CACFP Meal Service Summit

Thank you to all Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsors & institutions who attended GA DECAL's Nutrition Services Division's first ever CACFP Meal Service Summit on March 20, 2021 from 9am to 3pm! The Summit contained a review of the updated CACFP meal patterns, networking opportunities, breakout sessions from experts, and an overview of upcoming events and useful resources. If you were unable to attend or need a refresher on the material presented, please find the resources and presentation recordings below.

Opening session:

CACFP Updated Meal Pattern Requirements and Flexibilities Refresher presented by Victoria Carden, MPH and Deidrea Thompson

• This is a fresh look to remind you of the October 1, 2017 CACFP meal pattern requirements. Another look at whole-grains, vegetables/fruits and a word about less sugar and saturated fats.
• Session Recording
• Session Presentation
• Session Resources:
  • Serving Milk in CACFP
  • Provider’s Choice Approved Cereal List
  • Provider’s Choice Approved Yogurt List
  • Grain-Based Desserts in the CACFP
  • CACFP Meal Patterns

Breakout sessions 1:

Nourishing Meals in Adult Day Care Centers presented by Diana Myers, MS, RD, LD

• Are you serving adults in the CACFP? Join in to learn more about adults’ nutritional needs, creative ways to serve nourishing meals, adapting meals to various chewing abilities, food safety practices, and tips to reducing sodium and added sugars in CACFP meals.
• Session Recording
• Session Presentation
•  Session Resources:
  • Crediting Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
  • CACFP Training Tools
  • CACFP Recipes for Child Care Homes and Adult Day Care
  • Food Safety for Older Adults

Creative Meals, Menu Planning and Accommodations for Special Diets presented by Tanya Coleman

• This training session will provide simple steps on developing creative meals for your monthly menus, food preparation ideas for participants that have a restrictive diet due to a disability or special dietary need and resources to meet Child Nutrition Program requirements.
• Session Recording
• Session Presentation
•  Session Resources:
  • Variations in Meal Requirements for Religious Reasons: Jewish Schools, Institutions, and Sponsors
  • Crediting Tofu and Soy Yogurt Products in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
  • Modifications to Accommodate Disabilities in the CACFP and SFSP
  • Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk and Milk Substitutions in the CACFP, Questions and Answers

Breakout sessions 2:

Farm to Early Care & Education presented by Abbie Chaddick, MS, RD and Diana Myers, MS, RD, LD

• Farm to Early Care & Education connects local food sourcing, school gardens, and food and agriculture education to enhance the quality of the educational experience in all types of ECE settings. Learn about how Farm to ECE naturally connects with CACFP best practices and procedures, review the Getting Started: Georgia Farm to ECE Guide, and hear stories about practical applications of Farm to ECE in early care settings.
• Session Recording
• Session Presentation
•  Session Resources:
  • DECAL’s Farm to Child Nutrition Programs
  • Getting Started: Georgia Farm to Early Care & Education Guide
  • Growing Head Start Success with Farm to Early Care & Education
  • Georgia Farm to Early Care & Education Crosswalk
  • Local Food for Little Eaters in Georgia
  • Georgia Early Learning & Development Standards

Navigating the Food Buying Guide and How to Purchase Fresh Fruits and Vegetables presented by LaMonika Jones, GCPA

• Learn how to navigate using the USDA Food Buying Guide when purchasing bulk food items for CACFP. We will also walk-through important questions to ask farmers, distributors and other vendors when purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Session Recording
• Session Presentation
•  Session Resources:
  •  DECAL Procurement Page
  • Local Food for Little Eaters in Georgia
  • USDA Food Buying Guide
  • USDA Foods: A Resource for Buying Local
  • USDA Local Foods Decision Tree
  • Institute for Child Nutrition (ICN): Procuring Local Food in Child Nutrition Programs
  • Georgia Grown
  • Local Harvest

Breakout sessions 3:

Cooking Demonstration of CACFP Meal & Snack presented by Chef Asata, MS, Ed.

• Join Chef Asata Reid as she virtually demonstrates a delicious CACFP meal and snack that you can add to your meal service. Pasta Primavera is a colorful and flexible addition to your spring menu. Sunbutter rolls with fruit are the perfect finger foods.
• Session Recording
• Session Presentation
•  Session Resources:
  • Chef Asata Reid

Feeding Infants: What, When, and How presented by Monica Griffin, MS, RD, LD and Diana Myers, MS, RD, LD

• Infancy is a critical period when children develop taste preferences and habits that last a lifetime. What, when and how we feed babies can impact their overall development and relationship with food. We will cover CACFP meal patterns for infants, infant feeding best practices and provide healthy, inexpensive ideas for planning your infant meals.
• Session Recording
• Session Presentation
• Session Resources:
  • CACFP Trainer’s Tools: Feeding Infants
  • Feeding Infants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
  • Strong4Life: Early Care & Education Programs

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For more information, contact Nutrition Health Educator, Diana Myers at diana.myers@decal.ga.gov.