NUTRITION

MENU MEAL IDEAS REIMBURSEMENT

The menu and all other forms you are required to complete will be provided to you along with all technical assistance at the time of sign up and during the service provided by Children First while on the CACFP.  All services provided by Children First are FREE including: forms, training, technical assistance, in home visits, finger printing (does not include processing prints to Department of Public Safety), monthly newsletters and freebies offered quarterly and annually.

NUTRITION EDUCATION:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/nutrition.htm

If you would like to have forms emailed to you, please send your request to:

Christy France, Director at:  daycarechildrenfirst@hotmail.com

HIGH SUGAR, HIGH FAT CALCULATOR:

Arizona CACFP Nutrition Calculator - This calculator is provided to assist day care centers, in-home providers, and sponsoring organizations in determining whether food items meet the Arizona Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Fat and Sugar Standards.
 
CACFP allows no more than 2 high sugar and/or high fat items per week. Excessive high fat and/or sugar items will result in meal disallowances.
 
Here's how to use this calculator:

• Determine which test you need to perform, based on the information you have available.

• Enter the requested information in the spaces provided.

• Read the disclaimer and check the box if you agree.

• Finally, click the Evaluate button to see the results.

• Use the "High Sugar" test if you know the "Sugar per Serving" and "Serving Size" information.

• Use the "High Fat" test if you know the "Calories from Fat" per serving and the "Calories per Serving" information.

• Use the "High Fat (no Calories from Fat)" test if you know the "Total Fat" and the "Calories per Serving" information.

Click on the following link to access the calculator.

http://ade.state.az.us/cacfpnutritioncalculator/default.aspx

COMPLETING A MENU:

Keep accurate and honest count of the food and children served.  You are required to do menus at the point of meal service, “during or immediately following each meal.”  A creditable food guide will be provided in your Child Care manual when you sign up.

Creditable Foods:

Foods that may be counted toward meeting the meal pattern requirements for a reimbursable meal.

Non-Creditable Foods

Foods that do not count toward meeting meal pattern requirements because they do not meet the above criteria

Children First menu is simple, 2 pages = 1 month. The 1-15th of the month, then the 16-last of the month. Mailed to office on the first of each month (if the first is a holiday or a weekend, mail it the first mailing day after.)

MEAL COMPONENTS:

The CACFP recognizes four components, or categories, or food groups, from which menus are prepared. 

Milk Meat or Meat Alternate Fruit or Vegetable Bread or bread Alternate

Breakfast menus must include:

1.  Milk

2.  Fruit or Vegetable

3.  Bread or Bread Alternate

Lunch/Dinner menus must include:

1.  Milk

2.  Meat or Meat Alt.

3. Fruit or Vegetable

4. Fruit or Vegetable

5. Bread or Bread Alternate

Snacks menus must include:

Foods from two of the four food categories

Not milk and juice together: not two of the same food group.

Maximum meal claim:

Per child/per day

2 main meals and 1 snack or 2 snacks and 1 main meal

No more than 3 meals can be claimed per day/per child

The Reimbursement System:

All reimbursement rates for meals served are effective from July 1 to June 30 of each calendar year.  Both tier rates are adjusted for inflation and rounded down to the nearest cent annually.  New rates along with updated regulations will be listed in the monthly newsletter as we receive them. 

Would you like to receive money?  We provide a cash  reimbursement for meals you feed to children.

BREAKFAST IDEA'S

Breakfast can be served and claimed between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.  Please serve meals according to the hours you have listed on your application.  One item from each of the following meal component must be listed to get credit for breakfast.

1.  Milk

2.  Fruit/Vegetable or Juice

3.  Bread or alternate

        SAMPLE:

LUNCH or DINNER IDEAS:

Lunch can be served and claimed between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.  Dinner can be served and claimed between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Please serve meals according to the hours you have listed on your application.  One item from each of the following meal component must be listed to get credit for lunch or dinner.

1. Milk 

2. Meat or alternate

3. Fruit/Vegetable

4. Fruit/Vegetable

5. Bread or alternate 

    SAMPLE:

SNACKS:

Snacks can be served and claimed between main meals.  Please serve meals according to the hours you have listed on your application. 

Two items from each of the following four meal component/food groups must be listed to get credit for snacks. Only two of the four food groups. Not milk and juice together.  Not two of the same food group together.

Milk Meat or Meat Alternate Fruit or Vegetable Bread or bread Alternate

          SAMPLE:

IRON FORTIFIED:

Iron fortified formula (IFF) and Breast Milk (BM) counts for infants 0-11 months.  Iron fortified cereal (IFC) is the only cereal that counts for 0-11 months. Exceptions will be made if you have a note from your doctor.  We reimburse 100% for Breast Milk. 

INFANT FOODS:

Iron is an essential mineral needed by the body.  Iron is needed to carry oxygen in the blood.  The lack of iron directly affects behavior, mood, attention span, and learning ability.  Lack of iron intake in children cannot be made up in later years.  Prevent deficiencies now.  Iron fortified products are made with infant’s needs in mind.  Talk to your pediatrician or nutritionist about what formula and foods are best for your child.

SAMPLE RECIPES:

Cookie Cutter Chicken Nuggets:

Uncooked Chicken Breast (thin sliced) 

Assorted  Metal Cookie Cutters

Breadcrumbs for the breading on nuggets

Cut shapes into chicken breast with cookie cutters.  Dip chicken in breading and bake to proper temperature. (Counts as bread and meat.)

Happy Hot Dogs:

Hot dog in bun.  Create happy face on side with mustard, relish and other garnishments (mustard, relish and garnishments not creditable).  (Counts as bread and meat)

Mickey Mouse Pancakes:

Instant pancake mix (mix according to instructions).  Poor batter into pan, first one big circle then two smaller circles for the ears. Have cut or pre-prepared peach slices, raisins, banana and any other fruit you would like to create the face from. (Counts as bread)

 Hand Shaped Cookies:

Roll out sugar cookie dough from your favorite recipe. Have children place their hand on un-cooked dough (away from oven) trace the shape of their hand as a cookie.  Put m&m’s where the fingernails would be.  Bake cookie according to instructions.

(Counts as high sugar bread alternate.)

Pac-Man Cheese Crisp:

Tortilla and graded cheese.  Take two tortilla’s and put cheese in the middle.  Grill to crisp on both sides in skillet pan.  Take out of pan and cut ¼ side out leaving a pac-man shape. Use the smaller corn size flour tortillas for this recipe. (Counts as bread and meat.)