Children Meal Charts - Breakfast

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Child Meal Pattern Charts

Breakfast

(select all three components for a reimbursable meal)

Food Components and Food Items¹	Ages 1 – 2	Ages 3 – 5	Ages 6 – 12	Ages 13 – 18² at-risk afterschool programs and emergency shelters
Fluid Milk³	½ cup or 4 fluid ounces	¾ cup or 6 fluid ounces	1 cup or 8 fluid ounces	1 cup or 8 fluid ounces
Vegetables, fruits, or portions of both⁴	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Grains (oz eq)^5,6,7	* Meat and meat alternates may be used to substitute the entire grains component a maximum of three times per week. Oz eq = ounce equivalents
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread	½ slice	½ slice	1 slice	1 slice
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread product, such as biscuit, roll, or muffin	½ oz eq*	½ oz eq*	1 oz eq*	1 oz eq*
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified cooked breakfast cereal⁸, cereal grain, and/or pasta	¼ cup	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereal (dry, cold)^8,9
Flakes or rounds	½ cup	½ cup	1 cup	1 cup
Puffed cereal	¾ cup	¾ cup	1 ¼ cup	1 ¼ cup
Granola	⅛ cup	⅛ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup
¹ Must serve all three components for a reimbursable meal. Offer versus serve is an option for at-risk afterschool participants. ² Larger portion sizes than specified may need to be served to children 13 through 18 years old to meet their nutritional needs. ³ Must be unflavored whole milk for children age one. Must be unflavored low-fat (1 percent) or unflavored fat-free (skim) milk for children two through five years old. Must be unflavored low-fat (1 percent), unflavored fat-free (skim), or flavored fat-free (skim) milk for children six years old and older. ⁴ Pasteurized full-strength juice may only be used to meet the vegetable or fruit requirement at one meal, including snack, per day. ⁵ At least one serving per day, across all eating occasions, must be whole grain-rich. Grain-based desserts do not count towards meeting the grains requirement. ⁶ Meat and meat alternates may be used to meet the entire grains requirement a maximum of three times a week. One ounce of meat and meat alternates is equal to one ounce equivalent of grains. ⁷ Beginning October 1, 2019, ounce equivalents are used to determine the quantity of creditable grains. ⁸ Breakfast cereals must contain no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce (no more than 21.2 grams sucrose and other sugars per 100 grams of dry cereal). ⁹ Beginning October 1, 2019, the minimum serving size specified in this section for ready-to-eat breakfast cereals must be served. Until October 1, 2019, the minimum serving size for any type of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals is ¼ cup for children ages 1-2; 1/3 cup for children ages 3-5; and ¾ cup for children ages 6-12.

Child Meal Pattern Charts:

Breakfast

Lunch & Supper

Snack

Infant Meal Pattern Charts:

Breakfast

Lunch & Supper

Snack

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Food Components and Food Items¹	Ages 1 – 2	Ages 3 – 5	Ages 6 – 12	Ages 13 – 18² at-risk afterschool programs and emergency shelters
Fluid Milk³	½ cup or 4 fluid ounces	¾ cup or 6 fluid ounces	1 cup or 8 fluid ounces	1 cup or 8 fluid ounces
Vegetables, fruits, or portions of both⁴	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Grains (oz eq)^5,6,7	* Meat and meat alternates may be used to substitute the entire grains component a maximum of three times per week. Oz eq = ounce equivalents
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread	½ slice	½ slice	1 slice	1 slice
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread product, such as biscuit, roll, or muffin	½ oz eq*	½ oz eq*	1 oz eq*	1 oz eq*
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified cooked breakfast cereal⁸, cereal grain, and/or pasta	¼ cup	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereal (dry, cold)^8,9
Flakes or rounds	½ cup	½ cup	1 cup	1 cup
Puffed cereal	¾ cup	¾ cup	1 ¼ cup	1 ¼ cup
Granola	⅛ cup	⅛ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup
¹ Must serve all three components for a reimbursable meal. Offer versus serve is an option for at-risk afterschool participants. ² Larger portion sizes than specified may need to be served to children 13 through 18 years old to meet their nutritional needs. ³ Must be unflavored whole milk for children age one. Must be unflavored low-fat (1 percent) or unflavored fat-free (skim) milk for children two through five years old. Must be unflavored low-fat (1 percent), unflavored fat-free (skim), or flavored fat-free (skim) milk for children six years old and older. ⁴ Pasteurized full-strength juice may only be used to meet the vegetable or fruit requirement at one meal, including snack, per day. ⁵ At least one serving per day, across all eating occasions, must be whole grain-rich. Grain-based desserts do not count towards meeting the grains requirement. ⁶ Meat and meat alternates may be used to meet the entire grains requirement a maximum of three times a week. One ounce of meat and meat alternates is equal to one ounce equivalent of grains. ⁷ Beginning October 1, 2019, ounce equivalents are used to determine the quantity of creditable grains. ⁸ Breakfast cereals must contain no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce (no more than 21.2 grams sucrose and other sugars per 100 grams of dry cereal). ⁹ Beginning October 1, 2019, the minimum serving size specified in this section for ready-to-eat breakfast cereals must be served. Until October 1, 2019, the minimum serving size for any type of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals is ¼ cup for children ages 1-2; 1/3 cup for children ages 3-5; and ¾ cup for children ages 6-12.

Food Components and Food Items¹	Ages 1 – 2	Ages 3 – 5	Ages 6 – 12	Ages 13 – 18² at-risk afterschool programs and emergency shelters
Fluid Milk³	½ cup or 4 fl oz	¾ cup or 6 fl oz	1 cup or 8 fl oz	1 cup or 8 fl oz
Vegetables, fruits, or portions of both⁴	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Grains (oz eq)^5,6,7	* Meat and meat alternates may be used to substitute the entire grains component a maximum of three times per week. Oz eq = ounce equivalents
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread	½ slice	½ slice	1 slice	1 slice
Whole grain-rich or enriched bread product, such as biscuit, roll, or muffin	½ oz eq*	½ oz eq*	1 oz eq*	1 oz eq*
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified cooked breakfast cereal⁸, cereal grain, and/or pasta	¼ cup	¼ cup	½ cup	½ cup
Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereal (dry, cold)^8,9
Flakes or rounds	½ cup	½ cup	1 cup	1 cup
Puffed cereal	¾ cup	¾ cup	1 ¼ cup	1 ¼ cup
Granola	⅛ cup	⅛ cup	¼ cup	¼ cup
¹ Must serve all three components for a reimbursable meal. Offer versus serve is an option for at-risk afterschool participants. ² Larger portion sizes than specified may need to be served to children 13 through 18 years old to meet their nutritional needs. ³ Must be unflavored whole milk for children age one. Must be unflavored low-fat (1 percent) or unflavored fat-free (skim) milk for children two through five years old. Must be unflavored low-fat (1 percent), unflavored fat-free (skim), or flavored fat-free (skim) milk for children six years old and older. ⁴ Pasteurized full-strength juice may only be used to meet the vegetable or fruit requirement at one meal, including snack, per day. ⁵ At least one serving per day, across all eating occasions, must be whole grain-rich. Grain-based desserts do not count towards meeting the grains requirement. ⁶ Meat and meat alternates may be used to meet the entire grains requirement a maximum of three times a week. One ounce of meat and meat alternates is equal to one ounce equivalent of grains. ⁷ Beginning October 1, 2019, ounce equivalents are used to determine the quantity of creditable grains. ⁸ Breakfast cereals must contain no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce (no more than 21.2 grams sucrose and other sugars per 100 grams of dry cereal). ⁹ Beginning October 1, 2019, the minimum serving size specified in this section for ready-to-eat breakfast cereals must be served. Until October 1, 2019, the minimum serving size for any type of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals is ¼ cup for children ages 1-2; 1/3 cup for children ages 3-5; and ¾ cup for children ages 6-12.