Free Daycare Meal Plan Template For CACFP Approved Meals
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To make meal planning easier, we’ve created a free daycare meal plan template that aligns with CACFP standards. Providing nutritious meals for children in daycare is essential for their growth and development.
If you participate in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), it’s important to ensure your meals meet their nutritional guidelines. This template will help you stay organized, ensure compliance, and provide balanced meals for the children in your care.
Why Use a Meal Plan Template?
Meal planning is an important step in running a successful home daycare, childcare center, or family childcare program.
This free download includes a template designed to help you track the weekly meal plan, making it easier to plan healthy options for daycare kids.
Our printable template is perfect for daycare providers who want to simplify menu planning, streamline meal prep, and make next week’s menu a breeze. This weekly menu template is the perfect way to create visually appealing designs that support healthy eating habits for kids.
This PDF file is a simple template with blank space for customizing your daycare program’s weekly food menu. It’s a digital download file, making it easy to print and update as needed. This template works well for childcare centers and family daycare menus.
Download your free daycare menu template and get planning. Print it as many times as you’d like.
A meal plan template helps you:
- Stay compliant with CACFP regulations.
- Save time by planning meals in advance.
- Ensure children receive a variety of nutritious foods.
- Reduce food waste by planning portions effectively.
- Make grocery shopping more efficient.
What Makes a Meal CACFP-Approved?
CACFP sets nutritional guidelines for daycare meals, ensuring children get the essential nutrients they need. Each meal must include specific food components:
- Breakfast: Milk, fruit or vegetable, and grains.
- Lunch & Dinner: Milk, meat or meat alternate, grains, and at least two different fruits or vegetables.
- Snacks: Must include two food groups, such as fruit and dairy or grains and protein.
By following these guidelines, you can create meals that are not only nutritious but also appealing to young children.
Sample CACFP-Approved Daycare Meal Plan
| Meal | Food Component Requirements | Example Menu |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Milk, Fruit or Veggie, Grain | Milk, whole grain toast, sliced bananas |
| Snack | Pick 2: Fruit or Veggie, Dairy, Grain, Meat, Milk | Apple slices, yogurt |
| Lunch | Milk, Meat, Grain, Veggie and Fruit or Veggie | Milk, grilled chicken, brown rice, steamed carrots & peas |
| Snack | Pick 2: Fruit or Veggie, Dairy, Grain, Meat, Milk | Whole grain crackers, peanut butter |
| Dinner | Milk, Meat, Grain, Veggie, and Fruit or Veggie | Milk, turkey meatballs, whole wheat pasta, green beans & cherry tomatoes |
How to Use the Free Daycare Meal Plan Template
- Download the template – Print a weekly meal planner or keep a digital copy for easy edits.
- Plan meals in advance – Fill in the template with CACFP-compliant meals for breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner.
- Check ingredient availability – Ensure you have all the necessary ingredients before the week starts.
- Prep ahead of time – Reduce stress by preparing meals in bulk where possible.
- Track compliance – Use the template to document meals and stay CACFP-compliant.
If you are looking for inspiration for great meal ideas for young kids, check out this collection of Daycare Lunches for toddlers and preschoolers (even the picky ones!). Easy, simple, and tasty enough for the whole family to enjoy!
Download Your Free Template
To simplify your daycare meal planning, we’ve created a FREE CACFP Meal Plan Template that you can download and use right away. Click the link below to access your printable and editable version.
Download the Free Daycare Meal Plan Template here:
A well-structured meal plan ensures that the children in your daycare receive balanced, nutritious meals every day. With this free CACFP meal plan template, you can streamline your planning process, meet regulations, and provide kids with delicious, healthy food. Start using this template today and make mealtime stress-free in your daycare!
For more meal time ideas for your daycare, check these out:
