Meal Pattern Minute: Frozen Fruit Juice Bars

Serving full-strength juice is creditable in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. However, it’s the summer and you would like to provide refreshing food but using creditable ingredients. You might have considered purchasing frozen fruit popsicles made with full-strength juice or perhaps you have a recipe to make them yourself. When making frozen fruit juice bars to serve to those in your care, can you credit this food towards a CACFP reimbursable meal?  

 Tune in to this week’s Meal Pattern Minute where Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, discusses this question in detail and important facts you need to know. 

 Once you review the video, check out the information below regarding juice in the CACFP. 

Serving Fruit Juice in the CACFP 

• Pasteurized, full strength (100%) fruit juice (in either liquid or frozen form) may be used to meet the fruits requirement of reimbursable meals or snacks.  
• Juice concentrates can be used only when reconstituted to full-strength, 100% juice, and can be served either as liquid or frozen juice. 
• Juice may be used as one component of a snack when the other component is not a beverage (e.g., fluid milk).  
• Juice does not credit when used as an ingredient in another food or beverage product, with the exception of smoothies. 
• Pasteurized, full-strength 100% juice may only be used to meet the vegetables or fruits requirement at one meal per day, including snack.* 
• In the infant meal pattern, fruit and vegetable juices must not be served. 

More resources on juice can be found at the links below. 

• Crediting Fruits in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet 
• Crediting Handbook for the CACFP
• Meal Pattern Minute: Serving Juice More Than Once Per Day

Feel inspired this summer with the recipes below. Always double check with your State agency or sponsoring organization to make sure serving frozen full-strength juice bars are creditable in your state. 

• Elmo’s Strawberry Pops 
• Watermelon Pop
• NCA Member Recipe Resource:  Muffin Tin Recipes- Greek Freeze Smoothie  

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