Office of Educational Services & Support

Meeting the Meal Pattern Requirements for the After School Snack

Supplemental food or snack shall contain at least two of the following four food components for ages 1-18. Serving sizes indicated below are for ages 6-18.

1. Milk

   Serving size: 1 cup. Must be fluid milk.

2. Meat/Meat Alternate

   Serving size: 1 ounce. Yogurt must be 4 ounces (weight) or ½ cup (volume) Lean meat, poultry, fish, cheese, eggs, cooked dry beans or peas, peanut butter, yogurt (plain or sweetened and flavored), or an equivalent combination of any of the above.

3. Fruits or Vegetables

   Serving size: ¾ cup

   Vegetable(s) and/or fruit(s) or full-strength fruit or vegetable juice, or an equivalent quantity of any combination of these. Juice may not be served when milk is served as the only other component.

4. Bread/Bread Alternate

Serving size: 1 serving (see instruction for definitions)

All grains/breads items must be enriched or whole-grain, made from enriched or whole grain flour, or if it is a cereal, the product must be whole-grain, enriched or fortified. Bran and germ are credited the same as enriched or whole-grain meal or flour.

Until further guidance is issued, potentially eligible institutions should serve snacks which meet CACFP meal pattern requirements, and keep records (meal counts, menus and production records) to document their meal service. For more detailed information on the meal pattern and serving sizes for other age groups, contact Child and Adult Nutrition Services at 773-3413.