New to Food Program, a question about menus

[MCC]

I just enrolled in the FP llast month, I have been on it for 4 weeks.

I'm in VA, Fairfax County (if anyone else is here and can help). It appears that our county sends out a menu once a month- it's the same menu every month, but they send it anyway. I would prefer to make my own menu, but I would have to send it in for approval every month, before I serve it, and there is no way to do it electronically. The menu they are sending me is ridiculous, it has all the components, but it's just that, not an actual meal.

Example:
Chicken, mash potatoes, rice, carrots
Eggs, bun, tomatoes, pears

And 90% of the snacks are goldfish or bran muffin. We do not do goldfish here, or muffins, unless we make them as a special treat.

Does anyone have insight to this? Is this how the FP works? I understand these are "balanced" meals, but I don't feel like they are very realistic, or healthy. I asked them about electronic filing and they were :confused: and told me they didn't know how to do that.

I have a rep coming out next Monday, so I hope to be less confused, but thought I would check with you ladies first.

[NoMoreJuice!]

Strange

So you have to follow their menu? That's so strange. In KS, we fill out our menus and mail/email them to our food program sponsor. We just have to include all the necessary components, but in any combination and order that we choose.

So in summary, we tell them what we fed the kids, and they pay us so long as it is within their guidelines.

I just googled your county (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ofc/cacfp.htm) and it sounds the same. They probably sent you sample menus, but you may not be required to follow them exactly.

It also says they do allow electronic filing with Minute Menu (which I don't use, but many providers on this forum do!).

Definitely should call them and clarify asap! Good luck to you!

[Maria2013]

There is so much I do no understand or agree with on the fp

I think they try to regulate so that the kids get balanced meals but the way they go about it does not always make sense to me
we waste so much food because we are to "offer it" even though we know the child would not touch it
why changing the milk to 1% or1/2% for kids 2 yrs and older, in attempt to cut fat and then allow cakes, cookies, pie crust etc ?
....if milk is no longer the best thing kids can drink shouldn't the department of Agriculture focus on what they can do to assure the farmer feed the cows properly so that the milk is healthy again?

sorry I got off topic
"goldfish and muffins 90% of the time" does not seem like something a fp would suggest, usually they stretch the importance of "fresh" foods and "variety"...I would definitely question that

[MCC]

So you have to follow their menu? That's so strange. In KS, we fill out our menus and mail/email them to our food program sponsor. We just have to include all the necessary components, but in any combination and order that we choose.

So in summary, we tell them what we fed the kids, and they pay us so long as it is within their guidelines.

I just googled your county (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ofc/cacfp.htm) and it sounds the same. They probably sent you sample menus, but you may not be required to follow them exactly.

It also says they do allow electronic filing with Minute Menu (which I don't use, but many providers on this forum do!).

Definitely should call them and clarify asap! Good luck to you!

That is interesting, maybe the lady who did the orientation just had never heard of people changing the menu or doing minute menu. I will have to get some clarification here. Unfortunately, calling the county is like calling the DMV and usually involves a lot of hold time and then a cranky answer.

[Maria2013]

It also says they do allow electronic filing with Minute Menu (which I don't use, but many providers on this forum do!).

Do you still file claims on papers?
I was so against going electronically and now I look back and wonder WTH was wrong with me?
really, this is so much easier, faster and accurate, you should at the very least try it

[MCC]

There is so much I do no understand or agree with on the fp

I think they try to regulate so that the kids get balanced meals but the way they go about it does not always make sense to me
we waste so much food because we are to "offer it" even though we know the child would not touch it
why changing the milk to 1% or1/2% for kids 2 yrs and older, in attempt to cut fat and then allow cakes, cookies, pie crust etc ?
....if milk is no longer the best thing kids can drink shouldn't the department of Agriculture focus on what they can do to assure the farmer feed the cows properly so that the milk is healthy again?

sorry I got off topic
"goldfish and muffins 90% of the time" does not seem like something a fp would suggest, usually they stretch the importance of "fresh" foods and "variety"...I would definitely question that

The goldfish and bran muffin is literally the snack 3 out of 5 days for PM snack. Two of the days are Grape juice and goldfish. It's so strange. And I completely agree with you on all other fronts.

[MCC]

Do you still file claims on papers?
I was so against going electronically and now I look back and wonder WTH was wrong with me?
really, this is so much easier, faster and accurate, you should at the very least try it

I would LOVE to file electronically, I asked about MM in the orientation and no one had heard of it. I do have MM, and would love to use it. I hate the scantron!!

[NoMoreJuice!]

Good old fashioned paper!

Lol, I am resisting change here! I leave my paper menus on my kitchen table at all times, so every time I feed the kids I would remember to write it down.

I'm afraid if I switch to electronic, I'll just forget to input after I feed the kids! Guess I should look for a laptop to leave on my table. Glad to hear the rave reviews...I know everyone just loves MM. Change is scary!

[Blackcat31]

Electronic record keeping and reporting is 100x's easier than paper menus.

MMK has apps too for smart phones and tablets. Really, can't get any easier.


Also, MCC...each agency interprets the rules and policies of the food program differently so one agency may allow something and another may not.

The food program is a federally funded program but that doesn't stop each agency from doing their own thing.

I use MMK Pro. I know there are some things that aren't on the regular version of MMK that ARE on the Pro version.... I am not sure what those things are but I do know there ARE differences.

The menu choices (atleast for me) are endless. I can choose from their list of approved foods or their completed menus or make my own menus. The possibilities are truly endless.

I would definitely write up some questions and go over them with the rep that you are planning on visiting with on Monday.

[melilley]

Lol, I am resisting change here! I leave my paper menus on my kitchen table at all times, so every time I feed the kids I would remember to write it down.

I'm afraid if I switch to electronic, I'll just forget to input after I feed the kids! Guess I should look for a laptop to leave on my table. Glad to hear the rave reviews...I know everyone just loves MM. Change is scary!

You can do menus on the weekend for the following week or daily or whenever. I usually do mine on the weekend and change it when I need to. It's so easy! Then at the end of the day (or right after they eat) you just go in and click on who ate what. It's really easy, I will never do paper menus again! They often offer 30 day trials, you should try it just to see. You don't have to actually input everything, just pretend and see how it goes!

[MCC]

I called them, and apparently there are only 2 people on staff who know how to set up MMK for providers. No wonder no one knew what I was talking about.

They added me to the database, and I should have access tomorrow.


I already have MMK on my computer, is there a way to just turn that one into the one they need?

[My3cents]

I do paper. I am in the mind of what if something goes wrong with my computer and I loose everything or I have issues of getting online for the day-

[KidGrind]

We’re in different counties. My county gives you a choice to follow their cycle for the season or make your own. I make my own.

[melilley]

I do paper. I am in the mind of what if something goes wrong with my computer and I loose everything or I have issues of getting online for the day-

They save everything in their data base (or what ever they call it) in case something happens. But you're right, I often worry if I can't get on, but that has never happened. I suppose you could call the fp rep and go from there? I guess at least with paper, you'll never have that problem.

[Maria2013]

They save everything in their data base (or what ever they call it) in case something happens. But you're right, I often worry if I can't get on, but that has never happened. I suppose you could call the fp rep and go from there? I guess at least with paper, you'll never have that problem.

I lost Internet for a few days once, my sponsor said to just write down what I serve on paper, and when I got internet back, to change the dates and fill in each day until I got caught up