The USDA's interactive Food Buying Guide allows for easy searching, navigating, and displaying of content. In addition, users can compare yield information, create a favorite foods list, and access tools, such as:
- The FBG Calculator
- Exhibit A Grains Tool
- Download Food Buying Guide
- Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW), and
- Product Formulation Statement (PFS) Workbook.
Food Buying Guide vs. Crediting Handbook
The Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) is the principal tool with which to determine the contribution that foods make toward meal requirements regardless if foods are produced on site or purchased commercially. The Crediting Handbook is a supplementary resource with additional information on creditable foods in child and adult care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, and family day care homes.
Not Sure How to Use the Food Buying Guide?
The USDA held four webinars to help you better navigate the Food Buying Guide and its features. Watch the recordings on demand!
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.
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.
Learn about FBG Calculator, the new feature included with the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs Interactive Web-Based Tool. The FBG Calculator is designed to create a shopping list to assist child nutrition program operators when ordering food for their programs. In this webinar, Team Nutrition also provided in-depth practice for using the calculator as well as highlighting the newly released training video. Participants can also experience the FBG Calculator on the FBG Mobile App. Program operators will be able to create and use their shopping list on-the-go.
This webinar is also available with Spanish subtitles.
Learn about the new Food Buying Guide (FBG) Mobile App and FBG Interactive Web Tool via a live demonstration! You’ll learn how to utilize the innovative features of these tools including search and navigation, the ability to compare food yield information, and the ability to create a favorite foods list. In addition, speakers from the Nutrition and Technical Assistance Branch, we also highlight an exciting feature of the Interactive Web Tool: the interactive Product Formulation Statement Workbook, which allows manufacturers to easily search and populate selected food items into the workbook, calculate their product’s contribution statement, and generate a certified document that provides crediting information for child nutrition program operators.