[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-536704-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-536704-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","crediting-vegetables-in-the-child-nutrition-programs-tip-sheet","Crediting Vegetables in the Child Nutrition Programs - Tip Sheet","","Crediting Vegetables in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet explains how vegetables qualify for reimbursable meals and snacks across the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. It specifies acceptable vegetable forms (fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice), minimum creditable serving sizes, special rules for raw leafy greens and tomato products, and guidance on separating fruit and vegetable components. It also covers limits and measurement methods for 100% vegetable juice, how smoothies are credited, and additional vegetable credits such as hominy and vegetable-flour pasta.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/","Healthcare",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/crediting-vegetables-in-the-child-nutrition-programs-tip-sheet/536704/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/crediting-vegetables-in-the-child-nutrition-programs-tip-sheet/536704.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Jasmine","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-09","2026-10-10",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",10,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Which child nutrition programs require vegetables for reimbursable meals or snacks?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Vegetables are required components for reimbursable meals in the National School Lunch Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. They may also be used in the School Breakfast Program, fulfill the combined fruits and vegetables requirement for preschool and CACFP breakfasts, and be credited in the Summer Food Service Program.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What forms of vegetables can be credited, and what is the minimum creditable serving size?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Creditable vegetables include fresh, frozen, canned, dried items (including beans, peas, and lentils), and full-strength vegetable juice (100% juice). Most vegetables credit as volume served with a minimum creditable serving size of 1/8 cup, with exceptions such as tomato paste, tomato puree, and raw leafy greens.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How are 100% vegetable juice and vegetable smoothies handled for crediting limits?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"In school meal programs, no more than half of the total weekly vegetables offered may be 100% vegetable juice, with snack limitations effective July 1, 2025. In CACFP or Preschool patterns, 100% vegetable juice may be used no more than once per day, including snack. For smoothies, pureed vegetables credit as juice and are subject to the same juice limitations; additionally, juice does not credit as an ingredient in other foods or beverages except smoothies.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},536704,1791657302,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,110,115,120,123,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":55,"slug":125},"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":107,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":111,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":118,"preview_page_count":4},2336478487870,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","Crediting Vegetables in the  \nChild Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet  \nVegetables are a required component for reimbursable meals in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) including the Preschool lunch meal pattern, as well as the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) lunch and supper meals. Vegetables may be served as part of a reimbursable meal for the School Breakfast Program (SBP), and to fulfill the combined fruits and vegetables requirement for Preschool and CACFP breakfasts, as  \nwell as in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) . They may also be served as one of the two required meal components for a reimbursable snack in all Child Nutrition Programs.  \nVegetable Requirements  \n• Vegetables must be fresh, frozen, canned, dried (including beans, peas, and lentils), or full-strength vegetable juice, referred to as 100% juice. Examples of creditable vegetables can be found in the“Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs”(FBG) at [https://foodbuyingguide.fns.usda.gov/](https://foodbuyingguide.fns.usda.gov/) .  \n• Most vegetables credit as volume served; the minimum creditable serving size is ⅛ cup (exceptions are tomato paste, tomato puree, and raw leafy greens) . Note: Minimum creditable amounts do not apply to the infant meal pattern.  \n Raw leafy greens credit at half the volume served in Schools Meals Programs and CACFP (Example: In NLSP, 1/2 cup romaine lettuce contributes 1/4 cup toward the dark green vegetable subgroup) . In SFSP and NSLP afterschool snack service (until July 1, 2025), raw leafy greens credit as volume served.  \n Cooked leafy greens, such as sautéed spinach, credit based on volume served.  \n Tomato paste and tomato puree can credit using the whole food equivalency (volume of tomatoes prior to pureeing) rather than on the actual volume served. All other vegetable purees credit based on the finished volume served.  \n• Beans, peas, and lentils may count toward the meats/meat alternates or vegetables component, but not as both in the same meal. Schools have the option to count beans, peas, and lentils offered as a meat alternate at lunch toward the weekly beans, peas, and lentils vegetable subgroup requirement.  \n• In the school meal programs and CACFP, mixtures of fruits and vegetables (e.g., baked sweet potato with apples), must credit separately for the fruits and the vegetables components.  \n• Over the course of the week, schools must offer specific amounts for each grade group of the five vegetable subgroups.  \nMore training, menu planning, and nutrition education materials can be found at [TeamNutrition.USDA.gov](TeamNutrition.USDA.gov).  \nFNS-932 • May 2022, Slightly Revised August 2024  \nUSDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.  \nVegetable Subgroup Examples Include  \nDark Green  \nbok choy, broccoli, collard greens, dark green leafy lettuce, kale, mesclun, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, and watercress  \n\n| Red/Orange | acorn squash, butternut squash, carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, tomato juice, and sweet potatoes |\n| --- | --- |\n| Beans, Peas, and Lentils | black beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, pinto beans, soy beans, split peas, and white beans |\n| Starchy | corn, cassava, hominy, green bananas, green peas, plantains, taro, water chestnuts, and white potatoes |\n\nOther Vegetables  \nall other fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables, cooked or raw, such as artichokes, asparagus, avocado, bean sprouts, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, green peppers, iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsnips, turnips, wax beans, and zucchini  \nVegetable Juice  \n• In school meal programs, no more than 1/2 of the total weekly vegetables offered may be 100% vegetable juice and is measured separately at breakfast, lunch, and snack (Limitations at snack are effective July 1, 2025) .  \n• In CACFP or Preschool meal patterns, 100% vegetable juice may be used to meet the veget","cbCailURf7tFyaoz","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailURf7tFyaoz","pdf",2066719,"English","# Vegetable Requirements\n## Acceptable Forms and Minimum Creditable Sizes\n## Raw Leafy Greens and Leafy Green Credits\n## Tomato Paste/Puree and Vegetable Purees\n# Vegetable Subgroup Examples\n## Dark Green\n## Red/Orange\n## Beans, Peas, and Lentils\n## Starchy\n# Other Vegetables, Vegetable Juice, and Smoothies\n## Vegetable Juice Limits and Measurement\n## Vegetable Smoothies Crediting Rules\n# Additional Credit Guidance\n## Hominy\n## Pasta Products Made with 100% Vegetable Flour","[{\"question\":\"Which child nutrition programs require vegetables for reimbursable meals or snacks?\",\"answer\":\"Vegetables are required components for reimbursable meals in the National School Lunch Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. They may also be used in the School Breakfast Program, fulfill the combined fruits and vegetables requirement for preschool and CACFP breakfasts, and be credited in the Summer Food Service Program.\"},{\"question\":\"What forms of vegetables can be credited, and what is the minimum creditable serving size?\",\"answer\":\"Creditable vegetables include fresh, frozen, canned, dried items (including beans, peas, and lentils), and full-strength vegetable juice (100% juice). Most vegetables credit as volume served with a minimum creditable serving size of 1/8 cup, with exceptions such as tomato paste, tomato puree, and raw leafy greens.\"},{\"question\":\"How are 100% vegetable juice and vegetable smoothies handled for crediting limits?\",\"answer\":\"In school meal programs, no more than half of the total weekly vegetables offered may be 100% vegetable juice, with snack limitations effective July 1, 2025. In CACFP or Preschool patterns, 100% vegetable juice may be used no more than once per day, including snack. For smoothies, pureed vegetables credit as juice and are subject to the same juice limitations; additionally, juice does not credit as an ingredient in other foods or beverages except smoothies.\"}]","Crediting Vegetables in the Child Nutrition Programs - Tip Sheet | PDF",1791603174]