The importance of milk in the CACFP - requirements by age group, non-dairy milk substitutions and equivalents, and special guidelines for children with disabilities.
Milk is a required component of every breakfast, lunch and dinner that counts for reimbursement in the Child and Adult Food Program. Why so much attention on MILK? Let me tell you why. Milk is a critical meal component because it provides nutrients that are vital for maintaining a healthy body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D and protein. Including milk and other dairy products is important for everyone, but it is especially important during childhood and adolescence when bone mass is being built. I hear you saying.. “but not everyone can have milk”. You are correct, but also makes an excellent case for why it is so important to properly assess non-dairy milk substitutes to ensure that they are nutritionally equivalent to real milk.
CACFP Milk Requirements by Age
USDA updated the milk guidelines in 2011 (Memo 21-2011 Revised) and again in 2016 (Memo 17-2016). Different types of of milk must be offered for different ages of program participants. All milk must be pasteurized fluid milk that meets State and local standards. Let’s dive in! The following requirements assume that participants do not have a disability or medical statement.
Birth thru 11 months:
NO MILK. Infants must be given breast milk or iron-fortified formula. Most children will require a gradual transition, so formula is allowed up to 13 months if needed. Breast milk is always a fabulous choice and may be used as long as the parent can provide it.
12 months thru 23 months:
This group may only have UNFLAVORED WHOLE milk. Whole milk is super important in this age group to aid in brain development. Again, children might need a little time to transition to the lower fat milk in the next range, so whole milk or 2% milk can be served between 24 and 25 months to help with the transition to fat-free or low-fat milk. Be sure you can document the dates that 2% milk can be used for a transition, since it is not allowed in any other place. Children in this age range may not have flavored milk. This regulation is meant to help young children develop healthy eating practices in their early years.
2-5 years:
This group may only have UNFLAVORED LOW-FAT (1%) OR FAT-FREE (SKIM) milk. Can a center or day care home add chocolate or strawberry syrup to unflavored milk? NO. Most Americans have far too many added sugars in their diets. The calories provided by added sugars contribute nothing to the nutritional adequacy of the diet.
6 years to Adult:
School children may have UNFLAVORED OR FLAVORED LOW-FAT (1%) OR FAT-FREE (SKIM) milk. Yep, you read that right. School children may have flavored milk, as long as it is skim or 1%. Flavored milk contains all the major nutrients found in unflavored milk, but it also contains added sugars.
TIPS FOR SERVING MILK IN THE FOOD PROGRAM:
- Fluid milk must be offered at each meal.
- Fluid milk may be offered as one of the two required meal components at snack; however, the other required meal component must not be another beverage.
- At breakfast and snack, fluid milk may be offered as a beverage, on cereal, or both.
- At lunch or supper, fluid milk must be offered as a beverage only.
- When serving children of different ages at the same table, each child must receive the appropriate type of milk for their age.
- Centers and day care homes must document the type of milk served on their menus.
Milk Products
Some products CONTAIN real milk, but still do not contribute toward meal pattern requirements. The following items MAY NOT be served as creditable milk components.
X Canned Evaporated Milk
X Dry Milk
X Cream
X Cream Soups & Sauces
X Custards or Puddings
X Eggnog
X Frozen Yogurt
X Half & Half
X Ice Cream
X Ice Milk/Sherbet/Sorbet
X Imitation Milk or Ultra-Filtered Milk
X Pudding Pops
X Raw Milk (even if certified)
X Sour Cream
X Sweetened Condensed Milk
Serving Smoothies as the Milk Component
Smoothies containing milk may be offered as part of reimbursable meals and snacks in the CACFP, if certain requirements are met.
- Commercially prepared smoothies would require a Product Formulation Statement (PFS) for a CN label to document how the product meets meal pattern requirements.
- Smoothies prepared in-house must be documented with a standardized recipe. Smoothies must contain at least ¼ cup (or 2 fl oz) per child of fluid milk to be considered for credit. However, if the smoothie contains less than the minimum amount of fluid milk required, then additional fluid milk must be offered in the same meal. Providers must still offer the child the required amount per age to be creditable.
Milk Substitutions
Guidelines were updated in 2011 that allows the CACFP to better serve the non-disability medical or other special dietary needs of its participants. Non-dairy beverages may be served in place of fluid milk if they are nutritionally equivalent to milk and meet the nutritional standards for fortification of calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, and other nutrients to levels found in cow’s milk.
TIPS FOR MILK SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Parents or guardians must provide a written request for the non-dairy milk substitution.
- The substitution must be nutritionally equivalent to milk.
- A medical statement is not required if the product is nutritionally equivalent to milk.
- The written request must identify the reason for the diet restriction.
- Children ages 1-5 years old may only have UNFLAVORED equivalent substitutes.
- Providing equivalent substitutes is at the discretion of the provider. However, USDA strongly recommends offering meal modifications to accommodate participants non-disability special dietary needs.
- Meals are reimbursed at the same rates, whether a substitution is provided or not.
- A parent may choose to provide an equivalent substitution and the provider may still claim reimbursement for the meal.
Milk Requirements for Children with a Disability
If a participant has a disability, then a doctor may provide a medical statement authorizing a non-equivalent non-dairy substitute that does not meet the nutritional standards of cow’s milk. Be sure to keep a copy of the medical statement on file! The meal may not be reimbursable if you do not. Occasionally, a doctor may order that a child over 2 years of age receive a higher fat milk, like whole milk or 2%. Cases like these must relate to a disability and be documented with a medical statement.
Milk has been recognized for years as a powerhouse beverage that delivers nine essential nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, potassium and protein. But new research reveals that milk is also a great source for pantothenic acid, zinc, selenium and iodine – all while containing only three ingredients (milk, vitamins A & D). A 2020 survey of current, past and hopeful US Olympic athletes reports that 9 out of 10 Olympians grew up drinking milk! Milk trumps every sports drink on the market as a rehydrating choice after tough workouts.
Great habits started early often continue on to adolescence and adulthood. Milk Matters in the CACFP… but it also matters later in life as well!
Free Resource: Milk requirements at a glance - https://app.convertkit.com/forms/designers/6966283/edit