New Food Program Regulations

[springv]

Quick question,
We are on the food program here in Alabama and we got a letter from the department of human resources stating that we will not be able to serve juice and count it as a fruit for afternoon snack but that we will have to serve milk for breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack. The director goes the 19th for a meeting so hopefully we will have some more info about it. But my question is does anyone else here do this or have you heard of this?

[LITTLESTARS]

yes

yep im in new England and juice is disallowed. which means I can give the kids juice once in awhile but I wont get paid for the juice , here is only milk for all three meals . and even with the milk we have to make sure we are giving proper milk to the kids per the age .

[Josiegirl]

Hmmm, I'm in Vt. and I haven't heard this yet. Not sure about the juice thing because I can't remember the last time I bought juice. But as for the milk having to be served at snack too? Haven't heard that yet. Milk is very filling and a lot of kids would bypass healthier options to drink it.

[springv]

We also currently have to put the milk or juice back for extra because sometimes the kids don't want it. What do ya'll usually serve for afternoon snack that the kids actually eat and don't waste. Our kids won't eat what we currently offer depending on what it is at the time but sometimes they do.

[coloradoprovider]

The USDA guidelines should be nationwide, so if you're on a food program it doesn't matter what state you're in, the rules will be the same for all providers. Juice has been discouraged for quite a few years, I quit serving it long ago. Milk (whole for 1-2 years old and 1% or skim for 2 and up) is the rule - although I never buy/serve skim - it tastes like icky water! I serve whole and 1% at breakfast and lunch as it's required. Milk at snacks CAN be served as one of the components, but not required. I often do serve milk at snack, but not always. Cheese and crackers are a well-liked snack. I don't believe that the high fat content of cheese is a problem for active, normal weight children. IMHO the obesity epidemic is caused by too much processed food, too much sugar and not enough exercise. Whole milk for an active 2 year won't make them fat! But I follow the rules anyway as 1% milk as part of a healthy diet should be fine.


My daycare children also like hummus and crackers - unfortunately, commercially made hummus isn't creditable (yet) unless it's homemade, so I give them hummus with bell peppers and crackers to dip and the peppers and crackers ARE creditable.

[springv]

We do whole grain Ritz crackers with cheese and juice on Fridays and all of pre k and younger eat the crackers bur not the cheese and our school ages snub their noses at it. We do animal crackers on Wednesday and cheez its on Thursdays and both are served with juice. Can we use the already cut up bell peppers like you use for fajitas with the crackers if we wanted to.

[CalCare]

P.M. Snacks that I give are:
Apples and cheese cubes
String cheese and pretzels
Carrots and blueberries
Yogurt and berries
Apple sauce squeeze pouch and bread sticks
Peppers and cucumbers
W.w. toast and cheese
Bagel and cream cheese

[springv]

@calcare: What do you serve to drink with the pm snack?

[CalCare]

Oh water for AM snack and PM snack and water is just available all day. They all have their own water bottles. I only do milk for lunch. I don't serve breakfast.

[coloradoprovider]

The children also like green smoothies. Kale, spinach and frozen mango (Costco has organic frozen mango cubes) maybe a little orange or two in the blender. Surprisingly, the kids really like the smoothie sweetened only with the fruit - although the bulk is greens - healthy and delicious! Snacks for me are quick and easy and not a lot of variety from day to day as our lunches and breakfast have a lot of variety.

[Cat Herder]

"Milk" served with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. As the majority of my DCK's have a "no cows milk" form in their file, I serve cheese, yogurt, formula until 2 and almond milk daily.

Water served with all meals and snacks as well as available all day (paper dixie cups).

No juice served. Components met by:

Fruit served with Breakfast, AM snack, Lunch and Dinner.

Vegetable served with AM snack, Lunch, PM snack and Dinner.

Protein and Whole Grain served with all meals and snacks. (My choice)

[hwichlaz]

I'm glad juice is going to be disallowed but I'll be grumpy if I have to serve milk with snacks. I serve water most of the time right now.

[hwichlaz]

https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/cacfp/CACFP_childmealpattern.pdf

the current meal pattern

[springv]

Thank ya'll for your input and advice, i was talking to the girls at work today and we were all wondering how to incorporate fruit into the evening snack for it to be counted since we won't be able to serve juice anymore to drink. How do some of ya'll incorporate fruit into the evening snack for it to count

[hwichlaz]

Thank ya'll for your input and advice, i was talking to the girls at work today and we were all wondering how to incorporate fruit into the evening snack for it to be counted since we won't be able to serve juice anymore to drink. How do some of ya'll incorporate fruit into the evening snack for it to count

I don't. You only need to serve two components, fruit's not required. I only serve it with breakfast.

BUT, apples and cheese, crackers and fruit....just replace the juice with any fruit you'd like??