Snack

[Thriftylady]

I am not currently on the food program, not sure if I will be or not. I was in Kansas. I have banana bread in the oven for snack (and for the family of course they would have a hissy ). Even though I am not on the food program right now, I try to keep things healthy. Does anyone know if the amount of banana in a slice of banana bread is anywhere close to a fruit serving? If not I will serve fruit with it. But I only have one today and he just turned a year old, I hate to open a whole can of fruit for just him.

[SilverSabre25]

Even if it is, the food program probably wouldn't count it as such. For snacks you need two of: grain, fruit/vegetable, meat/protein, milk.

So today you could give him milk and the bread. Or 100% fruit juice. Or some sort of vegetable. Or even some cheese. It doesn't HAVE to be fruit.

[KSDC]

The food program would also consider the banana bread a sweet - assuming that the recipe has enough grain in it. And you can only serve sweets twice a week.

[Thriftylady]

Yes that is true about the sweets! I had forgotten all of what counts on that in what categories. Right now I am trying really hard to just do healthy. I will be doing milk with it.

[Meyou]

It's pretty easy to make whole grain banana bread. I use honey, whole wheat flour, baking soda, banana, egg and coconut oil in mine.

Would that still be considered a sweet?

[Blackcat31]

The food program would also consider the banana bread a sweet - assuming that the recipe has enough grain in it. And you can only serve sweets twice a week.

I used to serve muffins and breads (rhubarb, banana, blueberry etc) every morning.

My FP never counted those items as sweets but counted them as grains.

I know every area is different so it may just be a case of interpretation but those items are listed in my Food Program guideline book under grains.

[melilley]

My FP never counted those items as sweets but counted them as grains.

I know every area is different so it may just be a case of interpretation but those items are listed in my Food Program guideline book under grains.

Same here. Breads are considered a grain.

Dessert items are cookies, cereal/granola bars, donuts, cobblers/crisps, pop-tarts/toaster pastries, cake, brownies, cinnamon or sweet rolls. That's taken from the choices in Minute Menu for dessert items.

[KSDC]

The problem here comes from the recipe used on the breads and muffins. Some recipes/brands have plenty of whole grain/enriched grain. Some have more sugar than anything else.
I mean, a graham cracker is considered a sweet.

I guess how the FP is run is all local, your mileage may vary.

[craftymissbeth]

I know that my food program doesn't let us count fruits it veggies baked into breads as a component. So banana bread is only a grain. And banana bread and muffins aren't considered sweets here. Pop tarts and cinnamon rolls aren't even sweets here I'm not ever allowed to count cake or cupcakes as anything. But I can serve the following no more than twice a week: graham crackers, animal crackers, brownies, cookies, etc.

[Heidi]

yeah, here banana bread or any other kind of fruit/veggie bread would fall under "quick bread". There's a listing for it in MMK. The 2x a week stuff is all in a separate category in MMK, with the heading "Breakfast Sweets" and "Snack Sweets" I was trying to copy and paste it, but it won't work and I am too dang lazy to type them all out...

[Leigh]

I used to serve muffins and breads (rhubarb, banana, blueberry etc) every morning.

My FP never counted those items as sweets but counted them as grains.

I know every area is different so it may just be a case of interpretation but those items are listed in my Food Program guideline book under grains.

Mine counts those as grains, as well. As far as how much fruit, it's just math that depends on your recipe. Mine uses 4 bananas. If I slice a loaf into 12 pieces, that's 1/3 banana per slice, approximately.

[Unregistered]

Our FP used to tell us that if we put too MUCH fruit/veg in the bread, they could disqualify it as a grain! They said it had to be measured by weight, not volume (cups).
Maybe that has changed though. They didn't used to allow chips, pop tarts, etc. either.

[Thriftylady]

Well I can see how some of the breads would be iffy based on the amount of sugar and such. That is why banana bread is one of my favorites to make because if you use very ripe bananas you need very little sugar. I suppose not everyone uses that theory though.

[AmyKidsCo]

I'm in the "any kind of bread is a grain" camp, but in addition, according to the food program the first ingredient has to be flour - if it's sugar or water or something else it doesn't count.

I'd have given him milk with the banana bread.