Meal Pattern Minute: Crediting Dried Fruit

Did you know that dried fruits have a different crediting by volume than other fruits in the Child and Adult Care Food Program meal pattern? Take a minute to hear from our nutrition education specialist, Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, to learn more about how you credit dried fruits in the CACFP.

After you've watched the video, here are some additional things to remember about this flexibility, which you can find in the Fruits section of the Crediting Handbook for the CACFP:

• Dried fruits are one of five ways that fruit can be served in the CACFP. They can also be fresh, frozen, canned or in the form of full-strength fruit juice. Fruit juice may only be served once per day. Commercial fried fruit chips and home-canned fruit products are not allowed in the CACFP,  but home-frozen fruit products are creditable.
• Most people think of raisins, apricots, prunes or cranberries when it comes to dried fruits, but dried coconut also falls under the category of dried fruits and credits as twice the volume served.
• Fruit leather does not credit as dried fruit and is not allowable in the CACFP.

For more information on serving dried fruits in the CACFP, check out these resources from USDA:

• Crediting Fruits in Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet
• USDA Webinar: Crediting Coconut and Vegetable Noodles in CNPs

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