Menu Planning Tools for Child Care Providers
CACFP - What's in a Meal? - Healthy Hoosier EditionIndiana Department of Education.
This manual is intended to assist Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) personnel in providing quality, nutritious meals that comply with CACFP meal pattern requirements. Contains sections on nutrition, healthy recipe modification, food labeling, feeding infants, food handling and sanitation, cultural foods, recipe evaluation and crediting foods.
CACFP Menu Planning Guide (PDF | 1.5 MB)Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
This toolkit is a how-to guide to following Meal Planning at a child care home or center. Materials include: The CACFP Meal Pattern, Information on choking hazards and allergies, 16 weeks of menus, 120 CACFP-reimbursable recipes with nutritional information, 8 shopping lists of items needed for every two-week menu cycle.
Healthy Bites: A Wisconsin Guide for Improving Childhood NutritionWisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Active Early and Healthy Bites are companion guides designed to help early care and education (ECE) professionals address childhood obesity by improving physical activity and nutrition in the program. Healthy Bites focuses on healthy eating, nutrition environments and on strengthening the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern. The guides are based on current science, public health research and national recommendations.
Nutrition Policies and Guidance for the CACFPConnecticut State Department of Education.
This resource consists of six individual guides on a variety of menu planning topics, including CACFP meal pattern requirements, avoiding common menu problems, nutrition guidance, feeding infants and accommodating children with special dietary needs. Each guide also includes useful forms and handouts.
The First Years in the First State Toolkit: Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity Quality in Delaware Child CareNemours Health and Prevention Services (NHPS) for the Delaware Department of Education.
This toolkit is a practical, “how-to” guide created to help child care providers follow Delaware CACFP/Delaware child care licensing nutrition and physical activity rules. The toolkit consists of two books, an Administrator’s Guide and Menu Planning Guide, and a handout, the Shopping Cheat Sheet.
Menus for Child Care (PDF | 816 KB)National Food Service Management Institute.
8 complete weekly menus, including breakfast, lunch or supper, and snack meeting the Meal Pattern requirements for 3-5 year-olds.
Reduce the Salt in Child Care MenusNational Food Service Management Institute.
From the CARE Connection: Menu Planning for Child Care Lessons series. Intended for Child Care Providers, but some of the tips may also be helpful for School Food Service.
Iowa CACFP Healthier Menu ToolkitIowa Team Nutrition; 2012.
These materials are part of the Healthier Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Award in Iowa. Healthier CACFP is a recognition system that supports the wellness efforts of child care centers and homes participating in CACFP.
Leap of Taste: Child Care Nutrition StandardsWest Virginia Department of Education Office of Child Nutrition; 2010.
The Leap of Taste campaign, launched in the summer of 2010, was designed to bring nutrition standards to life by empowering child care providers to play an important part in introducing children to healthy food. These nutrition standards are helping child care centers lay a healthy foundation for our children’s future success. The standards are divided into four key components: Beverages, Fruits and Vegetables, Grains and Bread, and Meat/Meat Alternates.
Making It Balance and Kickin' It Up- A Cycle Menu for Montana Child CareMontana Team Nutrition. Montana Office of Public Instruction; 2006
This toolkit contains menus, with accompanying recipes and resources, to assist childcare providers in serving healthy meals which are cost effective, easy to prepare, and appealing to children.
CARE Connection: Menu Planning for Child CareNational Food Service Management.
Lessons on menu planning including how to develop and use a cycle menu, how to link menu planning to grocery shopping and food purchasing, and how to create healthful, nutritious menus that meet USDA CACFP Meal Pattern requirements.
Mealtime Memo for Child CareNational Food Service Management Institute.
Newsletter for child care providers. The following issues contain information about menu planning: