Overview
School Nutrition Programs | Program Guidance | Forms | Resources | Nutrition Education
The resources below provide guidance on determining whether foods and beverages credit toward the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) meal patterns for grades K-12 in the school nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Seamless Summer Option (SSO) of the NSLP, Afterschool Snack Program (ASP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Special Milk Program (SMP). For additional information, review the CSDE's Menu Planning Guide for School Meals for Grades K-12 and Menu Planning Guide for Preschoolers in the NSLP, SBP, and ASP.
General Crediting Guidance |
Crediting Foods Prepared on Site
Crediting Commercial Processed Products
Crediting Guidance for the Meal Pattern Components
General Crediting Guidance for School Nutrition Programs
- ASP Meal Pattern for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
- Crediting Updates for Child Nutrition Programs: Be in the Know! Webinar Series (USDA)
- Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (USDA)
- Meal Patterns for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
- Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
- Menu Planning Guide for School Meals (CSDE)
- Noncreditable Foods for Grades K-12 in the ASP (CSDE)
- Noncreditable Foods for Grades K-12 in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
- USDA Memo SP 08-2019, CACFP 02-2019 and SFSP 02-2019: Update of Food Crediting in the Child Nutrition Programs
- USDA Memo SP 38-2019 : Meal Requirements under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program: Q&As for Program Operators
- Water
- USDA Memo SP 19-2018: Clarification on the Milk and Water Requirements in the School Meal Programs
- USDA Memo SP 49-2016 and CACFP 18-2016: Resources for Making Potable Water Available in Schools and Child Care Facilities
Crediting Commercial Processed Products for Grades K-12 in School Nutrition Programs
SFAs must obtain appropriate documentation to indicate that commercial products credit toward the USDA meal patterns. For example, to credit a commercial chicken patty as 2 ounce equivalents of the meat/meat alternates component, the manufacturer’s documentation must indicate that one serving of the product contains 2 ounces of cooked chicken. Allowable documentation includes:
- the original Child Nutrition (CN) label from the product carton or a photocopy or photograph of the CN label shown attached to the original product carton; or
- a product formulation statement (PFS) signed by an official of the manufacturer stating the amount of each meal pattern component contained in one serving of the product.
These are the only acceptable records for documenting a commercial product’s contribution to the USDA meal patterns. Without this documentation, SFAs cannot credit commercial products toward the USDA meal patterns.
- Child Nutrition (CN) Labels
- CN Authorized Manufacturers and Labels (USDA website)
- CN Labeling (USDA website)
- CN Labeling Program (CSDE)
- Presentation: CN Labels and Product Formulation Statements (USDA)
- USDA Memo SP 11-2015v2, CACFP10-2015 and SFSP 13-2015: CN Labels Copied with a Watermark Acceptable Documentation
- USDA Memo SP 27-2015, CACFP 09-2015 and SFSP 12-2015: Administrative Review Process Regarding the Child Nutrition (CN) Label, Watermarked CN Label and Manufacturer's Product Formulation Statement
- Product Formulation Statements
- Presentation: CN Labels and Product Formulation Statements (USDA)
- Product Formulation Statements (CSDE)
- Product Formulation Statements (USDA’s Food Manufacturers/Industry webpage)
- Tips for Evaluating a Manufacturer's PFS (USDA)
- USDA Product Formulation Statements (USDA’s Food Manufacturers/Industry webpage)
- Grain Ounce Equivalents: Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Grains in the Child Nutrition Programs (USDA)
- Completed Sample: Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Grains in the Child Nutrition Programs (USDA)
- Meat/Meat Alternates: Product Formulation Statement (Product Analysis) for Meat/Meat Alternate (M/MA) Products in Child Nutrition Programs (USDA)
- Vegetables/Fruits: Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Vegetables and Fruits in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and NSLP Afterschool Snacks (USDA
- Completed Sample: Vegetables
- Completed Sample: Fruits
- Grain Ounce Equivalents: Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Grains in the Child Nutrition Programs (USDA)
- Documentation for Processed Foods
- Accepting Processed Product Documentation in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
- CSDE Operational Memo No. 10-15: Guidance for Accepting Processed Product Documentation for Meal Pattern Requirements
- Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (USDA)
- USDA Memo TA-2010 (v.3): Guidance for Accepting Processed Product Documentation for Meal Pattern Requirements
- Yield Study Form for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
Crediting Foods Prepared on Site for Grades K-12 in School Nutrition Programs
To credit foods prepared on site toward the USDA meal patterns, school food authorities (SFAs) must maintain standardized recipes that document the crediting information per serving. For example, to credit macaroni and cheese as 2 ounce equivalents of the meat/meat alternates component and 2 ounce equivalents of the grains component, the SFA's recipe must indicate that each serving contains 2 ounces of cheese and 1 cup of whole grain-rich or enriched pasta.
- Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
- Portion Control
- Standardized Recipes
- Basic Culinary Math for School Nutrition Professionals (ICN)
- Basics at a Glance: Recipe abbreviations, measurement conversions, portioning tools, and steamtable pan capacity (ICN)
- Chapter 4: Meal Preparation Documentation (USDA’s Menu Planner for School Meals)
- Manager’s Corner: Standardized Recipes (ICN)
- Measuring Success with Standardized Recipes (ICN)
- No Time to Train: Identifying the Parts of a USDA Quantity Recipe (ICN)
- On the Road to Professional Food Preparation eLearning: Recipe Adjustments (ICN)
- Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE's Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs webpage)
- Section 4: Menu Records (CSDE's Menu Planning Guide for School Meals for Grades K-12)
- Standardized Recipe Form for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
- What’s Standard About Standardized Recipes? (SNA)
- Why Use Standardized Recipes? Fact Sheet (ICN)
- Weights and Measures
Crediting Guidance for the Meal Pattern Components
For handouts and resources on crediting foods for grades K-12 in the school nutrition programs, go to the Documents/Forms section in the left navigation bar.