Grab and Go Lessons for CACFP Professionals

Grab and Go Lessons feature user-friendly, research-based best practices. These 2-3 page handouts are designed specifically for operators of the Child and Adult Care Food Program with limited time.

Administration

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Title	Date added	Download
An Earth-Friendly Child Care Environment	October 22, 2020	Download
CACFP and Parent Information	October 22, 2020	Download
CACFP FAQs for Child Care Center Directors	October 22, 2020	Download
CACFP FAQs for Family Child Care Providers	October 22, 2020	Download
Strategies for Succeeding on the CACFP	October 22, 2020	Download

Procurement

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Procurement

Title	Date added	Download
FAQs for Choosing Small Equipment for Child Care	October 22, 2020	Download
Food Buying Guide Calculator	October 22, 2020	Download
Procurement Methods for CACFP	April 21, 2021	Download
Purchasing Large Equipment in the CACFP	October 22, 2020	Download

Compliance

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Compliance

Title	Date added	Download
Basics for Using CACFP Funds on Allowable Costs	April 21, 2021	Download
Breastmilk and Infant Formula	October 22, 2020	Download
CACFP Food Component Basics	May 05, 2022	Download
Infant Meal Pattern Age Groups	October 22, 2020	Download
Infants and Developmental Readiness	October 22, 2020	Download
Nutritional Benefits of the Meal Pattern	October 22, 2020	Download
Record-Keeping Basics for Centers Operating the CACFP	May 05, 2022	Download
The Basics of the Meats:Meat Alternates Component	October 22, 2020	Download
Using Offer Versus Serve in the CACFP	May 05, 2022	Download

Health and Safety

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Title	Date added	Download
Calibrating Food Thermometers	May 18, 2020	Download
Choking Prevention	April 21, 2021	Download
Keep Food Safe- Clean, Sanitize, and Disinfect	May 20, 2020	Download
Keep Food Safe- Control Food Temperatures	May 20, 2020	Download
Keep Food Safe- Wash Hands the Best Way	May 20, 2020	Download
Keep Mealtime Safe in Child Care Settings	May 20, 2020	Download
Personal Hygiene for the Child Care Kitchen	May 20, 2020	Download
Self-Inspections for Food Safety	April 21, 2021	Download
Strategies for Incorporating Physical Activity in Child Care	April 21, 2021	Download

Nutrition and Meal Management

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Title	Date added	Download
A Caring Relationship at Mealtimes	May 20, 2020	Download
Alternative Cooking Methods to Deep-Fat Frying	April 21, 2021	Download
Alternative Cooking Methods to Deep-Fat Frying	April 21, 2021	Download
Benefits for Serving Meals Family Style in Child Care	May 20, 2020	Download
Benefits for Using Standardized Recipes in the CACFP	April 21, 2021	Download
CACFP and Family Style Meal Service	October 22, 2020	Download
Defining Tofu and How It Credits in the CACFP	April 21, 2021	Download
Handling Pumped Breastmilk- Receiving, Storing, and Preparing	May 20, 2020	Download
Happy Mealtime Self-Check	May 20, 2020	Download
Offering and Making Water Available in Child Care	May 20, 2020	Download
Protein and Good Nutrition	October 22, 2020	Download
Selecting Grains for Good Health	October 22, 2020	Download
Snacks for a Balanced Nutrition	May 05, 2022	Download
Special Support for the Breastfeeding Family	May 20, 2020	Download
Strategies for Reducing Sodium	October 22, 2020	Download
Strategies for Reducing Sugar	October 22, 2020	Download
Tip Sheet- 5 Tips for Understanding a Child's View of Mealtime	May 20, 2020	Download
Understanding Marketing Claims	April 21, 2021	Download
Understanding Measurements for Food Preparation	April 21, 2021	Download
Understanding the Ingredient List on Labels for Good Nutrition	April 21, 2021	Download
Understanding the Parts of the Nutrition Facts Label	April 21, 2021	Download
Using Herbs and Spices to Flavor Foods- Enhancing Flavor and Appeal	April 21, 2021	Download
Using Herbs and Spices to Flavor Foods- Purchasing and Storing	April 21, 2021	Download
Vary Your Vegetables and Fruits	October 22, 2020	Download
Vegetarian Diets for Young Children	May 05, 2022	Download
Working with a Chef to Build Culinary Skills	April 21, 2021	Download

Education and Training

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Education and Training

Title	Date added	Download
Creating a Positive Learning Environment	April 21, 2021	Download
Field Trip Adventures at the Grocery Store	October 22, 2020	Download
Pursuing a Mentor for Success in the CACFP	April 21, 2021	Download
Steps to Planning a Nutrition Education Activity	May 20, 2020	Download
Training Development for CACFP Professionals- Part 1	April 21, 2021	Download
Training Development for CACFP Professionals- Part 2	April 21, 2021	Download
Understanding Adult Learners	April 21, 2021	Download
Using Art, Literacy, and Dramatic Play to Teach Nutrition	May 20, 2020	Download

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*Mock Health Inspection
*Applied Research Division Publications
**Manuscripts
**Poster Sessions
**Research Briefs
**Other Resources
**Technical Reports
*eLearning How-To Documents
*Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for State Agency Child Nutrition Professionals
*Key Performance Indicators Mini Series
*ICN's Leadership Academy
*Planning Reimbursable School Meals for Menu Planners: Micro-Trainings
*Designing and Delivering Training Programs (formerly Foundations for Training Excellence)
*No Time To Train:Short Lessons for School Nutrition Assistants
*ICN Strategic Plan
*Food Allergies Resources
**Food Allergy Fact Sheets
**Food Allergies for School Nutrition Managers and Staff
**Food Allergies for School Nutrition Directors
**Food Allergies Child Care Resources
**Food Allergies for School Nutrition Directors - Managing Food Allergies
**Food Allergies in School Nutrition
*CNAAT agenda
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*Food Safety Spotlight: Food Allergies
*Shaking it up landing page - Proof
**Sodium Reduction in School Meals
***worksheets
**Student Acceptance of New Lower-Sodium Menu Items
***Worksheets
**Culinary Approaches to Reduce Sodium
***Worksheets
*Healthy Cuisine for Kids - Fifth Edition
*Non-Resource PDFs
*ARD Tools and Templates
**Middle/Junior High School Student Survey Guide and Tools
**High School Student Survey Guide and Tools
*Food Allergies Post
*Manager's Corner
**Nutrition
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**Spanish
***Comunicación_Mercadotecnia
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*CICN Spice Blend Posters
*Reimbursable School Meals from Introduction to School Nutrition Leadership
*Planning Reimbursable School Meals for Menu Planners
*Food Purchasing for Child Care
*Mealtime Memos
**2020 Mealtime Memos
**New category 4
**2024 Mealtime Memo
**2017 Mealtime Memos
**2018 Mealtime Memos
**2019 Mealtime Memos
*Team Up For School Nutrtion
**April 2017
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*Job Description Template
*COVID-19 Resources
*ESTAR Resources
**Manager's Corner
*Native American Advisory Committee Newsletter
*iLearn How To
*Healthy Me! The Preschoolers Guide
*Connect: The Cafeteria to The Classroom
*Food Waste Resources and Tools
*S.T.A.R. Resources
*Manager's Corner Spanish
*Child Nutrition Wellness Initiative
*Leaderhsip Academy
*2023 - State Agency Presentations/Files
**12/04/2023 - Monday
***1.Opening General Session and USDA and ICN Updates
***8.Community Eligibility Provisions Work Session MidYear Implementation & Preparing for SY 2024-25
***2.Supporting FNS Programs Through Clear and Effective Messaging
***6.Physical Safety in Summer Meal Programs,
***7.FNS’s Approach to Grant Funding
***9.Summer EBT Panel with State Agencies
***4.Innovative Menu Planning for Summer Meals
***3.USDA Food 101
***5.Child Nutrition Schools are the Nutrition and Local Food Hub of the Community
**12/05/2023 - Tuesday
***5.Procurement
***10.Integrity Rule Overview
***1.State Agency Funding
***9.Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative Spread the News
***6.Healthy School Meals for All Best Practices & Strategies
***2.Who’s Responsible Managing Sponsors with Unaffiliated Childcare
***4.Capital Expenditures
***7.Conducting Reviews in the CACFP 101
***8.Best Practices for Non-Congregate Summer Meals
***3.Data Visualization
**12/06/2023 - Wednesday
***3.Making the Grade Best Practices for Co-Mingled Meal Service in School
***1.Serious Deficiency Guidance Best Practices
***2.How to Determine if an Entity is in Good Standing
***5.Streamlining Between Different Programs and Closing General Session
***4.SFSP Streamlining
*Norovirus Resources
*Food Safety for Summer Meals
*Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for School Nutrition Managers
*Cooperative Purchasing for State Agency
*School Nutrition Staff: You Are A Team
*Adult Day Stay Fact Sheets and Supplemental Resources Adult Day Stay Fact Sheets and Supplemental Resources
*Child Nutrition Programs, Fall 2021: Challenges Faced and Solutions Found
*ICN CACFP National Advisory Council
*USDA Recipes for Healthy Kids
*Forecasting the Procurement of Foods
*Overview of USDA Child Nutrition Programs Online Course & Presentations
*STAR Digital Binder
**VILT
**STAR Initiative Overview
**Meal Preparation Module
**Procurement and Inventory Module
**Nutrition and Menu Management
**Manager's Corner Curriculum
**Strategies
**Templates
**Action Plans
**Facilitation
**Resources
*NAAC
*Adult Day Care Food Allergy Fact Sheets
*Job Aid Series
*CACFP Sample Food Safety Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
*HealthierUS School Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms
*Child and Adult Care Resources
**Menu Planning Basics: A Guide for CACFP Operators in Child Care
**Cycle Menus for Child Care- Preschoolers
**Family Child Care FUNdamentals
**Introduction to Happy Mealtimes in Child Care Settings
**Food Safety in Child Care
**Child Care Mini-Posters
**Menus for Child Care
**Ready Set Go!
**USDA Recipes for Child Care
**CACFP Training Resource Checklist
**CACFP Meal Pattern Resources
***Optional Best Practices Training
***Infant Meal Pattern Requirements Training
***Child and Adult Meal Pattern Requirements Training
***CACFP Meal Pattern Posters and Infographics
***CACFP Meal Pattern Tip Cards
***CACFP Fact Sheets/Tip Sheets
**Grab in 5
*Ground Rules for Training Mini-Posters
*Portions
*Procurement of Foods: Cooperative Purchasing Groups
*Steps for Emergency Preparedness
*Child Care Center Food Allergy Fact Sheets
*Strategies for Addressing Labor Shortages Infographics
*CACFP Food Safety Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Sample Logs
*Nutrition 101: A Taste of Food and Fitness - 4th Edition
*Financial Management Information System
*Tools and Tips for Trainers
**Communication
**Environmentally Friendly Meetings
**Food Service Management Skills
**Ground Rules for Training Mini Posters
**Meals and Breaks During Training
**Meeting Accessibility for People with Disabilities
**Nutrition Fact Sheets and Activities
**Physical Activity During Training
**Presentation Development
**Training Techniques
*Spanish
**Cuidado de niños (Child Care)
***Mini-Cartels generals (General Posters)
**Nutrición escolar (School Nutrition)
***Mini-Cartels sobre seguridad de alimentos (Food Safety Posters)
***Capacitación (Trainings)
***Ficha técnica sobre seguridad de los alimentos (Food safety fact sheets)
***Mini-cartels generals (General Posters)
**Mealtime Memos en Español (Mealtime Memos)
***2008 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
***2009 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
***2010 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
***2011 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
***2012 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
***2016 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
***2015 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
**Comidas escolares reembolsables
**Centros de Cuidado Infantil - Guía de Seguridad Alimentaria
*Got Milk! How Student Preferences Impact Their Milk Selection in Schools
*CACFP Grab and Go Lessons
**Administration
**Procurement
**Compliance
**Health and Safety
**Nutrition and Meal Management
**Education and Training
*Shaking it up landing page
**Procuring Lower-Sodium Products and Ingredients
***worksheets
**Sodium Reduction in School Meals
***worksheets
**Other Resources
***other resources
****videos
***CICN Herbs and Spices Posters
**Worksheet Series Hyperlink Addresses
**Planning Lower-Sodium Meals
***worksheets
**Student Acceptance of New Lower-Sodium Menu Items
***Worksheets
**Using Speed-Scratch Food Preparation to Reduce Sodium
***Worksheets
**Culinary Approaches to Reduce Sodium
***Worksheets
*State Agency 2022
*School Lunch Hero Day
*Utilizing the Cafeteria as a Classroom
*Food Safety Resources
**Water Emergency Preparedness
**Norovirus for Schools
**Food Safety Mini-Posters
**Food Safety Fact Sheets
**Food Safety SOP Logs
**Food Safety SOP Resources
**Food Safety in Schools
**CARE Connections: Food Safety
**Seguridad de alimentos en las escuelas
**Food Defense: Developing A Biosecurity Management Plan
**Cool It! Methods for Cooling Foods Safely
**Recursos en Español
**Employee Health and Personal Hygiene
**Family Child Care Food Safety Kit
**Responding to a Food Recall
**Handwashing Posters
**Food Safety Basics
**Writing, Updating, and Revising a HACCP-Based Food Safety Plan for Schools Workshop
**Food Safety Videos
***A Flash of Food Safety - Spanish
***A Flash of Food Safety - English
**Employee Health and Personal Hygiene for Child Care
**Manager’s Corner
**Food Safety Standard Operating Procedures
**Food Safety for Summer Meals
*Social Media Marketing for School Nutrition Programs
*Training Culturally Diverse Groups
*Foundations For Training Excellence 4 hour
*Introduction to School Nutrition Leadership
*Documenting Last-Minute Substitutions to School Meal Menus
*2022 Strategic Planning Documents
*Step-by-Step Recipe Standardization Guide for the CACFP
*Orientation to School Nutrition Management
*Produce Safety
**Produce Safety University Graduate Training Resources
**The Produce Lab Videos - Culinary Techniques
**The Produce Lab Videos - Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS)
**The Produce Lab Videos - Quality and Condition
**Produce Safety Videos - What Went Right and What Went Wrong
**Commodity Specific Fact Sheets
**Produce Safety Best Practices Fact Sheets
**Produce Safety Printable Posters
*Marketing Your School Nutrition Program
*Weights and Measures
*E-STAR
*RFPs
*CACFP iTrain Simple Lesson Plans
**iTrain Slides
**iTrain PDFs
*Menus of Flavor
*ICN's Leadership Academy - Proof
*Basic Culinary Math for School Nutrition Professionals
*Research Documents
**Emergency Preparedness
**ICN Best Practices for Serving Students with Special Food and/or Nutrition Needs In School Nutrition Programs
**Overcoming Barriers to Participation in the Summer Food Service Program - An Identification of Best Practice Solutions
**Training and Educational Resource Needs of Child Care Professionals Participating in the CACFP
**Examining Diversity in the School Nutrition Workforce
**Identification of Issues Associated with Operating School Nutrition Programs in Districts with Less Than 30,000 Student Enrollment
**Practices and Perceptions of School Nutrition Professionals Toward Obtaining the HealthierUS School Challenge Award
**Unpublished Dissertations and Theses in Child Nutrition Programs and School Aged Children
**Exploring Nutrition Literacy and Knowledge Among School Nutrition Managers
**Implementation of HACCP-based Food Safety Programs in School Nutrition Programs
**Ready, Set, Go! Creating and Maintaining a Wellness Environment in Child Care Centers Participating in the CACFP
**Afterschool Care Program NSLP Snack Service
**Exploring School Nutrition Professionals Preferences of USDA Recipes and R4HK Competition Recipes for Meeting New USDA Meal Pattern Requirements
**In Classroom Breakfast Programs Best Practices
**Research Related to Child Nutrition Programs
**Determining the Job Functions of Child Care Providers in CACFP Operations
**Exploring Standard Child Nutrition Key Performance Indicators
**Investigation of Factors Impacting Participation of High School Students in the National School Lunch Program
**Sustaining and Strengthening Local Wellness Initiatives
**Identification of Available Training Resources Appropriate for Family Day Care Home Providers
**Exploring the Impact of Productions and Equipment Decisions on the Operation of School Nutrition Programs
**Investigation of School Professionals' Perceptions and Practices Regarding Issues Influencing Recess Placement in Elementary Schools
**School Nutrition Experiences for Dietetics Students
**Job Functions/Duties, Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills of Sponsor Monitors Participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
**CKS for Child Care Providers in CACFP
**Exploring the Uniqueness of Child Nutrition Programs in Large School Districts
**Investigation of the Job Functions and Training Needs of State Agency Child Nutrition Professionals
**School Nutrition Professionals' Perceptions Regarding Their Role in Supporting and Contributing to School Wellness
**Management Issues Impacting Family Day Care Homes Operating Within the Child and Adult Care Food Program Guidelines- A Review of Literature
**CKS for District-Level School Nutrition Professionals
**Farm to School Identifying Applied Research and Operational Resource Needs and Issues of Farm to School Programs
**Job Description Template for CNP Director/Supervisor/Administrator
**School Nutrition Professionals’ Involvement in the Equipment Purchasing and Facility Design Process
**Training and Educational Resource Needs of Child Care Professionals Participating in the CACFP
**Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for School Nutrition Managers - Phase I
**Financial Management Benchmarks for School Nutrition
**Job Functions and Training Needs of State Agency Child Nutrition Professionals
**School Nutrition Program Utilization of the NFSMI FUNDamentals Financial Management Software
**Procurement Practices Influencing Programs Operating Within the Guidelines of the Child and Adult Care Food Program: A Review of Literature
**Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for School Nutrition Managers - Phase II
**Financial Management Issues and Practices in School Nutrition Programs
**Knowledge and Skills Needed for State Agency Child Nutrition professionals in the 21st Century
**School Wellness Policy Readiness of Principals to Implement Changes
**Determining the Job Functions of Child Care Providers in CACFP Operations
**Competency-Based Performance Appraisals for School Nutrition Managers and Assistants/Technicians
**Focus Group Discussions with Elementary School Foodservice Directors, Teachers, and Parents Regarding the School Breakfast Program
**Marketing the School Nutrition Program Resource Guide for School Nutrition Professionals
**Secondary Analysis of the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Data Base A Two Part Study
**Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for School Nutrition Managers
**Cost Variables Associated with Producing and Serving a Reimbursable National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Snack for Children in Afterschool Care Programs, 2006
**Going Green! A Case Study Approach Examining Green and Environmental Conservation Practices in School Nutrition Programs
**Middle/Junior High School Participation and Non-Participation Survey Guide Internal Benchmarking for School Nutrition Programs
**Serving the Nutritional Needs of Pre-Kindergarten Children in the Public School Setting Best Practices
**Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills of Effective School Nutrition Assistants/Technicians
**Wellness for Child and Adult Care Food Programs
**Got Milk! Exploring How Student Preferences Impact Their Milk Selection in Schools
**National Survey of School Nutrition Directors' Web-Based Training Needs
**Steps to Nutrition Success Checklist A Program Self-Assessment Checklist for Family Day Care Home and Child Care Center Providers Participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
**Determining Factors Impacting the Decision of Middle/Junior High School Students to Participate in the National School Lunch Program
**Developing and Sustaining Green/Environmental Conservation Practices
**NFSMI Research Agenda Conference 2013 Linking Research to Practice
**Succession Planning for Management Level Staff in the School Nutrition Programs
**Determining the Perceptions, Practices, and the Perceived Barriers Associated with School Professionals Serving the Nutritional Needs of the Pre-K Child in the Public School Setting
**ICN Applied Research Division SNA ANC 2016 Poster Session
**Nutrition and Wellness in Child Care Centers Participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
**Sustainability of School Wellness Policy Initiatives
**Development of Middle/Jr. High School Student Surveys to Measure Factors that Impact Participation in and Satisfaction with the National School Lunch Program
**Increasing Middle/Junior High School Student Participation and Satisfaction
**Nutrition Information at Point of Selection in High Schools Does it Affect Entree Choices?
**Team Nutrition Local Wellness Demonstration Project
*Key Performance Indicators
*Emergency Readiness Plan: Guide and Forms for the School Foodservice Operation
*Food Preparation Tools
*Focus on the Customer for Directors and Managers
*Family Child Care Food Allergy Fact Sheets
*Child Care Center Food Safety Guide
*Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills of School Nutrition Assistants/Technicians
*Financial Management: A Course for School Nutrition Directors 2nd Edition
*Basics at a Glance
*S.T.A.R.
**STAR August 2019
**STAR September 2019
**Para Directores en Espanol
**June 2018
**July 2018
**August 2018
**September 2018
**October 2018
**January 2019
**February 2019
**March 2019
**April 2019
*Inventory Management and Tracking
*State Agency
*Capacitacion del cajero: comidas escolares reembolsables
*Emergency Response Pocket Guide
*CNRB Screenshot
*Financial Management: A Course for School Nutrition Managers
*Buy American: U.S. Agriculture Supporting Healthy School Meals
*School Nutrition Mini Posters
**School Meal Pattern Mini-Posters
*ARD A-Z
**Evaluation of ICN Training Program: Nutrition 101 (Online Mode)
**The Impact of ICN's Nutrition 101: Voices of Participants
**Marketing for School Nutrition Programs
**CQI for the School Nutrition Environment
**Data Driven Decision Making
**Developing and Sustaining Green Practices
**Increasing Middle/Jr High Student participation
**Checklist for Implementing or Assessing Recess
**Sustaining and Strengthening Local Wellness Initiaives
**School Nutrition Experiences for Dietetic
**Environmental Scan and Formative Research of Student Engagement Practices in Support of School Meal Programs - Phase I
**Exploratory Investigation of the Roles, Responsibilities, and Impact of Chefs Working in School Nutrition Programs
*Managing Personalities and Conflict
*USDA OFS's COVID-19 Webinar Series Resources
*Designing an Emergency Preparedness Templates
*2023 RFP #725
*Strategies, Training, Action Plans, Resources (STAR) Webinar Fact Sheets
*Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs
*USDA Recipes for Schools
*Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for Child Care Provers in CACFP
*Essential Key Performance Indicators for School Nutrition Success
*STAR Webinar Resources
**STAR April 2020
**STAR May 2020
**STAR June 2020
**STAR July 2020
**STAR August 2020
**STAR September 2020
*STAR Back to School Tools and Strategies To Address Supply Chain Challenges
*Assembling and Managing a Student Nutrition Advisory Council
*Inventory Management and Tracking
*Videos
* Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for District-Level School Nutrition Professionals
*ICN internal documents
*Training and Professional Development Needs Assessment for State Agency Child Nutrition Programs Who Work Primarily with School Nutrition Programs
*Spanish Family Child Care Food Safety Kit
*Planning Reimbursable School Meals