Food and Nutrition Service

WHOLE WHEAT

PITA CHIPS

Net Wt: 1 oz (28g)

Net Wt: 2 OZ (55g)

CHEEZY’S

baked whole-wheat

 crackers

Net Wt: 0.8 OZ (22g)

United States Department of Agriculture

Crediting Single-Serving 

Packages of Grains in 

the Child and Adult Care

Food Program

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) 

operators may serve single-serving or snack-sized 

packages of grain items, such as breakfast cereals or 

whole grain crackers to meet grains requirements at 

snacks and meals.

In the CACFP, the minimum required amounts 

for grains are listed in the meal pattern as ounce 

equivalents (oz eq). Ounce equivalents tell you the 

amount of grains in a portion of food.

How Much is 1 Ounce Equivalent?

0.8 ounce (22 grams)

of Cheese Crackers

= 1 oz eq of grains

1 ounce (28 grams)

of Toasted O's Cereal

= 1 oz eq of grains

2 ounces (55 grams)

of Blueberry Muffin

= 1 oz eq of grains

FNS-875 September 2020

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
2

Using the Grains Measuring Chart for 

Single-Serving Packages

To see how many single-serving packages of grains are needed to meet CACFP meal pattern 

requirements, follow the steps below:

2

1 Look at the Grains Measuring Chart for Single-Serving Packages on pages 2-3 and find the item 

you are serving under the “Grain Item and Package Weight” column. Grain items are listed in 

alphabetical order. If the item is not listed, see “What If My Grain is Different?” on page 5.

2 Each item on the chart lists a minimum package weight by the name of the item. Look at the 

package you are serving and find its weight listed on the Nutrition Facts label or on the front of 

the package. Check that the package weighs the same as, or more than, the weight listed on the 

chart (see page 4).

3 Look at the chart and find the column for the age group of your participants and the meal or 

snack you are serving. This column lists the number of packages you need to serve to meet the 

CACFP meal pattern requirement for grains. You may serve more than this amount.

Grains Measuring Chart for Single-Serving Packages

Grain Item and 

Package Weight*

Child and Adult Care Food Program 

Age Group and Meal

1- through

5-year-olds

at Breakfast, Lunch, 

Supper, Snack

6- through

18-year-olds

at Breakfast, Lunch, 

Supper, Snack

Adults

at Snack

Adults

at Breakfast, 

Lunch, Supper

Serve at Least

1⁄2 oz eq, which 

equals about...

Serve at Least

1 oz eq, which 

equals about...

Serve at Least

2 oz eq, which 

equals about...

Bagel Chips

at least 28 grams or 1 ounce 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Cereal, Ready-to-Eat, All Types** 

at least 28 grams or 1 ounce 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Corn Chips

at least 28 grams or 1 ounce 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages 

*Check that the package you want to serve weighs this amount, or more. See “Finding the Weight of 

Single-Serving Packages” on page 4 for more information. 

**Must contain 6 grams of sugar or less per dry ounce.

All grains served in the CACFP must be whole grain-rich, enriched, or fortified.
3 3

Grains Measuring Chart for Single-Serving Packages

Grain Item and 

Package Weight*

Child and Adult Care Food Program 

Age Group and Meal

1- through

5-year-olds

at Breakfast, Lunch, 

Supper, Snack

6- through 

18-year-olds

at Breakfast, Lunch, 

Supper, Snack

Adults

at Snack

Adults

at Breakfast, 

Lunch, Supper

Serve at Least

1⁄2 oz eq, which 

equals about...

Serve at Least

1 oz eq, which 

equals about...

Serve at Least

2 oz eq, which 

equals about...

Crackers, Savory (e.g., cheese, saltines, 

whole-wheat, etc.)

at least 22 grams or 0.8 ounces

1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Crackers, Sweet (e.g., animal, graham,

etc.) at least 28 grams or 1 ounce 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Croissant 

at least 34 grams or 1.2 ounces 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Grits, Dry

at least 28 grams or 1 ounce 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Muffin, All Types (except corn)

at least 55 grams or 2 ounces 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Muffin, Corn

at least 34 grams or 1.2 ounces 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Oatmeal, Dry (unflavored or flavored)** 

at least 28 grams or 1 ounce 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Pita Chips 

at least 28 grams or 1 ounce 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Pretzels, Hard*** 

at least 22 grams or 0.8 ounces 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Popcorn*** 

at least 14 grams or 0.5 ounce 1 package 2 packages 4 packages

Rice Cakes 

at least 22 grams or 0.8 ounces 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

Tortilla Chips 

at least 28 grams or 1 ounce 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

*Check that the package you want to serve weighs this amount, or more. See “Finding the Weight of 

Single-Serving Packages” on page 4 for more information. 

**Must contain 6 grams of sugar or less per dry ounce.

***Choking hazard for children under the age of 4.

All grains served in the CACFP must be whole grain-rich, enriched, or fortified.
4 

Finding the Weight of Single-Serving Packages

All items in the Grains Measuring Chart list weights by the name of the item. Follow the steps below 

to see if the package of grains you want to serve meets the minimum weight listed in the chart.

1.	Find the grain item and the package weight in the Grains Measuring Chart. 

For example, a package of hard pretzels must weigh at least 22 grams or 0.8 ounces. 

X

4

Grain Item and 

Package Weight*

Child and Adult Care Food Program Age Group and Meal

1- through

5-year-olds

at Breakfast, Lunch, 

Supper, Snack

6- through 

18-year-olds

at Breakfast, Lunch, 

Supper, Snack

Adults at Snack

Adults

at Breakfast, 

Lunch, Supper

Serve at Least 1⁄2 oz eq,

which equals about...

Serve at Least 1 oz eq,

which equals about...

Serve at Least 2 oz eq, 

which equals about...

Pretzel, Hard at least 

22 grams or 0.8 ounces 1⁄2 package 1 package 2 packages

2. Look at the Nutrition Facts label of the item you are serving. 

Find the serving size and make sure that it is listed as 

“1 package” or other similar wording. If the serving size is not 

listed as 1 package, look for the weight of one package on 

the front of the package, as shown in the picture below. If the 

weight of one package is shown on the front of the package, 

go to Step 4. If the serving size is not 1 package, and the 

weight of the package is not on the front of the package, see 

“What If My Grain Is Different?” on page 5. 

Brand P Hard Pretzels

Serving Size 1 package (28g)

1 Serving Per Container

3. Find the weight of one package. In this example, one package 

of Brand P Hard Pretzels weighs 28 grams. 

If the weight of one package is not written on the Nutrition 

Facts label, look for the weight on the front of the package. 

4. Compare the weight of one package to the weight listed in the Grains Measuring Chart. Is this 

package weight the same as, or heavier than, the weight listed in the Grains Measuring Chart?

Yes: Use the Grains Measuring Chart to see how many packages you need to serve to meet 

CACFP meal pattern requirements.

In this example, a package of hard pretzels must weigh at least 22 grams or 0.8 ounces to use 

the Grains Measuring Chart. Because 1 package of Brand P hard pretzels weighs 28 grams, you 

may use the row for “Pretzels, Hard” in the chart to see how many packages of Brand P hard 

pretzels are needed to meet CACFP meal pattern requirements.

No: Use another method to determine how many packages you need to serve to meet CACFP 

meal pattern requirements. See “What if My Grain Is Different?” on page 5. 

NET WT 1 OZ (28g)

BRAND P

hard pretzels
5 

What If My Grain Is Different?

If the package of grains you are serving:

• is lighter in weight than the item listed in the 

Grains Measuring Chart, or

• does not list the weight of one package, or 

• is not listed on the Grains Measuring Chart, 

you will need to use another method to determine how many packages are needed to meet CACFP 

meal pattern requirements. To do this, you could:

• Use the “Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) Exhibit A Grains Tool” available 

at foodbuyingguide.fns.usda.gov.

• Use Team Nutrition’s “Calculating Ounce Equivalents for Grains in the CACFP” worksheet 

available at TeamNutrition.USDA.gov. 

• Contact your State agency or sponsoring organization for assistance. 

Are There Other Menu Planning Considerations?

If you serve a package that weighs more than what is listed on the Grains Measuring Chart, then you 

might serve more grains than required by the CACFP meal pattern. The serving amounts listed in the 

meal pattern are minimums, so you are allowed to serve more than that amount. However, the tools 

described under “What If My Grain Is Different?” can also help you determine how much of an item 

is needed to meet the meal pattern requirements without serving more than what is required. Work 

with your vendors to purchase single-serving packages of grains that provide the right amount for 

your participants.

Answer Key:

See “Try It Out!” practice questions on page 6.

Croissant

Net Wt: 1.2 OZ (34g)

 hild. Measuring Chart (Page 3) to see how many muffins to serve each c

n” in the Grains ow for “Muffin, Cor weighs 1.2 ounces (34 grams), you may use the r

 n muffin n muffin. Because each cor ou should serve each child at least half (1⁄2) of a cor 1. Y

oz eq of another grain item.

 and serve 1 ou may also serve each participant 1 box of Brand B bran flakes, participant. Y

xes to serve each ypes” in the Grains Measuring Chart (Page 2) to see how many bo T

eal, Ready-to-Eat, All ow for “Cer eal weighs 1 ounce, you may use the r box of this cer

eal. Because one cer ou should serve each participant 2 boxes of Brand B bran flakes 2. Y

see how many packages of Brand S savory crackers to serve.

ounces. Because 0.75 ounces is less than 0.8 ounces, you must use another method to

der to use the chart. One bag of Brand S savory crackers weighs 0.75 or 22 grams in or

S savory crackers to serve. A package of savory crackers must weigh at least 0.8 ounces

 many bags of Brand 3. No, you should not use the Grains Measuring Chart to see how
6 

Try It Out!

Use the information in this worksheet to answer the questions below. 

See page 5 for the Answer Key. 

1 You want to serve individually wrapped corn muffins at lunch to 3-year-olds. Each 

corn muffin weighs 1.2 ounces (34 grams). How many corn muffins should you serve 

each child to meet the minimum amount of grains required at lunch in the CACFP? 

2 Your adult day care wants to offer single-serving boxes of ready-to-eat cereal at 

breakfast. One box of Brand B bran flakes weighs 1 ounce (28 grams). How many 

boxes of bran flakes should you serve each participant to meet the minimum 

amount of grains required at breakfast? 

3 Your at-risk afterschool program wants to serve single-serving bags of Brand S savory 

crackers at snack to 10-year-olds. One single-serving bag of Brand S savory crackers 

weighs 0.75 ounces (21 grams). Should you use the Grains Measuring Chart to 

determine how many bags of Brand S savory crackers to serve? Why or why not?

More training, menu planning, and nutrition education materials for the CACFP can be found at

TeamNutrition.USDA.gov.