These worksheets can be used to empower Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) providers and operators with the knowledge, skills and expertise to implement CACFP meal pattern requirements. Download the print version for a fillable worksheet.
The Nutrition Facts label tells you the amount of different nutrients in a food. Reading the label can help you choose the best foods to serve the children and adults in your care.
You can find a Nutrition Facts label on a food’s packaging. Some foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish, may not have Nutrition Facts labels.
What's on the Nutrition Facts Label?
There is an original and a new version of the Nutrition Facts label. You may see either version on food packages, although eventually you will only see the new label. Both versions of labels tell you the total servings of the food in one package. They also give information on the type and amount of calories and nutrients for just one serving of the food.
What the Nutrition Facts Label Tells You
Servings Per Container shows the total number of servings in the entire food package or container. One package of food may contain more than one serving.
Serving Size is based on the amount of food that is usually eaten at one time. It is not always the same amount of food that is required to meet CACFP meal pattern requirements across the age groups. CACFP operators may use the serving size information on the Nutrition Facts label as a reference when using charts to determine if yogurts or cereals meet program added sugars limits. You may also use serving size information in determining amounts of a food (such as a grain) needed to meet meal pattern requirements.
Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Sodium, and Added Sugars provide important information for CACFP menu planners and food purchasers. Most adults and children eat and drink too many of these nutrients. Choosing foods that are lower in these nutrients can help program operators offer healthier meals that support good health. When comparing nutrients in foods, check the serving sizes to make sure you are comparing similar amounts of food.
Added Sugars shows the amount of added sugars in a food. The CACFP sugars limits for cereal and yogurt are based on added sugars:
- Yogurt must contain 12 grams of added sugars or less per 6 ounces of yogurt (2 grams of added sugars per ounce).
- Breakfast cereal must contain 6 grams of added sugars or less per dry ounce of cereal.
Iron is a nutrient that supports growth and brain development. CACFP operators may use this information about iron when checking to see that an infant formula is fortified. To be considered iron-fortified, an infant formula must have 1 mg of iron or more per 100 calories of formula.
Spotlight on Serving Sizes
The amount of food in one serving, known as the serving size, may be listed by:
- Weight, such as grams (g.) or ounces (oz.)
- Volume, such as cups or tablespoons
- Number of items, such as “8 crackers”
Remember that if you serve more of a food than the serving size listed, the amount of calories and nutrients served also increases.
For example, a 1-cup serving of this cereal contains 100 calories and 4 grams of added sugars. If you serve 2 cups of this cereal, the 2-cup serving contains 200 calories and 8 grams of added sugars.
Some Nutrition Facts labels will show the calories and nutrients in one serving of a food as well as in the entire package.
For example, one serving of this yogurt contains 120 calories and 9 grams of added sugars. If you serve the entire container of yogurt, the container contains 240 calories and 18 grams of added sugars.
