New Food Program Regs Cracking Me Up...

[Mom2Two]

Wait! thats not countable? My center counts it all the time!

These are new regs starting Oct 1st. You can still count graham crackers and milk as a snack right on up to Sep 30th!

[Alwaysgreener]

ITA that they're mostly good (I just did my training on the new regs last week), but I have smoothie issues too. In the end our nutritionist agreed that if we had recipes with specific ingredients and quantities that we could demonstrate if needed that we'd be okay. I think I'll have to put it in pitchers though and let them do family style, coz I want to be able to use left overs for my own family.

I didn't hear the one about the fruit counting as juice. That sounds so silly!

I don't like that we can't count graham crackers or animal crackers. They're not THAT sweet.

Good News, crackers are back. see USDA memo

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/541d89e0e4b03f1e8812cb30/t/595d3a3a9f745614a602b7dc/1499281979051/CACFP16-2017sSweetCrackers.pdf

[CityGarden]

Oh, and we can use tofu as a meat alternate starting in october....but only if it's recognizable to the children as a meat. No tofu noodles, no pureeing it and mixing it into something etc. It has to stay formed. We can slice it up and stire fry it, bake it etc.....but not disguise it. :confused:

I am not a fan of hiding vegetables from children but pureeing meats/tofu is a no no..... really?

This seems more so they can document and check in on the provider with the naked eye than in the child's best interest

* I really try not to reply on food program items but this one is hard to ignore. Please feel free to overlook my comment, I am just in shock of what they choose to be picky about.

[Leigh]

I am not a fan of hiding vegetables from children but pureeing meats/tofu is a no no..... really?

This seems more so they can document and check in on the provider with the naked eye than in the child's best interest

* I really try not to reply on food program items but this one is hard to ignore. Please feel free to overlook my comment, I am just in shock of what they choose to be picky about.

I have my training on Monday, and haven't read much of the new guidelines, but this one seems ridiculous! I make burritos for my kids that I puree meat, beans, and carrots together for. Not to hide veggies (all of my kids like carrots), but because it tastes better blended together! I can't see why the consistency of the food would matter-some soups, as well, require blending of ingredients. I am amazed at how nitpicky regs can get!

[hwichlaz]

I'm a fan of getting veggies into the kids any way I can. I think if you puree them and hide them you should NOT be doing it instead of feeding them recognizable veggies because they'll never get past their aversion that way...but you should be doing it in addition to the regular way to serve them. Why not make every bite as healthy as possible?

[Mom2Two]

Good News, crackers are back. see USDA memo

https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...etCrackers.pdf

I actually went and read it, which was kinda hard, but I did it!

It was nice that they acknowledged (in so many words) that no one had ever asked us about the changes and that life is sometimes hard for us, and that a little flexibility is helpful!

[Josiegirl]

I don't know why they need to make things so difficult. Yes, the food program needed some improvement and adjustment but really, it gets pretty ridiculous and involved doesn't it?? Is this where our tax dollars go? To spend hours upon hours deciding if pureed veggies count or graham crackers count or a myriad of other un-neccessary decisions made by the government?? I get so exasperated thinking about how many man hours get paid big money to dwell on this type of crap. One friggin' graham cracker is NOT going to make a child unhealthy. Why don't they admonish the parents who feed their kids donuts every day on the way to dc?? OR the pedi who told my dcm that it's okay for a child to NOT choose to eat veggies because at least she's not eating everything under the sun, she's making choices about her food. So she's allowed to subsist on white bread and milk. Yes, I had a dcm tell me that. This is a child who chooses only carbs to eat and makes you feel like you're torturing her if you offer veggies. But her dr. says no problem. It's also a child who walks around 75% of her time with green yucky nose syndrome going on. Go figure.
Ok, 'nuf ranting. Let's go spend out taxes on more stupid stuff.

[flying_babyb]

I know they are trying to promote healthy eating but come on people! Whats wrong with low fat organic GRAHM crackers. Our kids are missing apple sandwich day( apple slices, peanut butter, and two grams). also drives me nuts on tofu! The children I have will not eat it if they can figure out what it is,but love it when its in something.

[Josiegirl]

I know they are trying to promote healthy eating but come on people! Whats wrong with low fat organic GRAHM crackers. Our kids are missing apple sandwich day( apple slices, peanut butter, and two grams). also drives me nuts on tofu! The children I have will not eat it if they can figure out what it is,but love it when its in something.

But apples and peanut butter are your 2 components so you can still serve them.
I love my program sponsor, she's absolutely wonderful. But it seems we have issues over milk. I have 2 dcgs, 8 and 10 yo, who have always refused milk. They've been coming now for 7+ yrs. The sponsor caught me giving them water at lunch 1 day. She gave me a warning. Then when I serve 2 components at snack, plus milk, she tells me that's not necessary and to serve water instead. Well, of those 2 components there is always 1 that somebody won't eat so I serve milk to ensure of fuller bellies. I know these kiddos, what they'll probably eat or not. It's not even 1/2 c. I serve with a snack. And to me, milk is NOT the end all to our obesity problem or getting all our needed nutrients.