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Updates to Nutrition Requirements in CACFP & SFSP

April 24, 2024

Meal Pattern Update_4x3

The USDA recently released a Final Rule to better aligns meal patterns in the CACFP, SFSP, and School Meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Changes that Impact CACFP include: 

  • Changing limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt from total sugars to added sugars.
  • Allowing vegetables to be substituted for grains in programs that primarily serve American Indian or Alaska Native children, as well as in Guam and Hawaii.
  • Allowing nuts and seeds to credit for the full meats/meat alternates component.

Hear from USDA Food and Nutrition Services on the updates to CACFP and SFSP meal patterns in our on-demand webinar.

Watch On-Demand!

Why it Matters

It's important for providers and sponsors to understand all updates to the meal patterns in order to ensure they are in compliance. Most of the updates have a compliance date of July 1, 2024. However, two updates have an extended timeline for compliance of October 1, 2025, including the added sugar limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt as well as the ability for registered dieticians to write medical statements to request meal modifications on behalf of participants with disabilities.

 

Implementation Timeline for Updated Nutrition Requirements in CACFP & SFSP

Updated Requirements Implementation Date Program(s)
Added Sugars
  • Breakfast Cereals: Must contain no more than 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce.
  • Yogurt: Must contain no more than 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounce.
 Oct. 1, 2025 CACFP
Flavored Milk No change. Maintains the current requirement to allow CACFP operators to offer flavored and unflavored, fat-free and low-fat milk to participants ages 6 and older. N/A CACFP
Meal Modifications
  • Clarifies that both state licensed healthcare professionals and registered dietitians may write medical statements to request meal modifications on behalf of participants with disabilities.
  • Defines a state licensed healthcare professional as an individual authorized to write medical prescriptions under state law.
  • Regarding non-disability requests, makes clear in regulation that USDA encourages institutions and facilities to meet participants’ non-disability dietary preferences when planning and preparing CACFP meals.
 October 1, 2025 CACFP
Substituting Vegetables for Grains
  • Allows sponsors, institutions, and facilities serving primarily American Indian or Alaska Native participants to substitute vegetables to meet the grains requirement.
  • Allows all sponsors, institutions, and facilities in Guam and Hawaii to substitute vegetables to meet the grains requirement.
 July 1, 2024

CACFP

SFSP
Nuts and Seeds Allows nuts and seeds to credit for the full meats/meat alternates component, removing the 50 percent crediting limit for nuts and seeds at breakfast, lunch, and supper. July 1, 2024

CACFP

SFSP
Geographic Preference Expansion
  • Expands the geographic preference option to allow “locally grown,” “locally raised,” or “locally caught” as procurement specifications (e.g., a written description of the product or service that the vendor must meet to be considered responsive and responsible) for unprocessed or minimally processed food items.
  • Continues to allow state agencies and program operators to adopt their own definition of “local” and does not prescribe a federal definition of “local” for the purpose of procuring local foods.
 July 1, 2024

CACFP

SFSP
Fluid Milk Substitutes Per 8 fluid ounces:

  • Vitamin A – 150 mcg retinol activity equivalents (RAE)
  • Vitamin D – 2.5 mcg
 July 1, 2024 CACFP
Whole Grains Adds in regulation the current definition of whole grain-rich: “the grain content of a product is between 50 and 100 percent whole grain with any remaining grains being enriched.” July 1, 2024 CACFP
Miscellaneous Changes
  • Changes references to “dry beans and peas (legumes)” to “beans, peas, and lentils.”
  • Changes references from “food components” to “meal components.
 July 1, 2024

CACFP

SFSP
Miscellaneous Changes Continued Updates CACFP definitions:

  • Removes outdated language in the definition of “Functionally impaired adult.”
  • Adds definition for “meal component.” Meal component means one of the food groups which comprise reimbursable meals. The meal components are: fruits, vegetables, grains, meats/meat alternates, and fluid milk.

Updates requirements for CACFP meals as follows:

  • Revises certain endnotes for clarity and combines related footnotes to improve readability in meal pattern tables.
  • Updates the meats/meat alternates row at 7 CFR 226.20(c), in meal pattern tables for children age 1 through 18 and adult participants, to use ounce equivalents and refer to meats/meat alternates sources generally, instead of listing specific foods within the category.
 July 1, 2024 CACFP

Hear from USDA about the updated changes to the CACFP and SFSP meal patterns at our free webinar on May 16th at 2:00 pm Eastern.

To read more about the updated requirements, read Final Rule: Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans. You can also reference USDA’s Implementation Timeline for CACFP & SFSP as well as their Implementation Timeline for School Meals.