CACFP Meal Pattern · 1-2
CACFP Meal Pattern for Children Ages 1-2: Breakfast, Lunch or Supper, and Snack
Children ages 1 and 2 in CACFP receive the smallest toddler serving sizes. Whole milk (unflavored) is required at ages 12-23 months.
Who serves Children Ages 1-2 meals under CACFP
- Child care centers
- Family day care homes
- Head Start programs
- Outside-school-hours care
Regulatory note: Whole, unflavored milk is served to 12-23 month olds. Flavored milk of any kind is not creditable for this age group.
Breakfast — Children Ages 1-2
| Component | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Milk (whole, unflavored) | 1/2 cup |
| Vegetables, fruits, or both | 1/4 cup |
| Grains (oz eq) | 1/2 ounce equivalent |
Lunch or Supper — Children Ages 1-2
| Component | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Milk (whole, unflavored) | 1/2 cup |
| Meat/meat alternates | 1 ounce |
| Vegetables | 1/8 cup |
| Fruits | 1/8 cup |
| Grains (oz eq) | 1/2 ounce equivalent |
Snack — Children Ages 1-2
| Component | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Milk (whole, unflavored) | 1/2 cup |
| Meat/meat alternates | 1/2 ounce |
| Vegetables | 1/2 cup |
| Fruits | 1/2 cup |
| Grains (oz eq) | 1/2 ounce equivalent |
At snack, select 2 of the 5 required components. A snack may not consist of two beverages (juice and milk).
Key crediting and substitution rules
- At least one grain serving per day must be whole-grain rich (at least 50% whole grain by weight).
- Juice may only be served once per day and must be 100% full-strength pasteurized fruit or vegetable juice.
- Yogurt must contain no more than 23 grams of total sugars per 6 ounces.
- Breakfast cereals must contain no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce.
- Grain-based desserts (cookies, granola bars, sweet rolls) do not credit toward the grain component.
- At snack, tofu, beans, nuts, seeds, and eggs may all credit as meat/meat alternates.
Source: 7 CFR 226.20(c); USDA FNS Child Meal Pattern.
Validate your Children Ages 1-2 menus automatically
Stop checking meal patterns by hand. CrEATe validates every meal you build against the current USDA CACFP meal pattern for Children Ages 1-2, flags missing components, and exports audit-ready production records.