How Do Your DCK Feel About The CACFP Changes?

[Blackcat31]

Can you post the charts please? I keep getting mixed messages if I can serve double vegetables or if I have to serve fruit AND a veggie for lunch

Here is a great article on a blog by a former member here:

https://littlesproutslearning.co/new-cacfp-meal-requirements-for-childcare-made-simple/

Scroll down to right underneath the photo of the vegetables and it says: "Vegetables and fruits are divided now, so you may no longer serve two fruits for lunch or supper, it must be one of each or two veggies. A vegetable and a fruit are allowed for a snack."

[daycarediva]

I just emailed the photo with the changes to my CACFP coordinator. In training, we were told only ONE breakfast per week could have a protein instead of grain.

These kids eat WAY too many simple starches. If it IS three days a week, every M/W/F will be grain free breakfast here! Spinach egg cups, cottage cheese and fruit are favs!

[Josiegirl]

I just emailed the photo with the changes to my CACFP coordinator. In training, we were told only ONE breakfast per week could have a protein instead of grain.

These kids eat WAY too many simple starches. If it IS three days a week, every M/W/F will be grain free breakfast here! Spinach egg cups, cottage cheese and fruit are favs!

We were told 3x a week can be switched protein for grains at breakfast.

The 100% whole wheat has to either have whole wheat listed as 1st ingred. with water as 2nd or water 1st and whole wheat 2nd.
There was also a question about serving Rice Chex, they were saying it wasn't counted as a whole grain BUT some boxes of Rice Chex have whole grain rice listed as a 1st ingred. As I said, lots of confusion.

I have no idea how to scan and post the charts I have.

You can also serve a fruit AND veggie at snack as your required 2 components now.

[hwichlaz]

I've always served whole grains exclusively. We had to switch from Greek Gods yogurt to Mountain High. They haven't noticed.

So no discernable difference as far as they are concerned.

[hwichlaz]

List of low sugar cereals, and list of cereals that are BOTH low sugar AND whole grain.

http://www.providerschoice.com/pdfs/Providers%20Choice%20Approved%20Cereal%20List.pdf

[hwichlaz]

I just emailed the photo with the changes to my CACFP coordinator. In training, we were told only ONE breakfast per week could have a protein instead of grain.

These kids eat WAY too many simple starches. If it IS three days a week, every M/W/F will be grain free breakfast here! Spinach egg cups, cottage cheese and fruit are favs!

I only serve whole grains for the grain component at breakfast so that helps. I usually add peanut butter to toast or pancakes or french toast so that it "sticks to their ribs" and is more filling so they eat less of the grain. I'm probably going to switch to eggs at least once a week. Won't do yogurt as a sub but will still use as an add-on, because the amount needed for a serving for a meal (not snack) is so much that my kids would be unable to eat it. We already use cottage cheese for snack a couple of times a week. I add a ranch packet to it and they get it to dip their veggies or pita chips in.

[Mom2Two]

I do not have one single child in my care right now who will eat whole wheat bread. Even infants throw it on the floor. They're not impressed with whole grain noodles, either. One 3 year old shouted at the table "this is disGUSTing!".

My kids will eat Pepperidge Farm Jewish Rye-at $4.26 per tiny loaf or white bread. I'm going to try replacing as much bread as possible with whole grain buns.

I'm all for eating more whole grains, but the kids are very unimpressed. I get it-it took ME many tries before I switched to whole wheat noodles for my own family. I, too, hate whole wheat bread. If I'm wasting carbs and calories on bread, I want it to be one of those dense, delicious breads that I LOVE. I know they'll eventually get used to it, but when they get white bread at home, they are unlikely to want to eat it here. I used to serve only whole grains, but a few years ago, I gave up and switched to white bread and noodles because I was sick of throwing food away. I literally threw away 90% of breakfast (whole grain blueberry pancakes) and not one kid touched their sandwich at lunch today on whole wheat bread, though it DID get them to eat more vegetables than usual!

What about corn or whole wheat tortillas?

I do think it would be hard to sell kids on something you hate yourself though.

All my kids love my rolls. Here's the recipe just in case you turn into a whole wheat maniac like me:

3 T sugar
3/4 salt
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
3 C ww flour (I substitute 2 T gluten flour for 2 T of flour)
1/4 C butter (I use canola oil)
1/2 C water (if white flour) or 1/2 C + 2 T Water for WW flour (fiber soaks up water)
2 eggs

Mix, knead, rise (I use bread maker) divide dough into 12 parts (I just use a knife), rise on cookie sheet, bake 12 minutes or so.

[Mom2Two]

My kids haven't noticed anything. My family has switched to Yoplait light to make it easier for all, but for dck I usually only put it in smoothies anyway. And really, the reduced sugar kind seems sweet enough anyway.

I haven't found it too rough. I began trying to follow it over the Summer so that I wouldn't be panicking on September 30th.

[Unregistered]

I've already been doing pretty much everything for years, except the sugar in yogurt thing. My usual yogurt brand just switched to 40% less sugar than before - I'm assuming due to the CACFP changes - and now my DCK won't eat yogurt anymore. I tasted it and can't blame them!

I serve plain yogurt with frozen berries thawed and mixed in, that way the juice from then mixes in a lot too. The kids love it! You could always blend it with berries, my DD likes it better that way.

[BumbleBee]

The only thing my dck's are slightly upset about is not being able to have their beloved raisin bran, fruity cheerios, and cinnamon life cereal at breakfast. Otherwise we haven't had to change anything, just the cereals.

They also miss their special k with strawberries. Which is funny because I can buy special k and dried strawberries separately and serve that with milk and it's claimable. But the box of special k with strawberries is a no go.

[mamamanda]

Thanks-I did order WW pitas and english muffins. I don't think they'll find the muffins to be a lot different than the white ones! My kids love whole grain, multi grain crackers, for sure!

Question for both Leigh and Josie, what kind of whole grain crackers do you use? I can't find any truly whole grain crackers other than triscuits at our local grocery stores. I can find ritz crackers with 5g of whole grain, but not 100% whole grain. I would love to find a whole grain option similar to ritz. It would be a big hit here.

[Blackcat31]

Question for both Leigh and Josie, what kind of whole grain crackers do you use? I can't find any truly whole grain crackers other than triscuits at our local grocery stores. I can find ritz crackers with 5g of whole grain, but not 100% whole grain. I would love to find a whole grain option similar to ritz. It would be a big hit here.

Here are a couple helpful resources

http://acdkids.org/pdf/MPC%20-%20Whole%20Grain-Rich%20Guide.pdf

https://wholegrainscouncil.org/find-whole-grains/stamped-products?page=4

http://www.providerschoice.com/pdfs/Identifying%20Whole%20Grain%20Rich.pdf

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

[Leigh]

Question for both Leigh and Josie, what kind of whole grain crackers do you use? I can't find any truly whole grain crackers other than triscuits at our local grocery stores. I can find ritz crackers with 5g of whole grain, but not 100% whole grain. I would love to find a whole grain option similar to ritz. It would be a big hit here.

Crunchmaster, Wheat Thins, Grainsfirst, Nabisco Whole Grain Saltines, and Mary's Gone Crackers are a few brands that are whole grain.

[e.j.]

I know the questions wasn't directed toward me but I thought I'd chime in because my food program rep sent out an email message addressing the issue of whole grain crackers. She said the only whole grain crackers we can claim are Triscuits and Whole Grain Gold Fish. They're the only ones that are truly whole grain. This is quoted from the email she sent:

As you all know, you must be serving one whole grain a day. This can be whole wheat or whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, cheerios, or oatmeal. Those are the main ones. There are only two crackers that you can claim as whole grain: goldfish and triscuits. None of the others are actually whole grain, including wheat thins! I just found this out at our meeting last week. So if you are claiming graham crackers, wheat thins, or any other crackers other than those, it will not count as a whole grain. If you claim a cracker other than triscuits or goldfish as a whole grain, you will be receiving menu errors. If you are writing out menus, please indicate whole grains by writing “WW” or “WG”, Internet claimers must click off that a bread serving is a whole grain.

You are not allowed to serve any sweet grains. This includes cookies, cakes, poptarts, cinnamon breads, etc. Graham crackers and animal crackers are allowed twice a week.

[Leigh]

I know the questions wasn't directed toward me but I thought I'd chime in because my food program rep sent out an email message addressing the issue of whole grain crackers. She said the only whole grain crackers we can claim are Triscuits and Whole Grain Gold Fish. They're the only ones that are truly whole grain. This is quoted from the email she sent:

As you all know, you must be serving one whole grain a day. This can be whole wheat or whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, cheerios, or oatmeal. Those are the main ones. There are only two crackers that you can claim as whole grain: goldfish and triscuits. None of the others are actually whole grain, including wheat thins! I just found this out at our meeting last week. So if you are claiming graham crackers, wheat thins, or any other crackers other than those, it will not count as a whole grain. If you claim a cracker other than triscuits or goldfish as a whole grain, you will be receiving menu errors. If you are writing out menus, please indicate whole grains by writing “WW” or “WG”, Internet claimers must click off that a bread serving is a whole grain.

You are not allowed to serve any sweet grains. This includes cookies, cakes, poptarts, cinnamon breads, etc. Graham crackers and animal crackers are allowed twice a week.

My food program rep SUGGESTED Wheat Thins! Amazing how everything is open to interpretation from program to program!