Creating Cycle Menus
for CACFP Child Care Centers
by: Lori Muzquiz & Tarrah Moreno
Texas Education Service Centers
Class Outline
• Special Considerations for CACFP Menus
• Lunch & Supper Cycle
• Breakfast Cycle
• Snack Cycle
• Vegetable & Fruit Cycle
CHOKING HAZARDS!
* Choking hazards should be strongly considered until children reach age 4
* Sample Menus and other Menu Resources should be evaluated closely to determine
choking hazards that may be present
Choking Hazard Example:
Choking Hazard Solution:
• Chicken Leg/Drumstick
• Diced Chicken
• Raw Carrot Sticks
• Blanched Carrot Sticks
• Baked Carrot Sticks
* Choking Prevention Techniques present challenges in meal presentation
Cycle some greens
to add color &
variety!
A favorite that
could be added
once a week
Example:
**Mac & Trees**
*Roasted Veggies
Chicken Casserole
Blues?
*Chopped Broccoli
* Spinach *Kale *Greens
**Solution** casseroles with bright pops of COLOR
Great Replacement
for FRENCH FRIES!
Sweet = Good
Sour & Bitter balance craving
for unhealthy sweet flavors
found in packaged foods.
Sour & Bitter = Bad
Yogurt
• Naturally Sour
• Often over-sweetened to hide sour
flavor
Mix 2 parts plain yogurt
to 1 part vanilla yogurt to
reduce sweetness & gradually
introduce sour taste
Greens
Examples:
- Spinach - Kale - Turnip & Mustard Greens • Naturally bitter
• Nutritionally Beneficial
• Excellent Palate Training
Add these to casseroles
Frozen Fruit
• Sometimes Sour
• Picked Prior to Ripeness
Mix sour fruit with fully
ripened fruit
Bake & serve in hot cereal
THE "OTHER" COMPONENT & CONDIMENTS
Use Healthier
Condiments
Fruit & Yogurt are
good replacements
for syrup
Avoid Menu Items
that Need Ketchup
• Make your own salad dressing
• Use Healthier Oils
• Replace Margarine/Spreads with Butter
• Avoid products with artificial sweeteners or aspartame
• Replace nuggets, meat fingers & fish sticks w/HM version
• Lightly brush meats with homemade BBQ sauce
• Introduce mustard
Infants
After parent decides 8-11 mos. Infant is ready for table food
• Evaluate Regular Menu
Determine if food item:
• Is creditable to meet a component requirement in Infant Meal Pattern –OR• Is NOT creditable but CAN be offered –OR• Is NOT creditable and CANNOT be offered
Infants CANNOT have Whole Eggs, Honey, and/or Sugar
• When Baked Good Items are Menu’d
• Puree Fruit – Spread on Crustless Bread – Roll Tightly – Bake Low Until Crispy
• When Whole Eggs or Egg Dishes Menu’d
• Scramble Egg Yolks and Serve
Budget
• Mix creditable foods within a
component to offer healthier
alternatives & minimize costs
• Place Entrees, Breakfast
Breads/Grains & Snacks into
categories and distribute evenly to
reduce risk of going over budget
• Homemade food could have lower
food costs although higher labor
costs but careful scheduling will
help
Frozen Blueberries mixed
with Frozen
Strawberries to meet full
F/V Requirement
If beef is priced higher
½ M/MA Requirement of
Fresh Pork Roast with ½
M/MA of Beans/Legumes
Fresh bananas priced too
evaluate pricing for
high?
turkey or chicken for less
Look at pricing for
expensive items
oranges and apples
Fresh Fruit in season is a
If new to homemade,
better buy but when out
consider slowly
of season switch to
implementing for better
frozen or canned
transition
TIMING
Coordinate
Try to schedule
Shopping/Delivery
less tasks on days
Days with Fresh
that require
Food Items on
ordering/shopping
Menu
duties
Days with less
tasks should allow
for extra time on
menu items that
require more prep
work
Seasonal Cycle Menus
Fall/Winter or
Fall/Winter
Spring/Summer
Spring/Summer
Cycle Menu
Cycle Menu
Benefits
Considerations
Implementing
Fresh Foods that
are In Season
Purposeful
palate training
If haven’t implemented fresh foods in
menu, become more familiar before
adding seasonal menu
Cycle Menu to accommodate
changes in participations
during certain times of year
List special menus for
holidays/substitutions for menu
items at bottom of working menu
Working Cycle Menu with Substitutions
Evaluation and Editing Process – Page 2
ALL MEALS:
1. Replace juice with fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.
2. When possible, replace canned vegetable/fruits with fresh or frozen.
3. Replace Grains/Breads with Whole Grains. *Recommendation: Offer one Whole
Grain/day.
4. Replace packaged foods with homemade foods when possible.
5. Implement a source of Vitamin C daily and a source of Vitamin A, at least, three
times/week. See sources on pg. 3.
6. Include food sources for the nutrients that are often lacking in children’s diets (pg.3).
7. Does the meal include various colors, tastes, and textures?
8. Make homemade food items that belong in the Other component.
9. Do not repeat the same or similar food items in a cycle week.
10.Replace or modify any possible food items that are choking hazards.
Evaluation and Editing Process – Page 2
LUNCH/SUPPER
1. Implement two vegetables (including legumes) at lunch/supper instead of two fruits or a fruit
and a vegetable.
2. Implement homemade and possibly more expensive meats by including a legume or another
M/MA for half of the required minimum portion for M/MA.
BREAKFAST
1. Consider implementing a vegetable, such as spinach or okra, with eggs.
2. Use fresh or frozen fruits instead of juice. The fiber in whole fruits and vegetables is a necessary
component of foods that is often lacking in children’s diets, and it slows the release of sugar into
the blood stream.
SNACK
1. Replace fluid milk with a Meat/Meat Alternate.
2. Increase the protein content in Grains/Breads by including recipes that include yogurt, ricotta
cheese, or cottage cheese.
•
2
Menu Example I – Page 4
Labeling Menu Items
HM
Fsh
Milk (Whole, 1%,
Menu – indicate
Homemade
Fresh
**Indicate types of
** If Juice is on
WW
Skim)
that it’s 100%
Cnd
Whole
Canned
Wheat
WG
Frz
Whole Grain
Frozen
**You may need to
make other
abbreviations for the
sake of space
Civil Rights & Required Funding Statement
• All menus must include the
Civil Rights Statement, or at
least the abbreviated Civil
Rights Statement:
“This institution is an equal
opportunity provider.”
• The Authorized Funding
Statement must be also be
included:
“This product was funded by
USDA.”
CE Name
Implementing Change – Page 6
• Although tempting, pace
any changes to your cycle
menu
• List changes and then
prioritize
• Schedule difficult changes
when you will be available
Changes to Make
Priority #
Due Date
Cycle Menu Writing/Editing Process
Lunch/Supper
Cycle
Breakfast Cycle
Snack Cycle
Vegetable/Fruit
Cycle
• Brainstorm
• Brainstorm
• Brainstorm
• Brainstorm
• Evaluate &
Edit
• Evaluate &
Edit
• Evaluate &
Edit
• Evaluate &
Edit
• Insert into
Cycle Menu
• Insert into
Cycle Menu
• Insert into
Cycle Menu
• Insert into
Cycle Menu
Lunch & Supper Cycle – Page 7:
Chicken
Meat/Meat Alternate
• Create 5 meat categories
• Brainstorm all possible
entrees in meat
categories
• Try to make equal
possibilities for each
category
Beef
Pork
Chicken
Spaghetti
Beefy
Stroganoff
Sausage
Biscuit
Teriyaki
Chicken
Spaghetti
w/Meat Sauce
Ham & Chz
Sandwich
Chicken Salad
Sandwich
Hamburgers
(pre-made)
Mac & Chz
w/Ham
Chicken
Nuggets
Steak Fingers
Chicken & Rice
Beef & Bean
Burrito
Casserole
Chicken Penne
Pasta
Salisbury Steak
Tater Tot
Casserole
Cowboy Beans
Meat Loaf
Sloppy Joes
Fish
Tuna Salad
Turkey
Meat Alt.
Grilled Cheese
Sandwich
Evaluate lists and cross
off foods that aren’t Best
Practice Foods
Enter G/B & Vegetables
that are included in
M/MA (bun in HM Beef
Hamburger)
Include items that are
rich in
Vitamin A, C, Iron,
Calcium
Combine all entrees and
divide by 5 =
# weeks of cycle menu
Enter M/MA in daily
categories to create
cycle menu
Categorize meats in 5
groups (chicken, beef,
pork, etc.)
Lunch & Supper Cycle – Page 8:
Meat/Meat Alternate
• Apply the menu
evaluation and editing
process (pg. 2)
• Remove and/or replace
entrées on TABLE I. A.
based on the
evaluation and editing
process
Lunch & Supper Cycle – Page 8:
Meat/Meat Alternate
• Enter entrées into the
Cycle Menu on pp. 1819
• Enter (on pp. 18-19)
Grains/Breads and
Vegetables when they
are included in the
entrée
Monday
Meat
Category:
Tuesday
Meat
Category:
Chicken
Beef
M/MA
Chicken
Enchilada
Casserole
HM Hamburgers
F/V
Spinach
G/B
Corn Tortillas
Week 1
Milk
WW Bun
Wednesday
y
Meat
Category:
Fish & Pork
Pork Roast
Thursday –
–
Meat
Category:
Turkey
Friday –
Meat
Category:
Meat
Alternate
Turkey
Casserole
Egg Salad
Sandwich
Pasta - Elbows
WW Bread
Lunch & Supper Cycle – Page 9:
Grains/Breads
• Brainstorm all possible
Grains/Breads currently being used
• Explore and record all Grains/Breads
that your facility might try
• Consider Grains/Breads that contain
sources of nutrients that are often
lacking in children’s diets – Page 3
• Try to come up with at least 5
Grain/Breads to have one for each
day of the week
Current Grains/Breads Used
Spaghetti/Egg Noodles/Macaroni
White Rice
Wheat Bread/White Bread
Biscuit/Dinner Roll/Corn Bread
Hamburger Buns
Flour Tortilla
Lunch & Supper Cycle – Page 9:
Grains/Breads
• Apply the menu evaluation
and editing process (page 2)
• Remove and/or replace
Grains/Breads on TABLE I. B.
based on the evaluation and
editing process
• Add Grains/Breads to the
Cycle Menu on pp. 18-19.
Do not repeat the same
Grain/Bread within the same
cycle week
Breakfast Cycle – Page 10:
Grains/Breads
• Need 5 G/B categories per week
• Brainstorm all possible
Grains/Breads currently being
used
• Explore and record all
Grains/Breads that your facility
might try
• Consider Grains/Breads that
contain sources of nutrients that
are often lacking in children’s diets
• Try to make equal possibilities for
each category
EXAMPLE
Pancakes/
Waffles/
French Toast
Toast
Toasts
Pancakes
Cheese
Toast
Fr. Toast Sticks
Cinn. Toast
Waffles
English
Muffin
Biscuit w/
jelly
White Toast
Cold
Cereals
Homemade
Breakfast
Breads
Banana Bread
Hot
Cereals
Cream of
Wheat
Oatmeal
Breakfast Cycle:
Evaluate lists and cross off foods that don’t follow
Best Practices
Combine all Grain/Bread items that you will
use and divide by 5 = # weeks of cycle menu
Enter Breakfast Grains/Breads onto
working menu on pp. 18-19
Breakfast Cycle Menu Example – Page 11:
Breakfast Cycle Menu Example – Page 11:
Category:
Pancakes/
Waffles/
French Toast
Category:
Category:
Category:
Category:
Cold Cereal
HM
Breakfast
Breads
Hot Cereal
Toast
Week 1
G/B
Waffles
WW Cinn.
Toast
WG Cereal
HM/WW
Banana
Bread
Oatmeal
Snack Cycle – Page 12:
• Categorize component categories
• Brainstorm all snack components
excluding F/V components
• Include all items that your facility
might try
• Consider sources that are rich in
nutrients that are lacking in
children’s diets
• Need 5-10 items per week that are
not F/V
• Milk is an option but has already
been offered in the days prior meals,
consider G/B and M/Ma to pair with
a fruit or vegetable instead
Grains/Breads
s
Meat/Meat
t
Alternate
Crackers:
Ritz/CheezIts/
Club
Yogurt
Cakes:
Upside/Muffin
Square
Chz. Stix
Cereal/Trail Mix
Banana Bread
Cookies: V.
Wafers/G.
Crackers/Fig
Newtons/A. Crackers
Donut Holes
Homemade Items
Items
to Try
G/B or M/MA to
to try for
Lacking
Nutrients
Other
Snack Cycle – Page 13:
• Consider best practices and
cross off foods that you do
not want to use
• Determine number of 2component snacks excluding
F/V
• Try to allow a F/V as one
snack component 3 times a
week or more
• Days that do not use a F/V,
use a M/MA instead
• Categorize the snacks
Snack Cycle – Page 13:
• Record snacks onto cycle menu
excluding F/V – page 18-19
• Try not to offer the same G/B
on the same day (Breakfast
Bread and Snack Cake on same
day)
Week
1
G/B
Category:
Category:
Crackers or
or carrots
w/Cheese/
Bean dips/
Guacamole
Pretzels/
Dry Cereal
WG Crackers
Pretzels
Category:
:
Category: Category:
y:
y:
Cookies
Snack
Crackers
Vanilla Wafers
Gold Fish
Yogurt
F/V
M/MA
Cheddar
Cheese Stix
Yogurt
Vegetable & Fruit Cycle – Page 14:
• Write down current and possible menu items for Vegetables
& Fruits
• Brainstorm enough F/V to have a different one each day of
the week for each meal type
Vegetable & Fruit Cycle Page 14:
Vegetables:
• Write down all possible
Vegetables
• Include vegetables that
facility might try
• Use sources that are rich in
Vitamin A and Vitamin C
• Try to include vegetables
that are high in nutrients
that are lacking in
children’s diets
Vegetables
Canned
Vegetables
Frozen
Tomato Soup
Broccoli
Green Beans
Mixed
Sweet Potatoes
Tater Tots
WK Corn
Hash Browns
Black Eyed Peas
Peas & Carrots
Refried Beans
Diced Carrots
Broccoli
Normandy
Vegetables
Fresh
Lettuce
Vegetables to
to Try with
Vitamins
A&C
Vegetables to
try for
Lacking
Nutrients
Vegetable & Fruit Cycle – Page 14:
Fruits:
• Write down all possible fruits
• Include fruits that the facility
might try
• Consider adding fruits that are
rich in Vitamin A & C
• Try to include fruits that are high
in nutrients that are lacking in
children’s diets
Fruits
Canned
Apples
Pineapple Tidbits
Pineapple,
Crushed
Apricots, Halved
Applesauce
Mixed Fruit
Pears, Diced
Peaches, Diced
Oranges,
Mandarin
Fruits
Frozen
Fruits
Fresh
Bananas
Fruits to Try Fruits to try for
Try with
for
Vitamins A &
Lacking
&C
Nutrients
Vegetable & Fruit
Cycle:
• Evaluate items considering Best Practices. Cross off items that you do
not want to include in your menu.
• Add any items that are rich in nutrients that are often lacking in
children’s diets
• Consider replacing canned vegetables with fresh or frozen
• Is juice able to be replaced with fresh or frozen fruit?
• Consider replacing canned fruit with fresh or frozen
• Insert Fruit/Vegetables into menu without repeating
• Are there any locations on the menu that a fruit can be replaced by a
vegetable?
Vegetable & Fruit Cycle – Page 15:
•
Record vegetables and fruits onto cycle menu–
page 18-19
CACFP Cycle Menu
• Evaluate your menu to
ensure that it:
• Meets the meal pattern
requirements
• Has good taste appeal
• Is visually appealing
• Addresses choking hazard
prevention
• Includes variety
• Is cost effective
Breakfast: Category: Category: Category:
Week 1
G/B
Category: Category:
V/F
Milk
Other
Lunch/
Supper:
Week 1
Monday - Tuesday – Wednesday Thursday - Friday Meat
Meat
-Meat
Meat
Meat
Category: Category: Category: Category: Category:
M/MA
V/F
G/B
Milk
Other
Snack:
Week 1
G/B
F/V
M/MA
Other
Category: Category: Category:
Category: Category:
Evaluated and Edited Menu Example
•
Additional Resources:
•
Feeding Infants: A Guide for Use in the Child Nutrition Programs
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/feeding-infants-guide-use-child-nutritionprograms
•
Menu Planning Tools for Child Care Providers
https://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/menu-planning/menu-planningtools/menu-planning-tools-child-care-providers
•
Pass the Peaches, Please http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/stateresources/creating-positive-and-pleasant-mealtimes-schools-and-earlychildhood-programs
•
Recipes for Healthy Kids: Cookbooks for Child Care Centers and Schools
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/recipes-healthy-kids-cookbook-child-carecenters-0
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