Food and Nutrition Service

Adding Whole Grains to Your

Child and Adult Care Food Program Menu 

Whole grain-rich foods are an important part of your menu in the Child and Adult 

Care Food Program (CACFP). Foods that are whole grain-rich are filled with

vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that help kids and adults stay healthy.

How often do I have to serve whole grains in the CACFP?

Each day, at least one of the grain components of a meal or snack must be “whole 

grain-rich.” Whole grain-rich food items must be offered at least once per day, not 

once per meal/snack. In the CACFP, whole grain-rich means that at least half

the grain ingredients in a food are whole grains, and any remaining grains are 

enriched grains, bran, or germ. This is required for CACFP child and adult

meal patterns only. There is no whole grain-rich requirement for infants.

If you serve meals and snacks to the same 

group of children or adults during the day:

ü Serve whole grain-rich items for the grain 

component at one of the meals or snack each day.

If you serve meals and snacks to different 

groups of children or adults during the same day 

(for example, morning and afternoon sessions):

ü Serve whole grain-rich items for the grain 

component to one of the groups of children or 

adults each day.

If you serve only snacks:

ü You do not have to serve a grain component at 

snack. But if you do, it must be whole grain-rich.

If you serve only breakfast and want 

to serve a meat or meat alternate:

ü You do not need to serve a grain, because you are 

replacing the grain component with a meat or meat 

alternate. You may do this up to three times per 

week. On the days when a meat or meat alternate is 

not served, you must serve whole grain-rich items 

for the grain component. If you decide to serve a 

grain as an “extra” food that does not count toward 

the CACFP meal pattern requirements, then the grain 

does not have to be whole grain-rich.

If your at-risk afterschool site or adult day care serves 

breakfast, lunch, or supper using Offer Versus Serve:

ü All grain items offered at the meal you wish to count 

towards the whole grain-rich requirement 

must be whole grain-rich.

Can I serve a grain-based dessert if it is whole grain-rich?

7Grain-based desserts, even those made with whole grains, cannot count towards the grain component of a 

CACFP meal or snack. There are many other tasty whole grain-rich foods that you can add to your menus.

More training, menu planning, and nutrition education materials for 

the CACFP can be found at https://teamnutrition.usda.gov.
What are some ways to serve whole grain-rich foods at meals and snacks? 

The requirement is that whole grain-rich food items must be offered at least once per day. But, you may choose 

to offer whole grain-rich food items more often. Check out these easy ways to serve whole grain-rich foods:

Breakfast Lunch/Supper Snacks

❑ Oatmeal* ❑ Whole-Wheat Macaroni or ❑ Whole Grain-Rich Crackers

❑ Whole Grain-Rich Pancakes or Waffles Spaghetti ❑ Whole Grain-Rich Pita Triangles

❑ Toast Made with Whole-Wheat Bread ❑ Brown Rice ❑ Whole Grain-Rich Cereal Mix*

❑ Whole Grain-Rich English Muffin, 

Bagel, or Biscuit 

❑ Quinoa

❑ Bulgur 

❑ Whole Grain-Rich Pretzels

❑ Rice Cakes Made with Brown Rice

❑ Whole Grain-Rich Muffin ❑ Wild Rice ❑ Whole Grain-Rich Banana Bread

❑ Whole Grain-Rich Cereal* ❑ Whole-Wheat Bun or Roll 

❑ Whole Grain-Rich Pizza Crust

❑ Whole Grain-Rich Chips

❑ Whole Grain-Rich Tortilla

*Cereal must meet CACFP sugar limits.

How can I share information about whole grain-rich foods on my menu?

Some easy ways CACFP providers are highlighting whole grains on their menus include:

W

W

Writing “whole wheat” or “WW” in 

front of an item on the menu, such as 

“whole-wheat bread” or “WW bread.”

Adding a fun grain icon 

or picture next to whole 

grain-rich foods.

Placing a check in a 

checkbox to show that a 

food is whole grain-rich.

There are no Federal CACFP requirements that you label which foods are whole grain-rich on your menu. 

Check with your State agency or sponsoring organization to see what they require. Highlighting whole 

grain-rich foods on your menu communicates to families how you are providing nutritious foods to their 

loved ones. Families may see this as a sign of the quality of meals and snacks you are offering.

Try It Out! Look at the menus for three CACFP sites below. Which

menus meet the CACFP requirement for whole grain-rich?

Served at a child car

Menu 1

e center that 

serves one group of children in the 

morning and another in the afternoon 

Breakfast: Chopped strawberries, 

whole grain-rich waffles, 1% milk

Lunch: Baked chicken,1% milk, 

broccoli, orange wedges, white rice

Snack: Apple slices and string cheese

Served at an at-risk afterschool

Menu 2

center that only serves snack

Snack: Enriched pretzels

and hummus (bean dip)

Served at an at-risk afterschool 

Menu 3

center that only serves snack

Snack: Celery sticks and 

sunflower seed butter

snack are enriched, not whole grain-rich, so this snack does not meet the requirement.

The pretzels in this only serves snacks, any grains served at snack must be whole grain-rich. 

 meal pattern requirement for whole grain-rich. Because the center does not meet the CACFP

 requirement for whole grain-rich. Menu 2 Menus 1 and 3 meet the CACFP : yer KweAns

FNS-650 August 2018

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