Food and Nutrition Service

More training, menu planning, and nutrition education materials for the 

CACFP can be found at https://teamnutrition.usda.gov.

Serving Vegetables in the Child 

and Adult Care Food Program

Offering vegetables at meals and snacks:

• Helps children and adults get important nutrients like potassium, 

folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C.

• Provides dietary fiber, which contributes to a feeling of fullness.

• Adds color, crunch, and flavor to meals and snacks.

• Helps reduce the risk of certain diseases, like heart disease and 

Type 2 diabetes, later in life.

Adding Vegetables to Your CACFP Menu

You can serve vegetables as part of a reimbursable breakfast, lunch, supper, or snack in the 

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). 

Breakfast Lunch and Supper Snacks

Example 1 

Vegetables

 + Fruits

Example 2

Vegetables

 + Milk

Example 3

Vegetables

 + 

Meats/Meat

Alternates

Example 4

Vegetables

 + 

Grains

Example 1

Vegetables

 + 

Grains

 + Milk

Example 2

Vegetables/ 

Fruits

 + 

Grains

 + Milk

Example 3

Vegetables

 + Milk + 

Meats/Meat

Alternates

Example 1

Vegetables

 + Fruits + 

Meats/Meat

Alternates

 + 

Grains

 + Milk

Example 2

Vegetables

 + 

Vegetables

 + 

Meats/Meat

Alternates

 + 

Grains

 + Milk

(up to three times per week)

 A second vegetable can be served in 

place of fruit at lunch and supper. 
Test Your CACFP Vegetable Knowledge!

Does this food count as a vegetable in the CACFP? Mark Yes or No, and then check your 

answers on page 4.

Meal Planning Considerations

The chart below shows examples of amounts of food needed to credit as 1⁄4-cup and 1⁄2-cup of vegetables 

in the CACFP. For more information, visit the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs at 

https://foodbuyingguide.fns.usda.gov. 

Vegetable 1⁄4 cup 1⁄2 cup

Carrot, Baby 3 baby carrots 6 baby carrots

Carrot Stick (1⁄2” by 4”) 3 sticks 6 sticks

Celery Stick (1⁄2” by 4”) 3 sticks 6 sticks

Corn, on cob (about 5” - 6” long) 1⁄2 ear 1 ear

Cucumber Sticks (3” by 3⁄4”) 3 sticks 6 sticks

Leafy Greens (collard greens, kale, spinach, etc.), 

Cooked 1⁄4 cup 1⁄2 cup 

Leafy Greens (kale, lettuce, spinach, etc.), Raw 1⁄2 cup 1 cup 

Potato, Sweet (2 1⁄4” or more in diameter) 1⁄4 sweet potato 1⁄2 sweet potato 

Potato, White or Russet (about 6 oz) 1⁄2 potato 1 potato

Tomato, Cherry 3 cherry tomatoes 6 cherry tomatoes

Tomato Slice (1⁄8” thick) 4-5 slices 8-10 slices

1. White Potatoes Yes  No

2. Avocados Yes  No

3. Macaroni and Cheese Yes  No

4. Strawberry Jelly Yes  No

5. Cornbread Yes  No

6. Pumpkin Yes  No

7. Hominy (whole) Yes  No

8. Canned Tomatoes Yes  No

(store-bought)

9. Ketchup Yes  No

10. Black Beans Yes  No

11. Rice Yes  No

12. Canned Green Beans Yes  No

(home-canned)

-2-
Giving Vegetables Credit: How Vegetables Count in the 

Child and Adult Care Food Program

ü Vegetables in amounts smaller than 1⁄8 cup do not credit toward a reimbursable lunch, 

supper, or snack.

ü Raw leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, collards, and lettuce) credit for half of the 

amount served. For example, one cup of raw leafy greens credits as 1⁄2 cup of vegetables.

1 cup raw spinach = 1⁄2 cup of vegetables

ü Cooked leafy green vegetables credit for the entire amount served. 

1 cup steamed spinach = 1 cup of vegetables

ü Dried vegetables credit for twice the amount served. For example:

1⁄4 cup sun-dried tomatoes = 1⁄2 cup of vegetables

ü Dry beans and peas (legumes), including black beans, split peas, and lentils, 

can credit as vegetables or as meat alternates, but cannot credit toward both 

components in the same meal. 

ü Pureed vegetables used in smoothies credit as 

100 percent vegetable juice. Juice may only be 

served once per day in the CACFP. 

ü A second, different vegetable can 

be served in place of the fruit component 

at lunch and supper. 

Other Considerations

Reduce the risk of choking by:

• Cutting raw vegetables into smaller pieces.

• Cooking raw vegetables until slightly soft.

• Cutting round, soft vegetables like cherry 

tomatoes into small pieces no larger 

than one-half inch (1⁄2”).

-3-
FNS-861 March 2020

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

 Yes White Potatoes: 1. 

 Yes Avocados: 2. 

 No Macaroni and Cheese: 3. 

 No Strawberry Jelly: 4. 

 No Cornbread: 5. 

 Yes Pumpkin: 6. 

Make Fridays Try-Days in the CACFP

Look for vegetables that are grown in your area and have a taste-testing event. Look for recipes, 

nutrition education resources, and Try Day stickers at: https://teamnutrition.usda.gov.

Spring Summer Fall Winter

Asparagus Bell Peppers Brussels Sprouts Beets

Broccoli Corn Cauliflower Cabbage

Lettuce Crookneck Squash Pumpkins Kale 

Spinach Tomatoes Sweet Potatoes Winter Squash

Test Your CACFP Vegetable Knowledge Answers

 Yes Hominy (whole): 7. 

 Yes Canned Tomatoes (store-bought): 8. 

 No Ketchup: 9. 

 Yes Black Beans: 10. 

 No Rice: 11. 

 No Canned Green Beans (home-canned): 12. 

-4-