Clarifying the Infant Meal Pattern: Understanding the CACFP Requirements

My Food Program Common Mistakes with the Infant Meal Pattern Blog

The infant meal pattern requirements for the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program can be confusing. In this blog, we are going to clarify some of the common rules with the infant meal pattern.

Snacks Need Three Components If An Infant Is Developmentally Ready


This one trips up many CACFP operators because only two components are required at snack for children age 1 year and older. It might seem counterintuitive that you need to supply three components to an infant and only two for older children. The infant meal pattern at snack requires:

  1. breastmilk or iron-fortified infant formula and
  2. bread, cracker, ready-to-eat cereal or iron-fortified infant cereal and
  3. vegetable, fruit or both.

As with the infant meal pattern overall, solid foods are only required once a child is developmentally-ready to accept them.

Grains Are Only Part Of The Infant Meal Pattern At Snack


The only time that grains are required as part of the infant meal pattern is at snack. Does that mean that you can’t give an infant some small pieces of pancake or toast at breakfast? Of course not. It just means that grains offered outside of snack for children under 1 year are considered extras and do not contribute to the meal pattern requirements.

The Definition Of An Infant For The Purposes Of The CACFP Could Be Different Than The Definition Of An Infant For Your Licensed Capacity


The USDA defines an infant as a child under 12 months for the purposes of the CACFP. This could be different from the definition for the purposes of determining licensed capacity and staff:child ratios. Depending on how your child care facility is structured, you might have children in the same room and some need to be fed according to the infant meal pattern and some need to be fed according to the child meal pattern.

When To Offer Solid Foods Is Based On Developmental Readiness And Not A Specific Age


The infant meal pattern only requires solid foods (infant cereal, meats, fruits, vegetables) once an infant is developmentally ready for solid foods. This can be difficult because different children are ready for solid foods at different ages. Refer to the USDA Infant Feeding Guide for more information about how to determine if a child is developmentally ready for solid foods.

All these requirements can be confusing, but My Food Program simplifies your infant recordkeeping with customizable options, including:

Do you have more questions about the Infant Meal Pattern requirements?