Meal Pattern Minute: Tomato Paste and Tomato Puree

Using tomato paste and tomato puree may be a staple in your Child and Adult Care Food Program kitchen. These products serve as a flavorful base for a variety of meals, from soups and sauces to casseroles and stews. They are also rich in nutrients such as vitamin A and C. However, when crediting tomato paste and tomato puree in the CACFP as a vegetable, their contribution towards the vegetables component may be different when compared to other vegetables served in the CACFP. 

Find out more information about tomato paste and tomato puree by listening to this Meal Pattern Minute as Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, discusses how these tomato products contribute towards the vegetables component in the CACFP. 

The resources provided below will provide information on where you can find the answer about these tomato products as well as other vegetables creditable in the CACFP. 

• The Crediting Handbook for the CACFP
  • Tomato paste, tomato puree and tomato sauce each credit differently in the CACFP based on their concentration. Below is how to credit each of the tomato products in the CACFP. 
    •  1 tbsp of tomato paste credits for 1/4 cup vegetable
    • 2 tbsp of tomato puree credits for 1/4 cup vegetable
    • 4 tbsp tomato sauce credits for 1/4 cup vegetable
• The Crediting Vegetables in the Child Nutrition Program (CNP) Tip Sheet is a quick reference for commonly used vegetables in the CACFP and how to credit them. You will find the answer here on how to credit tomato puree and tomato paste. 
  • Tomato paste and tomato puree can credit using the whole food equivalency (volume of tomatoes prior to pureeing) rather than on the actual volume served. All other vegetable purees credit based on the finished volume served.

Here’s a CACFP creditable tomato soup recipe using canned tomatoes and tomato paste. This recipe is simple, nutritious and fits within the CACFP requirements. 

• Tomato Soup (6 servings)
• Tomato Soup (25 and 50 servings)

Want to share this video on Facebook? Click here, and then you'll find three icons along the right side of the screen. Click on the arrow, and you'll be able to choose whether you want to share it to your feed or to a group. You can also include a short note about why this Meal Pattern Minute is so important! Click on the "Post" button when you're finished, and that's it!