in the Child and Adult Care 

Food Program

Food and Nutrition Service

Grains in the form of bread/bread-like items, 

crackers, iron-fortified infant cereal, or ready-to-eat 

cereals are an important part of meals and snacks in 

the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). 

To make sure infants get enough grains, required 

amounts of grain items are listed in the infant 

meal pattern as ounce equivalents (oz eq). Ounce 

equivalents tell you the amount of grain in a portion 

of food.

As a reminder, iron-fortified infant cereal is the 

only grain that may count toward a reimbursable 

breakfast, lunch, or supper in the CACFP infant 

meal pattern. You may serve bread/bread-like items, 

crackers, iron-fortified infant cereal, or ready-to-eat 

cereals as part of a reimbursable snack.

Breakfast/Lunch/Supper

Grain Item Requirements

Iron-Fortified Infant Cereal;

or meats/meat alternates;

or both

0-1⁄2 oz eq

Snack 

(choose at least one item below) 0

Grain Item Requirements

Bread/Bread-like Items; or 0-1⁄2 oz eq

Crackers; or 0-1⁄4 oz eq

Iron-Fortified Infant 

Cereal; or

0-1⁄2 oz eq

Ready-to-Eat Cereal 0-1⁄4 oz eq

For more information on the CACFP infant meal pattern, see the

“Feeding Infants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program” guide at TeamNutrition.USDA.gov.

Feeding Infants Using 

Ounce Equivalents

for Grains

Infant cereals and ready-to-eat cereals must be 

iron-fortified. Ready-to-eat cereals must contain 

no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce. 

All grains served must be enriched, fortified, or 

whole grain-rich.

Reminder!

 FNS-874 September 2020 

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

United States Department of Agriculture
2

The Grains Measuring Charts on pages 3–4 tell you how much bread/bread-like items, 

crackers, iron-fortified infant cereal, and ready-to-eat cereals you need to serve to meet 

CACFP infant meal pattern requirements. To use these charts:

Find the chart that applies to the grain item you want to serve:

Iron-Fortified Infant Cereal (Page 3), Bread/Bread-Like Items (Page 3), Ready-To-Eat 

Cereal (Page 4), Crackers (Page 4).

Find the grain you want to serve under the 

“Grain Item and Size” column.

Check if the chart lists a size or weight by the 

name of the grain. If the chart: 

• Lists a weight for the grain, such as at least

28 grams, then use the Nutrition Facts label 

for the item you want to serve to make sure 

it weighs the same or more than the grain on 

the chart. See page 5.

• Lists a size for the grain, such as about

2" by 2", then check if the item is the same 

size or larger than this amount. See page 6.

• Does not list a weight or size for the grain, 

then you do not need to check the size or 

weight of the product before using the chart.

1

2

3

Grains Measuring Chart for 

the CACFP Infant Meal Pattern

Grain Item and Size 

Bread at least 28 grams

Cracker, Saltine (about 2" by 2")

Iron-Fortified Infant Cereal

(single and multigrain)

Using the Grains Measuring Charts

Cut breads and bread-like items into thin

strips or small pieces no larger than 1⁄2 inch.

This will reduce the risk of a baby choking.

Reminder! 1⁄2-inch pieces

Do not offer babies crackers containing seeds and nuts. 

These items can increase a baby's risk of choking.

Reminder!
3 

Grains Measuring Chart for the CACFP Infant Meal Pattern

BREAD/BREAD-LIKE ITEMS = 1⁄2 oz eq

IRON-FORTIFIED INFANT CEREAL = 1⁄2 oz eq

Check that the item you want to serve weighs this amount, or more.

See “Using the Nutrition Facts Label” on page 5 for more information.

Check that the item you want to serve is about this size or larger.

See “Grains Measuring Tools” on page 6 for more information.

Grain Item and Size 1⁄2 oz eq is about... Creditable at 

Meals or Snacks?

Biscuit at least 28 grams 1⁄2 biscuit or 14 grams Snack only

Bread at least 28 grams 1⁄2 slice or 14 grams Snack only

Bun or Roll (entire bun or roll) 

at least 28 grams 1⁄2 bun/roll or 14 grams Snack only

Corn Muffin at least 34 grams 1⁄2 muffin or 17 grams Snack only

English Muffin (top and bottom)

at least 56 grams 1⁄4 muffin or 14 grams Snack only

Iron-Fortified Infant Cereal

(single and multigrain) 4 tablespoons (1⁄4 cup) dry Breakfast, lunch, supper, snack

Pancake at least 34 grams 1⁄2 pancake or 17 grams Snack only

Pita Bread/Round at least 56 grams 1⁄4 pita or 14 grams Snack only

Tortilla, Soft, Corn (about 5 1⁄2") 3⁄4 tortilla or 14 grams Snack only 

Tortilla, Soft, Flour (about 6") 1⁄2 tortilla or 14 grams Snack only 

Tortilla, Soft, Flour (about 8") 1⁄4 tortilla or 14 grams Snack only

Waffle at least 34 grams 1⁄2 waffle or 17 grams Snack only

Infant

Cereal Iron-Fortified
4 

Grains Measuring Chart for the CACFP Infant Meal Pattern

Honey should never be fed to babies younger than 1 year. 

Check that the item you want to serve is about this size or larger.

See “Grains Measuring Tools” on page 6 for more information.

CRACKERS = oz eq

READY-TO-EAT CEREALS = oz eq

Grain Item and Size oz eq is about... Creditable at 

Meals or Snacks?

Cereal, Ready-to-Eat: Flakes or Rounds

(e.g., o-shaped cereal)

4 tablespoons (1⁄4 cup) or

7 grams Snack only

Cereal, Ready-to-Eat: Puffed

(e.g., crispy puffed rice cereal) 

5 tablespoons (~1/3 cup) 

or 7 grams Snack only

Cracker, Animal (about 1 1⁄2" by 1") 4 crackers or 7 grams Snack only

Cracker, Bear-shaped or Similar, Sweet

(not honey flavored) (about 1" by 1⁄2") 6 crackers or 7 grams Snack only

Cracker, Cheese, Square, Savory

(about 1" by 1") 5 crackers or 6 grams Snack only

Cracker, Fish-shaped or Similar, Savory

(about 3⁄4" by 1⁄2") 11 crackers or 6 grams Snack only

Cracker, Graham (not honey flavored) 

(about 5" by 2 1⁄2") 1⁄2 cracker or 7 grams Snack only

Cracker, Round, Savory (about 1 3⁄4" across) 2 crackers or 6 grams Snack only

Cracker, Round, Savory, Mini (about 1" across) 4 crackers or 6 grams Snack only

Cracker, Saltine (about 2" by 2") 2 crackers or 6 grams Snack only

Cracker, Thin Wheat, Square, Savory

(about 1 1⁄4" by 1 1⁄4") 3 crackers or 6 grams Snack only

Cracker, Zwieback (not honey flavored) 1 cracker or 6 grams Snack only

Toasted

Os Cereal
5 

Using the Nutrition Facts Label

Some items on the Grains Measuring Charts may have weights listed by the name of the item. Follow 

the steps below to see if your grain meets the minimum weight listed in the chart:

Example #1: Pita Bread/Round (1 item in a serving) 

1. Find the grain item and its size in the Grains 

Measuring Chart. 

 The pita bread/round you are comparing must 

 weigh at least 56 grams to use the chart as a

 guide to the minimum serving amount.

• If the pita bread/round you want to serve is 

at least 56 grams, then you can serve 

that item.

• If the pita bread/round is lighter in weight than the 

item listed on the Grains Measuring Chart, 

see page 6.

Example #2: Pancakes (more than 1 item in a serving)

1. Find the grain item and its size in the Grains 

Measuring Chart.

2. Look at the Nutrition Facts label of the grain you 

wish to serve. Find the weight of the serving size. 

One serving of pancakes weighs 117 grams.

3. Using the Nutrition Facts label, find out how much 

is in one serving (for example, the number of 

pancakes). There are three pancakes in one serving.

4. If there is more than one of an item in a serving, 

you will need to find the weight of each item. In this 

example, the serving size is three pancakes. 

Grain Item and Size

Pita Bread/Round at least 56 grams

Grain Item

and Size 1⁄2 oz eq is about...

Pancake at least 

34 grams

1⁄2 pancake or

17 grams

Divide the weight of the serving by the number of 

items in one serving to find the weight of one item.

Compare the weight of one item to the minimum weight listed in the Grains Measuring 

Chart (from Step 1). Is your item the same weight as, or heavier than, the minimum weight?

Yes: In the example above, pancakes must weigh at least 34 grams in order to use the Grains 

Measuring Chart. Because each pancake weighs 39 grams, you may use the chart as a guide 

for the minimum serving amount. 

Serving Size 1 Round (57g)

6 Servings Per Container

Serving Size 3 Pancakes (117g)

4 Servings Per Container

117 grams ÷ 3 pancakes = 39 grams per pancake

Serving Weight Serving Size Weight of Each Item
6 

What If My Grain Is Different?

Is the grain item you want to serve:

• Smaller than the item listed on the Grains Measuring Chart?

• Lighter in weight than the item listed on the Grains Measuring Chart?

• Not listed on the Grains Measuring Chart?

If the answer is “yes”, you will need to use another method to determine how much of a grain item to 

serve in order to meet CACFP infant meal pattern requirements. You could:

• Enter information from the Nutrition Facts label into the “Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition 

Program’s (FBG) Exhibit A Grains Tool.”* This tool will let you know how many ounce equivalents 

of grains are in one serving of the item.

• Use the “FBG Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW)”* to determine the ounce equivalents per serving 

for standardized recipes.

 *Available at foodbuyingguide.fns.usda.gov.

Grains Measuring Tools

Compare your food to the guides below to see if it is the same size or larger than the item listed on 

the Grains Measuring Chart. 

Guides appear as actual size when this worksheet is printed at 100% on standard 8.5" by 11" paper.

2" by 2"

1" across

1⁄2"

Note: Make sure the food you are entering is creditable for infants. For more information, see 

“Feeding Infants in the CACFP’s Appendix F: Infant Foods List” at fns.usda.gov/sites/default/

files/resource-files/FI_AppendixF.pdf.