Meal Pattern Minute: One Year of Tips

We have heard your questions pertaining to the Child and Adult Care Food Program meal pattern and here at the National CACFP Sponsors Association have answered! In under a minute, Isabel Ramos-Lebron, Nutrition Education Specialist, answers popular questions asked regarding the CACFP meal pattern. In just over a year, we have developed 52 reels in response to the need for quick and easy to understand resource videos for those audio and visual learners. Each reel is connected to a blog with additional resources and recipes for you to refer to and become experts in the CACFP.  

When and where are the new CACFP Meal Pattern Minutes posted? 

A new reel is posted nearly every week answering a question coming from the CACFP community.  There are several ways to view all posted CACFP Meal Pattern Minutes. You can choose one or more methods to keep track of new and older reels!  

• Join the NCA Facebook group, CACFP: Meal Patterns, Recipes, Resources & More for Child Care. This CACFP Community is open to all the amazing people across the country who ensure that children and adults in care have access to healthy foods: child care and family home care providers, center staff, afterschool teams, foods banks, Head Start, tribal nations, sponsors, state agencies, and the USDA. Together, you all make it possible for over 5,000,00 (yes, five million) children to be served meals and snacks daily.  
• Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for news on CACFP educational opportunities and the CACFP Meal Pattern Minute reels.  
• All CACFP Meal Pattern Minute reels and their related blogs are housed on the National CACFP Sponsors Association website. Check back here often as we update this page weekly. 

Strategies in using CACFP Meal Pattern Minutes 

These short CACFP Meal Pattern Minute videos can be utilized as a review for yourself, as part of CACFP training or as a resource you share with CACFP sponsors and providers to reinforce the meal pattern.  

How can I submit my own CACFP Meal Pattern Minute question? 

We are always listening! The best opportunities to ask questions about the CACFP meal pattern is by attending one of the NCA webinars, posting a question on the Facebook group, or sending a private message on Facebook.  

Top 8 CACFP Meal Pattern Minutes 

Wondering which videos had the most views so far? Look at the questions below and click on each for the answer! 

• Do I need a medical statement when serving soy milk to children over the age of one year old? 
• Are pickles creditable in the CACFP? 
• Can yogurt be credited as a fluid milk component in the CACFP?
• Do tomatoes, avocados, and pumpkins credit as fruits or as vegetables?
• Do I need a Product Formulation Statement to serve store-bought hummus?
• Is popcorn reimbursable as a vegetable in the CACFP meal pattern? 
• Why are muffins creditable but not doughnuts?
• Can cream cheese and sour cream be reimbursable as a meat/meat alternate?

We are excited to share more CACFP Meal Pattern Minutes with the CACFP community and learn what questions are most important to you!