirements.
• Identifying Whole Grain-Rich 
  • Find out how to identify whole grain-rich foods in the CACFP, including corn grain products.
• WEBINAR:  Crediting Popcorn, Hominy, Corn Masa and Masa Harina in CNPs
  • The webinar provides an overview of the crediting updates resulting from the Request for Information for these foods and provide crediting technical assistance with hands-on practice specifically for Popcorn, Hominy, Corn Masa, and Masa Harina.

Consider adding Pupusa de Quesoto your menu and keep an eye out for more recipes with corn masa on our Recipes page.

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