WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.335 --> 00:00:04.605 - Welcome to the preschool meal pattern training. 2 00:00:04.638 --> 00:00:07.708 The content in this presentation applies to those 3 00:00:07.741 --> 00:00:10.777 who serve preschool students in their school 4 00:00:10.811 --> 00:00:15.182 and those who cater to sites that serve preschool students. 5 00:00:15.215 --> 00:00:20.220 If you serve infants or cater to a site that serves infants, 6 00:00:20.254 --> 00:00:23.457 I'll provide a link to the infant meal pattern resource 7 00:00:23.490 --> 00:00:26.026 at the end of the presentation. 8 00:00:28.929 --> 00:00:30.297 During this presentation, 9 00:00:30.330 --> 00:00:32.432 we are going to compare the similarities 10 00:00:32.466 --> 00:00:35.802 and differences between the preschool meal pattern 11 00:00:35.836 --> 00:00:39.306 and the K through 5 meal pattern. 12 00:00:39.339 --> 00:00:41.375 So first, we will talk about 13 00:00:41.408 --> 00:00:43.877 why there is a preschool meal pattern 14 00:00:43.911 --> 00:00:45.712 and briefly look at the preschool 15 00:00:45.746 --> 00:00:49.016 and K through 5 meal patterns for breakfast and lunch, 16 00:00:49.049 --> 00:00:51.418 to get acquainted with the required components 17 00:00:51.451 --> 00:00:53.654 and portion sizes. 18 00:00:53.687 --> 00:00:56.924 Next, we will go through each food component in detail, 19 00:00:56.957 --> 00:00:59.560 as well as cooking and serving practices 20 00:00:59.593 --> 00:01:02.996 related to the preschool meal pattern. 21 00:01:03.030 --> 00:01:05.632 We will then go over ways to implement the new 22 00:01:05.666 --> 00:01:09.937 preschool meal pattern into your operation. 23 00:01:09.970 --> 00:01:12.339 Finally, we will define the two main styles 24 00:01:12.372 --> 00:01:14.908 of serving meals to preschool students 25 00:01:14.942 --> 00:01:17.678 and how that might impact menu planning. 26 00:01:17.711 --> 00:01:20.414 There will be a slide at the end of the presentation 27 00:01:20.447 --> 00:01:22.015 for resources. 28 00:01:24.451 --> 00:01:27.487 So why is there a preschool meal pattern, 29 00:01:27.521 --> 00:01:29.323 and why was it updated? 30 00:01:29.356 --> 00:01:32.426 Well, prior to the update from October, 2017, 31 00:01:32.459 --> 00:01:35.295 schools were providing meals to preschool students 32 00:01:35.329 --> 00:01:37.264 differently than others. 33 00:01:37.297 --> 00:01:39.900 So now there's clear guidance from the USDA 34 00:01:39.933 --> 00:01:43.237 that says that the updates made within the child 35 00:01:43.270 --> 00:01:45.506 and adult care food program 36 00:01:45.539 --> 00:01:47.107 meal pattern for younger students 37 00:01:47.140 --> 00:01:51.078 actually extends into the School Breakfast Program 38 00:01:51.111 --> 00:01:53.647 and National School Lunch Program. 39 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:56.683 This means that, if you serve preschool students 40 00:01:56.717 --> 00:02:02.389 and claim them under NSLP and/or SBP, 41 00:02:02.422 --> 00:02:04.825 you need to provide the preschool meal pattern, 42 00:02:04.858 --> 00:02:07.227 as appropriate. 43 00:02:07.261 --> 00:02:08.896 This does not mean that you need to start 44 00:02:08.929 --> 00:02:13.667 claiming these preschool kids under CACFP, at all. 45 00:02:13.700 --> 00:02:15.936 Nothing necessarily will really change 46 00:02:15.969 --> 00:02:17.504 on the CLiCS claim. 47 00:02:17.538 --> 00:02:19.406 The updated meal pattern regulations 48 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:22.209 just apply to only the meal pattern 49 00:02:22.242 --> 00:02:25.646 and individual reimbursable meals. 50 00:02:25.679 --> 00:02:27.748 The primary change, as you'll notice 51 00:02:27.781 --> 00:02:29.816 within the preschool meal pattern, 52 00:02:29.850 --> 00:02:32.953 compared to the K through 5 meal pattern, 53 00:02:32.986 --> 00:02:36.857 are these following ideas. 54 00:02:36.890 --> 00:02:39.560 First, the minimum portion sizes you are required 55 00:02:39.593 --> 00:02:43.597 to serve to preschool students are more age appropriate. 56 00:02:43.630 --> 00:02:46.133 Overall, you're going to notice that preschool students 57 00:02:46.166 --> 00:02:50.037 can be served smaller portion sizes. 58 00:02:50.070 --> 00:02:52.973 Second, these updated meal pattern regulations 59 00:02:53.006 --> 00:02:56.243 are rooted in current nutrition practices 60 00:02:56.276 --> 00:02:59.012 and evidence-based research that suggests 61 00:02:59.046 --> 00:03:02.516 that increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages 62 00:03:02.549 --> 00:03:06.053 and foods could lead to an increased risk 63 00:03:06.086 --> 00:03:09.990 of developing chronic diseases later in life. 64 00:03:10.023 --> 00:03:13.393 Thus, you will notice that there is an overall reduction 65 00:03:13.427 --> 00:03:15.896 of sugar-sweetened items 66 00:03:15.929 --> 00:03:18.198 that are available to preschool students 67 00:03:18.232 --> 00:03:21.368 under this pre-K meal program. 68 00:03:21.401 --> 00:03:24.171 Lastly, kids spend a good chunk of the day 69 00:03:24.204 --> 00:03:25.873 in the calendar year in school, 70 00:03:25.906 --> 00:03:30.310 so the food they are served at school really does matter. 71 00:03:30.344 --> 00:03:31.945 They are forming food preferences 72 00:03:31.979 --> 00:03:34.615 that will carry with them throughout their lives 73 00:03:34.648 --> 00:03:38.819 that are partly influenced by what schools are providing. 74 00:03:38.852 --> 00:03:40.921 That is why the updated preschool meal pattern 75 00:03:40.954 --> 00:03:45.192 puts emphasis on encouraging variety of foods. 76 00:03:45.225 --> 00:03:47.361 You know, getting those kids used to seeing 77 00:03:47.394 --> 00:03:49.696 many different food groups on their trays, 78 00:03:49.730 --> 00:03:52.966 so they are more likely to choose to eat 79 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:57.171 a lot of different food groups at meals when they're older. 80 00:03:57.204 --> 00:03:59.806 This is the key to forming those healthy food preferences 81 00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:01.775 later in life. 82 00:04:01.808 --> 00:04:04.077 All right, so keep these few items in mind, 83 00:04:04.111 --> 00:04:07.014 as we continue into our brief overview 84 00:04:07.047 --> 00:04:08.482 of the preschool meal pattern. 85 00:04:08.515 --> 00:04:11.618 In the next couple slides, we will look at the breakfast 86 00:04:11.652 --> 00:04:14.788 and lunch meal patterns, comparing the K through 5 meal pattern 87 00:04:14.821 --> 00:04:17.558 to the updated preschool meal pattern, 88 00:04:17.591 --> 00:04:20.327 since the K through 5 meal pattern is most similar 89 00:04:20.360 --> 00:04:23.330 to the new regulations with the preschool meal pattern. 90 00:04:25.332 --> 00:04:28.268 Let's first compare the breakfast meal patterns 91 00:04:28.302 --> 00:04:31.805 for preschool students and K through 5 students. 92 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:34.308 On the left is a chart that shows the minimum 93 00:04:34.341 --> 00:04:37.277 required portion sizes and components 94 00:04:37.311 --> 00:04:39.146 for the preschool meal pattern. 95 00:04:39.179 --> 00:04:41.815 The chart on the right shows the required food components 96 00:04:41.849 --> 00:04:46.286 and required minimum portion sizes for K through 5 meal pattern. 97 00:04:46.320 --> 00:04:48.856 You can see that the required food components 98 00:04:48.889 --> 00:04:51.625 to be served at breakfast are the same. 99 00:04:51.658 --> 00:04:53.627 You have to serve milk, fruit, 100 00:04:53.660 --> 00:04:55.262 and grains to preschool students, 101 00:04:55.295 --> 00:04:58.532 just as you do with the K through 5 students. 102 00:04:58.565 --> 00:05:01.568 The biggest difference is, in general, 103 00:05:01.602 --> 00:05:03.871 the minimum required portion sizes are, 104 00:05:03.904 --> 00:05:05.973 overall, less for the preschool students 105 00:05:06.006 --> 00:05:07.608 in the pre-K meal pattern 106 00:05:07.641 --> 00:05:11.044 than K through 5 students in the K through 5 meal pattern. 107 00:05:11.078 --> 00:05:13.914 As I mentioned, smaller portion sizes 108 00:05:13.947 --> 00:05:15.916 will be a common theme that will come up 109 00:05:15.949 --> 00:05:17.951 as we talk through each of the components 110 00:05:17.985 --> 00:05:21.855 later in the presentation. 111 00:05:21.889 --> 00:05:24.124 Moving on to comparing the lunch 112 00:05:24.157 --> 00:05:26.293 meal pattern requirements, 113 00:05:26.326 --> 00:05:28.228 you can see that the minimum portions 114 00:05:28.262 --> 00:05:30.998 of the required food components are generally smaller 115 00:05:31.031 --> 00:05:33.367 for the pre-K students again. 116 00:05:33.400 --> 00:05:36.136 However, there is one exception-- 117 00:05:36.170 --> 00:05:39.072 the meat/meat alternate component. 118 00:05:39.106 --> 00:05:40.908 The minimum daily portion requirement 119 00:05:40.941 --> 00:05:42.743 for students in preschool 120 00:05:42.776 --> 00:05:46.413 is 1.5 ounce equivalents of meat/meat alternate, 121 00:05:46.446 --> 00:05:48.649 which is just a little bit more 122 00:05:48.682 --> 00:05:53.587 than the K through 5 minimum portion requirement. 123 00:05:53.620 --> 00:05:57.224 Something to also note is that a fruit and vegetable 124 00:05:57.257 --> 00:06:01.128 or two vegetables can be served for lunch for preschoolers. 125 00:06:01.161 --> 00:06:02.996 So there's just a little bit of 126 00:06:03.030 --> 00:06:05.632 menu planning flexibility with that. 127 00:06:10.337 --> 00:06:13.440 Before we get into the details of the food components, 128 00:06:13.473 --> 00:06:17.244 I wanted to point something out from our brief overview. 129 00:06:17.277 --> 00:06:21.114 We only talked about the daily minimum portion sizes. 130 00:06:21.148 --> 00:06:22.850 We really aren't even discussing 131 00:06:22.883 --> 00:06:26.053 the weekly requirements, at all, 132 00:06:26.086 --> 00:06:30.557 because there are no daily or weekly maximums, 133 00:06:30.591 --> 00:06:34.895 and there are also no weekly minimum portion requirements 134 00:06:34.928 --> 00:06:37.898 in the preschool meal pattern. 135 00:06:37.931 --> 00:06:39.566 So going forward, in our discussion 136 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:42.202 of the details of the food components and portion sizes 137 00:06:42.236 --> 00:06:44.104 in the pre-K meal pattern, 138 00:06:44.137 --> 00:06:47.207 know that you can always serve more, 139 00:06:47.241 --> 00:06:49.543 but you cannot serve less when you're serving 140 00:06:49.576 --> 00:06:54.781 the pre-K meal pattern to preschool students. 141 00:06:54.815 --> 00:06:57.918 Okay, let's get started looking further 142 00:06:57.951 --> 00:07:00.787 into the milk component. 143 00:07:03.790 --> 00:07:05.025 For breakfast and lunch, 144 00:07:05.058 --> 00:07:08.161 preschoolers will need at least six ounces of milk, 145 00:07:08.195 --> 00:07:12.399 while the K through 5 students require eight ounces of milk. 146 00:07:12.432 --> 00:07:14.334 Both grade groups can have low fat, 147 00:07:14.368 --> 00:07:20.474 which is 1%, or fat free, which is skim, unflavored milk. 148 00:07:20.507 --> 00:07:23.110 The primary difference with preschoolers, 149 00:07:23.143 --> 00:07:24.645 in the milk component, 150 00:07:24.678 --> 00:07:26.980 is that flavored milk of any kind 151 00:07:27.014 --> 00:07:31.919 is not creditable for children under five years of age. 152 00:07:31.952 --> 00:07:34.688 So the biggest takeaway with the milk component 153 00:07:34.721 --> 00:07:36.957 is that flavored milk does not credit 154 00:07:36.990 --> 00:07:38.225 when you're serving preschoolers 155 00:07:38.258 --> 00:07:41.795 the pre-K meal pattern. 156 00:07:41.828 --> 00:07:48.068 Okay, let's move on to the meat/meat alternate component. 157 00:07:48.101 --> 00:07:49.937 We saw, in our brief overview, 158 00:07:49.970 --> 00:07:51.705 that the meat/meat alternate component 159 00:07:51.738 --> 00:07:56.043 is not required on a daily basis at breakfast. 160 00:07:56.076 --> 00:07:58.745 It is optional in the School Breakfast Program, 161 00:07:58.779 --> 00:08:03.517 for both grades K through 5 and preschoolers. 162 00:08:03.550 --> 00:08:05.085 If you wanted to provide meat/meat alternate 163 00:08:05.118 --> 00:08:08.255 at breakfast within the K through 5 meal pattern, 164 00:08:08.288 --> 00:08:11.391 the menu planner must offer a true grain, 165 00:08:11.425 --> 00:08:13.994 like toast or cereal, for example. 166 00:08:14.027 --> 00:08:16.663 And then they can add a meat/meat alternate 167 00:08:16.697 --> 00:08:21.401 like peanut butter or yogurt, for instance, to that meal. 168 00:08:21.435 --> 00:08:24.805 In contrast, within the preschool meal pattern, 169 00:08:24.838 --> 00:08:28.542 the menu planner can substitute a meat/meat alternate 170 00:08:28.575 --> 00:08:32.980 for the grain a maximum of three times per week. 171 00:08:33.013 --> 00:08:35.949 So this means the menu planner does not have to offer 172 00:08:35.983 --> 00:08:39.720 a true grain first in order to offer the meat/meat alternate 173 00:08:39.753 --> 00:08:41.522 when serving preschool students 174 00:08:41.555 --> 00:08:44.992 under the preschool meal pattern. 175 00:08:45.025 --> 00:08:47.427 An example of a substitution would be, 176 00:08:47.461 --> 00:08:50.230 instead of offering a half a slice of toast, 177 00:08:50.264 --> 00:08:52.933 which is a 1/2 ounce equivalent of grain, 178 00:08:52.966 --> 00:08:55.202 you could offer a 1/4 cup of yogurt 179 00:08:55.235 --> 00:08:59.706 which is a 1/2 ounce equivalent of meat/meat alternate. 180 00:08:59.740 --> 00:09:01.875 We also saw, in our brief overview, 181 00:09:01.909 --> 00:09:04.611 that the only component in which the required 182 00:09:04.645 --> 00:09:07.848 minimum portion size in the preschool meal pattern 183 00:09:07.881 --> 00:09:11.351 is larger than the K through 5 portion size 184 00:09:11.385 --> 00:09:14.755 is the meat/meat alternate component at lunch. 185 00:09:14.788 --> 00:09:19.993 Remember that you have to serve at least 1.5 ounce equivalents 186 00:09:20.027 --> 00:09:22.596 of meat/meat alternate to preschool students, 187 00:09:22.629 --> 00:09:27.434 under this preschool meal pattern. 188 00:09:27.467 --> 00:09:30.270 Remember when I mentioned there would be an emphasis 189 00:09:30.304 --> 00:09:33.273 on reducing sugar in the preschool meal pattern? 190 00:09:33.307 --> 00:09:36.210 Well, here is our first look at that. 191 00:09:36.243 --> 00:09:39.513 There is a limit to the amount of sugar that can be in yogurts 192 00:09:39.546 --> 00:09:41.415 that you serve preschool students, 193 00:09:41.448 --> 00:09:43.417 under the preschool meal pattern. 194 00:09:43.450 --> 00:09:45.485 The guideline is that there cannot be 195 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:52.392 more than 23 grams of sugar per 6 ounce serving of yogurt, 196 00:09:52.426 --> 00:09:56.930 so when I say that 23 grams per six ounces, 197 00:09:56.964 --> 00:09:59.299 what does that even mean? 198 00:09:59.333 --> 00:10:02.603 Not everyone buys yogurt in a six-ounce container. 199 00:10:02.636 --> 00:10:05.506 You know, sometimes you're buying 4-ounce containers, 200 00:10:05.539 --> 00:10:09.376 32-ounce containers, or even gallon-sized bags, 201 00:10:09.409 --> 00:10:12.312 so how do you really know if the yogurt you're purchasing 202 00:10:12.346 --> 00:10:15.415 and serving meets the sugar limit? 203 00:10:15.449 --> 00:10:17.684 Thankfully, there is a very helpful resource 204 00:10:17.718 --> 00:10:20.821 on the Minnesota Department of Education website 205 00:10:20.854 --> 00:10:23.056 called Yogurt Sugar Limit. 206 00:10:23.090 --> 00:10:26.627 It's an easy-to-read chart with various serving sizes of yogurt 207 00:10:26.660 --> 00:10:30.931 and corresponding sugar limits for those serving sizes. 208 00:10:30.964 --> 00:10:32.466 All you would need to do 209 00:10:32.499 --> 00:10:34.868 is find the serving size and sugar content, 210 00:10:34.902 --> 00:10:38.805 on the nutrition facts panel on a yogurt container, 211 00:10:38.839 --> 00:10:42.142 and compare that information to the chart. 212 00:10:42.176 --> 00:10:44.311 If the amount of sugar on the yogurt label 213 00:10:44.344 --> 00:10:48.916 is less than or equal to the amount listed on the chart, 214 00:10:48.949 --> 00:10:50.717 then that yogurt meets the sugar limit 215 00:10:50.751 --> 00:10:53.987 and you can serve it to preschool students. 216 00:10:54.021 --> 00:10:57.057 Here's just a quick example of a nutrition facts panel 217 00:10:57.090 --> 00:10:59.693 from a yogurt product. 218 00:10:59.726 --> 00:11:02.029 The nutrition facts panel shows that this particular 219 00:11:02.062 --> 00:11:06.867 4-ounce serving of yogurt contains 14 grams of sugar. 220 00:11:06.900 --> 00:11:10.070 If we look at four ounces, under the serving size, 221 00:11:10.103 --> 00:11:12.706 on the chart, we can see that our product 222 00:11:12.739 --> 00:11:17.411 needs to contain 15 grams or less of sugar. 223 00:11:17.444 --> 00:11:22.015 And since 14 grams is less than or equal to 15 grams, 224 00:11:22.049 --> 00:11:24.785 this yogurt would meet the sugar limit. 225 00:11:24.818 --> 00:11:27.387 Any yogurts that meet this sugar limit 226 00:11:27.421 --> 00:11:30.257 could be served to students in preschool 227 00:11:30.290 --> 00:11:33.694 and actually in grades K through 12 as well. 228 00:11:36.163 --> 00:11:42.870 Let's move on to the fruit and vegetable components. 229 00:11:42.903 --> 00:11:44.838 In the brief overview, I pointed out 230 00:11:44.872 --> 00:11:48.475 that you could choose to serve two types of vegetables, 231 00:11:48.509 --> 00:11:50.878 instead of serving a fruit and vegetable 232 00:11:50.911 --> 00:11:54.281 in the preschool meal pattern, at lunch, if you wanted to. 233 00:11:54.314 --> 00:11:56.517 In order to offer the two vegetables, 234 00:11:56.550 --> 00:12:00.354 you would need to serve 1/4 cup of each vegetable, 235 00:12:00.387 --> 00:12:05.392 to equal the total 1/2 cup required minimum portion. 236 00:12:05.425 --> 00:12:08.462 To put this idea into an example, 237 00:12:08.495 --> 00:12:12.466 you could serve 1/4 cup of corn as your first vegetable, 238 00:12:12.499 --> 00:12:15.869 and your second vegetable could be 1/4 cup of broccoli, 239 00:12:15.903 --> 00:12:18.605 for example. 240 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:20.807 If you didn't want to serve two vegetables, 241 00:12:20.841 --> 00:12:23.977 you could serve a fruit and vegetable. 242 00:12:24.011 --> 00:12:27.581 An example of this could be the 1/4 cup of corn 243 00:12:27.614 --> 00:12:30.951 plus 1/4 cup of strawberries. 244 00:12:30.984 --> 00:12:33.754 Either of these examples are permissible 245 00:12:33.787 --> 00:12:35.222 for the fruit/vegetable component 246 00:12:35.255 --> 00:12:37.724 in the preschool meal pattern. 247 00:12:37.758 --> 00:12:40.827 As just a reminder, since there are no weekly 248 00:12:40.861 --> 00:12:43.997 minimum or maximum portion requirements 249 00:12:44.031 --> 00:12:45.966 under the preschool meal pattern, 250 00:12:45.999 --> 00:12:49.970 you do not have to keep track of the vegetable subgroups 251 00:12:50.003 --> 00:12:55.342 when you're serving preschool students. 252 00:12:55.375 --> 00:12:57.077 Within the preschool meal pattern, 253 00:12:57.110 --> 00:12:59.546 there is a limit on the number of times 254 00:12:59.580 --> 00:13:03.350 that you can serve juice to pre-K students. 255 00:13:03.383 --> 00:13:08.121 You can only serve juice at one meal service per day, 256 00:13:08.155 --> 00:13:09.823 if you want to count that juice 257 00:13:09.857 --> 00:13:12.426 towards the fruit/vegetable component. 258 00:13:12.459 --> 00:13:15.195 For example, if you plan juice at breakfast, 259 00:13:15.229 --> 00:13:18.065 you wouldn't be able to serve it at lunch later on 260 00:13:18.098 --> 00:13:20.767 and credit it as a fruit or vegetable. 261 00:13:20.801 --> 00:13:22.269 So just be aware of the amount of juice 262 00:13:22.302 --> 00:13:25.339 that you're serving to preschool students. 263 00:13:27.574 --> 00:13:34.314 Okay, finally, we are onto the grains component. 264 00:13:34.348 --> 00:13:37.684 Preschoolers of all ages are required to be offered 265 00:13:37.718 --> 00:13:40.354 at least a 1/2 ounce equivalent of grains, 266 00:13:40.387 --> 00:13:42.756 while the K through 5 students must be offered 267 00:13:42.789 --> 00:13:46.793 at least 1 ounce equivalent of grain every day. 268 00:13:46.827 --> 00:13:48.295 In the preschool meal pattern, 269 00:13:48.328 --> 00:13:51.398 you need to serve whole grain-rich grains 270 00:13:51.431 --> 00:13:54.968 at at least one meal service per day. 271 00:13:55.002 --> 00:13:58.705 So if your preschoolers only get lunch during the day, 272 00:13:58.739 --> 00:14:00.440 then you'll always have to serve 273 00:14:00.474 --> 00:14:04.645 whole grain-rich grain products at lunch, for pre-K. 274 00:14:04.678 --> 00:14:07.581 If the preschoolers have access to breakfast and lunch, 275 00:14:07.614 --> 00:14:09.616 you can actually choose at which meal service 276 00:14:09.650 --> 00:14:12.486 you want to serve whole grain-rich products. 277 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:14.821 That being said, you can absolutely serve 278 00:14:14.855 --> 00:14:17.958 whole grain-rich grain products at both meal services, 279 00:14:17.991 --> 00:14:21.395 for simplicity's sake, as well. 280 00:14:21.428 --> 00:14:23.197 Since we're talking about grains, 281 00:14:23.230 --> 00:14:25.132 let's look at a really helpful resource 282 00:14:25.165 --> 00:14:29.036 called the grain requirements for child nutrition programs. 283 00:14:29.069 --> 00:14:32.706 This chart will help you convert ounces of grain product 284 00:14:32.739 --> 00:14:34.908 into grain ounce equivalents, 285 00:14:34.942 --> 00:14:37.845 to credit products toward the grain component 286 00:14:37.878 --> 00:14:40.447 in the child nutrition meal patterns. 287 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:43.283 Let's practice using this and do a quick example 288 00:14:43.317 --> 00:14:46.453 with waffles for breakfast. 289 00:14:46.486 --> 00:14:47.855 We know we have to serve at least 290 00:14:47.888 --> 00:14:49.823 a 1/2 ounce equivalent for preschool 291 00:14:49.857 --> 00:14:52.759 and a 1-ounce equivalent for K through 5. 292 00:14:52.793 --> 00:14:56.663 So first, we would find waffles on the chart, 293 00:14:56.697 --> 00:14:59.700 which is in group C. 294 00:14:59.733 --> 00:15:03.504 If we zoom in and look in the second column, 295 00:15:03.537 --> 00:15:06.640 we know we need to make sure our serving size of waffle 296 00:15:06.673 --> 00:15:10.110 is at least 0.6 ounces for preschool 297 00:15:10.143 --> 00:15:15.516 and at least 1.2 ounces, in weight, for K through 5 students. 298 00:15:15.549 --> 00:15:17.117 So it's as simple as that. 299 00:15:17.150 --> 00:15:18.986 You know, you just find the weight of the waffle 300 00:15:19.019 --> 00:15:22.322 on the nutrition facts panel of the waffle container, 301 00:15:22.356 --> 00:15:23.857 compare it to the chart, 302 00:15:23.891 --> 00:15:26.894 and make adjustments from there. 303 00:15:26.927 --> 00:15:29.196 Let's go into a little bit more detail 304 00:15:29.229 --> 00:15:34.735 on specific grain products, like breakfast cereals. 305 00:15:34.768 --> 00:15:37.404 Remember the sugar limit for yogurt? 306 00:15:37.437 --> 00:15:40.407 Well, there's also a sugar limit on breakfast cereals 307 00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:42.509 that you can serve to preschool students, 308 00:15:42.543 --> 00:15:44.778 under the preschool meal pattern. 309 00:15:44.811 --> 00:15:47.514 The guideline is that there can be no more 310 00:15:47.548 --> 00:15:52.519 than six grams of sugar per dry ounce of cereal. 311 00:15:52.553 --> 00:15:54.555 To put that into perspective, 312 00:15:54.588 --> 00:15:57.658 regular cheerios do meet that limit, 313 00:15:57.691 --> 00:16:01.361 but Honey Nut Cheerios do not meet that sugar limit. 314 00:16:01.395 --> 00:16:03.697 What this example means is that you could serve 315 00:16:03.730 --> 00:16:06.099 the regular Cheerios to preschool students, 316 00:16:06.133 --> 00:16:08.802 but the Honey Nut Cheerios 317 00:16:08.836 --> 00:16:11.405 would not be able to be served to preschool students, 318 00:16:11.438 --> 00:16:15.442 because they exceed the sugar limit. 319 00:16:15.475 --> 00:16:17.544 There are two resources you can use, 320 00:16:17.578 --> 00:16:19.980 to help you determine if the cereal meets 321 00:16:20.013 --> 00:16:22.282 the cereal sugar limit. 322 00:16:22.316 --> 00:16:24.785 The first is the cereal sugar limit chart 323 00:16:24.818 --> 00:16:26.186 located on the Minnesota 324 00:16:26.220 --> 00:16:28.722 Department of Education website. 325 00:16:28.755 --> 00:16:31.825 It works exactly the same way as the sugar limit chart 326 00:16:31.859 --> 00:16:33.994 we looked at earlier. 327 00:16:34.027 --> 00:16:37.598 The second resource you can use is the WIC brochure. 328 00:16:37.631 --> 00:16:41.468 All of these cereals listed do meet that sugar limit. 329 00:16:41.502 --> 00:16:44.438 However, not all of them are whole grain-rich, 330 00:16:44.471 --> 00:16:47.641 so just be sure to check those cereal labels 331 00:16:47.674 --> 00:16:51.879 to make sure you're meeting the one whole grain-rich grain 332 00:16:51.912 --> 00:16:55.415 serving per day, for preschool. 333 00:16:55.449 --> 00:17:01.154 Let's move on to discussing grain-based desserts. 334 00:17:01.188 --> 00:17:03.156 Most grain-based desserts 335 00:17:03.190 --> 00:17:06.226 are not creditable for preschool 336 00:17:06.260 --> 00:17:09.863 meal pattern for breakfast, nor at lunch. 337 00:17:09.897 --> 00:17:12.633 And examples of grain-based desserts are listed here. 338 00:17:12.666 --> 00:17:16.470 They include cakes, and cookies, cinnamon rolls, 339 00:17:16.503 --> 00:17:19.606 scones, et cetera, so this means 340 00:17:19.640 --> 00:17:22.509 that you would not be able to serve preschool students 341 00:17:22.543 --> 00:17:25.846 these items as part of the grain component for breakfast, 342 00:17:25.879 --> 00:17:28.649 nor lunch, since they don't credit, 343 00:17:28.682 --> 00:17:32.252 under the preschool meal pattern. 344 00:17:32.286 --> 00:17:34.922 On the other hand, graham crackers and animal crackers 345 00:17:34.955 --> 00:17:38.659 are two grain-based desserts that are creditable. 346 00:17:38.692 --> 00:17:40.928 So you can serve these to preschool students 347 00:17:40.961 --> 00:17:43.430 at breakfast and lunch without any limit 348 00:17:43.463 --> 00:17:46.500 when you're following the preschool meal pattern. 349 00:17:46.533 --> 00:17:47.935 Now, the next question might be, 350 00:17:47.968 --> 00:17:51.338 "How do we know what is a grain-based dessert?" 351 00:17:55.175 --> 00:17:58.745 There's really no amount of sugar, fat, or calories 352 00:17:58.779 --> 00:18:03.417 that qualifies a grain product as a grain-based dessert. 353 00:18:03.450 --> 00:18:05.052 The best source of information 354 00:18:05.085 --> 00:18:07.821 for identifying a grain-based dessert 355 00:18:07.855 --> 00:18:10.891 is using the Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs 356 00:18:10.924 --> 00:18:14.528 chart that we discussed just a few slides ago. 357 00:18:14.561 --> 00:18:16.129 Grain-based desserts are labeled 358 00:18:16.163 --> 00:18:19.199 with the superscript 4 and 5. 359 00:18:19.233 --> 00:18:21.401 Let's look at just a couple examples 360 00:18:21.435 --> 00:18:25.172 of grain-based desserts on the chart. 361 00:18:25.205 --> 00:18:28.909 As you can see in a screenshot of group C, 362 00:18:28.942 --> 00:18:30.210 it looks like cookies, 363 00:18:30.244 --> 00:18:32.112 and pie crusts for dessert pies, 364 00:18:32.145 --> 00:18:34.114 cobblers, and fruit turnovers 365 00:18:34.147 --> 00:18:36.617 are considered grain-based desserts, 366 00:18:36.650 --> 00:18:38.452 which means they are not creditable 367 00:18:38.485 --> 00:18:43.190 as the grain components for preschool students. 368 00:18:43.223 --> 00:18:48.662 There's also a resource called Grain-Based Desserts in CACFP 369 00:18:48.695 --> 00:18:50.230 that would also work for determining 370 00:18:50.264 --> 00:18:52.766 which items are considered grain-based desserts 371 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:54.101 for preschool students 372 00:18:54.134 --> 00:18:56.436 under the preschool meal pattern. 373 00:18:56.470 --> 00:18:58.839 This particular resource is also located 374 00:18:58.872 --> 00:19:01.942 on the Minnesota Department of Education website. 375 00:19:03.810 --> 00:19:05.479 Both commercially-prepared 376 00:19:05.512 --> 00:19:08.415 and homemade versions of grain-based desserts 377 00:19:08.448 --> 00:19:10.784 are not considered creditable. 378 00:19:10.817 --> 00:19:14.288 Conversely, breakfast breads like banana bread, 379 00:19:14.321 --> 00:19:16.089 or zucchini bread, 380 00:19:16.123 --> 00:19:18.725 and also muffins of all different types 381 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:21.094 are not considered grain-based desserts 382 00:19:21.128 --> 00:19:24.064 and are therefore creditable for preschool students 383 00:19:24.097 --> 00:19:26.633 in the preschool meal pattern. 384 00:19:29.469 --> 00:19:31.572 Now that I've gone through lots of details 385 00:19:31.605 --> 00:19:33.407 regarding the components, 386 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:36.710 let's go over a few serving and cooking practices 387 00:19:36.743 --> 00:19:40.147 that are specific to the preschool meal pattern. 388 00:19:41.882 --> 00:19:44.284 I mentioned in the beginning of the presentation 389 00:19:44.318 --> 00:19:47.821 that two of the updated preschool meal pattern 390 00:19:47.855 --> 00:19:51.625 philosophies focus on encouraging variety 391 00:19:51.658 --> 00:19:54.228 and informing healthy food preferences 392 00:19:54.261 --> 00:19:56.663 for young preschool kids. 393 00:19:56.697 --> 00:19:58.599 One of the ways this is exemplified 394 00:19:58.632 --> 00:20:01.101 is that deep-fat frying is not allowed 395 00:20:01.134 --> 00:20:03.871 for onsite food preparation. 396 00:20:03.904 --> 00:20:06.273 So that means that preschool students 397 00:20:06.306 --> 00:20:09.977 will not get that fried food exposure on a regular basis, 398 00:20:10.010 --> 00:20:12.846 in the school environment. 399 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:15.048 Another way that preschool meal pattern 400 00:20:15.082 --> 00:20:18.719 can encourage more variety and exposure to different foods 401 00:20:18.752 --> 00:20:20.654 is by requiring preschool students 402 00:20:20.687 --> 00:20:24.925 to have all food components on their tray. 403 00:20:24.958 --> 00:20:27.561 For this reason, offer versus serve 404 00:20:27.594 --> 00:20:30.063 is not allowable for preschool students, 405 00:20:30.097 --> 00:20:32.299 under the preschool meal pattern. 406 00:20:32.332 --> 00:20:34.735 So since you won't be able to do offer versus serve 407 00:20:34.768 --> 00:20:38.238 with your preschool students in the pre-K meal pattern, 408 00:20:38.272 --> 00:20:40.974 I want to talk about two serving options 409 00:20:41.008 --> 00:20:43.477 you could choose to use for your preschool students 410 00:20:43.510 --> 00:20:47.214 that might help you save some time when you're serving them. 411 00:20:49.249 --> 00:20:52.886 The first option is called family-style meal service, 412 00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:57.624 which can be implemented in the classroom or in the cafeteria. 413 00:20:57.658 --> 00:20:59.693 During family-style meal service, 414 00:20:59.726 --> 00:21:02.496 all preschool students will sit together around a table 415 00:21:02.529 --> 00:21:06.633 with an adult, like a pre-K teacher. 416 00:21:06.667 --> 00:21:09.169 All of the food items that are part of the meal 417 00:21:09.203 --> 00:21:11.405 will be placed in serving dishes 418 00:21:11.438 --> 00:21:13.907 with the appropriate serving utensil 419 00:21:13.941 --> 00:21:15.375 in the middle of the table, 420 00:21:15.409 --> 00:21:17.711 so that each student could take the full, 421 00:21:17.744 --> 00:21:21.648 minimum-required portion of that food item. 422 00:21:21.682 --> 00:21:23.417 The supervising adult at the table 423 00:21:23.450 --> 00:21:27.487 must offer each food item to each student. 424 00:21:27.521 --> 00:21:30.724 The student can say "yes" and serve him or herself, 425 00:21:30.757 --> 00:21:33.293 or they may decline that food item. 426 00:21:33.327 --> 00:21:37.965 Food items may be passed one at a time or even a few at a time. 427 00:21:37.998 --> 00:21:42.836 A student may decline to select one or more food items offered, 428 00:21:42.870 --> 00:21:47.474 and the meal may still be claimed for reimbursement. 429 00:21:47.508 --> 00:21:50.544 The second option is called pre-plating. 430 00:21:50.577 --> 00:21:52.813 This style can work within the traditional tray line 431 00:21:52.846 --> 00:21:56.817 in the cafeteria, or in the classroom, as well. 432 00:21:56.850 --> 00:21:58.418 In the traditional tray line, 433 00:21:58.452 --> 00:22:01.855 you'd be serving each food item in the minimum portion size, 434 00:22:01.889 --> 00:22:04.992 so that all food items would be on the tray. 435 00:22:05.025 --> 00:22:08.862 You could choose to pre-plate in the classroom 436 00:22:08.896 --> 00:22:11.698 by either sending prepared trays to the classroom 437 00:22:11.732 --> 00:22:14.067 or providing bulk portions 438 00:22:14.101 --> 00:22:16.737 and the appropriate utensils or scoops to the classroom. 439 00:22:16.770 --> 00:22:19.373 And then the teachers would be responsible 440 00:22:19.406 --> 00:22:23.544 to ensure the necessary food items are present on the tray. 441 00:22:23.577 --> 00:22:25.145 If you are pre-plating trays 442 00:22:25.179 --> 00:22:28.348 or allowing teachers to pre-plate student trays, 443 00:22:28.382 --> 00:22:31.451 all the food items, in at least the minimum portion sizes, 444 00:22:31.485 --> 00:22:33.387 need to be on each student's tray, 445 00:22:33.420 --> 00:22:36.390 in order to claim that meal. 446 00:22:36.423 --> 00:22:39.593 So if you're interested in either of these options, 447 00:22:39.626 --> 00:22:42.062 we have resources on the Minnesota Department 448 00:22:42.095 --> 00:22:44.865 of Education website for you to access, 449 00:22:44.898 --> 00:22:47.134 prior to making your decision. 450 00:22:47.167 --> 00:22:49.937 Also, feel free to call the Minnesota Department 451 00:22:49.970 --> 00:22:53.307 of Education Food and Nutrition Service office, 452 00:22:53.340 --> 00:22:57.211 if you have questions about your specific operation too. 453 00:22:59.613 --> 00:23:04.918 So let's switch gears and talk about vended meal contracts. 454 00:23:04.952 --> 00:23:07.254 If you are a school that caters to a site 455 00:23:07.287 --> 00:23:11.725 that serves preschoolers, you must provide meals 456 00:23:11.758 --> 00:23:15.462 that meet the preschool meal pattern requirements. 457 00:23:15.495 --> 00:23:18.332 Just like schools receive the School Nutrition Program 458 00:23:18.365 --> 00:23:20.167 administrative reviews, 459 00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:22.870 entities that participate in the Child 460 00:23:22.903 --> 00:23:25.372 and Adult Care Food Program receive 461 00:23:25.405 --> 00:23:28.075 CACFP reviews. 462 00:23:28.108 --> 00:23:30.544 This means that they are responsible 463 00:23:30.577 --> 00:23:32.212 for ensuring the meals 464 00:23:32.246 --> 00:23:36.283 that they're serving to their students meet the guidelines. 465 00:23:36.316 --> 00:23:39.119 So for this reason, it really is beneficial 466 00:23:39.152 --> 00:23:42.823 to have open communication between the school 467 00:23:42.856 --> 00:23:45.826 that is providing the meals and the catered 468 00:23:45.859 --> 00:23:48.695 Child and Adult Care Food Program site 469 00:23:48.729 --> 00:23:51.031 so that everyone understands what services 470 00:23:51.064 --> 00:23:54.701 are being provided and both parties are satisfied 471 00:23:54.735 --> 00:23:57.371 that the requirements are being met. 472 00:23:59.072 --> 00:24:02.776 Okay, now, we've covered the preschool meal pattern. 473 00:24:02.809 --> 00:24:05.245 Let's talk about ways to implement the preschool 474 00:24:05.279 --> 00:24:09.616 meal pattern into your operation. 475 00:24:09.650 --> 00:24:12.753 This is a one-page summary of the preschool meal pattern 476 00:24:12.786 --> 00:24:14.755 that we've just discussed in length. 477 00:24:14.788 --> 00:24:18.425 The charts on the left indicate the minimum portion size 478 00:24:18.458 --> 00:24:22.863 of the preschool meal pattern and the K through 5 meal pattern. 479 00:24:22.896 --> 00:24:25.966 The gray box on the right lists some of those 480 00:24:25.999 --> 00:24:28.702 preschool meal pattern-specific requirements, 481 00:24:28.735 --> 00:24:32.806 like sugar limits and stuff like that. 482 00:24:32.840 --> 00:24:35.342 Now, if you serve the portions indicated in the 483 00:24:35.375 --> 00:24:38.178 preschool meal pattern daily minimum column 484 00:24:38.212 --> 00:24:40.914 and follow the pre-K meal pattern specifics 485 00:24:40.948 --> 00:24:42.416 in the gray box, 486 00:24:42.449 --> 00:24:44.384 you will be meeting the preschool 487 00:24:44.418 --> 00:24:47.187 meal pattern requirements. 488 00:24:49.857 --> 00:24:52.526 In contrast, here is an alternate approach 489 00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:55.462 that actually melds the preschool meal pattern 490 00:24:55.495 --> 00:24:58.432 and K through 5 meal pattern together, 491 00:24:58.465 --> 00:25:01.768 by generally serving K through 5 portion sizes, 492 00:25:01.802 --> 00:25:07.040 but still paying attention to those pre-K specific rules. 493 00:25:07.074 --> 00:25:08.809 The reason this approach works 494 00:25:08.842 --> 00:25:11.879 is because you can always serve more, 495 00:25:11.912 --> 00:25:13.947 but you can't serve less. 496 00:25:13.981 --> 00:25:16.083 And as we know, most of the minimum required 497 00:25:16.116 --> 00:25:20.487 portion sizes for K through 5 are greater than the minimum 498 00:25:20.521 --> 00:25:24.057 required portion sizes in the preschool meal pattern. 499 00:25:24.091 --> 00:25:25.492 So if you wanted to, 500 00:25:25.526 --> 00:25:30.397 you could technically provide the same K through 5 portion sizes, 501 00:25:30.430 --> 00:25:33.834 plus keeping in mind the following seven details 502 00:25:33.867 --> 00:25:35.836 for the preschool students, 503 00:25:35.869 --> 00:25:38.172 and that way you'd be meeting the preschool meal pattern, 504 00:25:38.205 --> 00:25:40.073 as required. 505 00:25:40.107 --> 00:25:43.277 So let's discuss these seven details. 506 00:25:43.310 --> 00:25:45.612 The first of the seven details 507 00:25:45.646 --> 00:25:48.882 is to simply put the flavored milk away. 508 00:25:48.916 --> 00:25:50.784 Remember, flavored milk does not credit 509 00:25:50.817 --> 00:25:54.221 for preschool students within this meal pattern. 510 00:25:54.254 --> 00:25:56.557 To make things even more simple, 511 00:25:56.590 --> 00:25:59.826 you could serve the 8-ounce carton of unflavored milk 512 00:25:59.860 --> 00:26:01.995 that you would normally purchase 513 00:26:02.029 --> 00:26:04.231 for your older students. 514 00:26:04.264 --> 00:26:09.336 This way you wouldn't need to purchase a 6-ounce milk carton. 515 00:26:09.369 --> 00:26:11.972 Now, if cartons are not necessarily feasible 516 00:26:12.005 --> 00:26:13.907 for your preschool students, 517 00:26:13.941 --> 00:26:18.645 you could purchase gallons of milk and cups instead. 518 00:26:18.679 --> 00:26:20.614 Just make sure the cups can hold at least 519 00:26:20.647 --> 00:26:23.617 six ounces of milk. 520 00:26:23.650 --> 00:26:27.387 Item number two is to make sure you're serving 521 00:26:27.421 --> 00:26:30.991 at least 1.5 ounce equivalents of meat/meat alternate 522 00:26:31.024 --> 00:26:32.492 to preschool students. 523 00:26:32.526 --> 00:26:35.028 That still is a requirement. 524 00:26:35.062 --> 00:26:37.130 If you planned only 1 ounce equivalent 525 00:26:37.164 --> 00:26:40.167 of meat/meat alternate for your K through 5 students, 526 00:26:40.200 --> 00:26:41.401 you would just need to make up 527 00:26:41.435 --> 00:26:44.404 that additional 1/2 ounce equivalent in some way, 528 00:26:44.438 --> 00:26:48.208 but that might mean you add another slice of cheese 529 00:26:48.242 --> 00:26:52.980 to a sandwich or add a few additional chicken nuggets, 530 00:26:53.013 --> 00:26:55.883 for those pre-K students. 531 00:26:55.916 --> 00:26:59.119 On many days, you might even plan 2 ounce equivalents 532 00:26:59.152 --> 00:27:01.955 of meat/meat alternate for your K through 5 kids, 533 00:27:01.989 --> 00:27:04.958 in which case you wouldn't have to make any changes 534 00:27:04.992 --> 00:27:06.894 to the meat/meat alternate option 535 00:27:06.927 --> 00:27:09.029 when you're serving pre-K students, 536 00:27:09.062 --> 00:27:12.666 because they can have more; they just can't have less. 537 00:27:12.699 --> 00:27:14.468 So in general, you likely don't need 538 00:27:14.501 --> 00:27:16.770 to drastically change your menu 539 00:27:16.803 --> 00:27:19.640 to accommodate the 1.5 ounce equivalent 540 00:27:19.673 --> 00:27:23.544 of meat/meat alternate needed for preschoolers. 541 00:27:23.577 --> 00:27:28.715 Okay, third and fourth, you do need to serve yogurts 542 00:27:28.749 --> 00:27:32.819 and cereals that meet the sugar limits for preschool students. 543 00:27:32.853 --> 00:27:34.655 It's possible your current products 544 00:27:34.688 --> 00:27:36.290 may already meet the sugar limit, 545 00:27:36.323 --> 00:27:40.561 so just make sure to check your current products. 546 00:27:40.594 --> 00:27:43.297 Now, if you currently purchase yogurts and cereals 547 00:27:43.330 --> 00:27:45.532 that are a little bit higher in sugar, 548 00:27:45.566 --> 00:27:47.634 it might be wise to substitute out 549 00:27:47.668 --> 00:27:49.903 some of those higher-sugar items 550 00:27:49.937 --> 00:27:52.506 with some of the lower-sugar items. 551 00:27:52.539 --> 00:27:55.275 Not only might it be more of a nutritious choice, 552 00:27:55.309 --> 00:27:58.045 in general, but also potentially a more 553 00:27:58.078 --> 00:28:01.548 cost-effective way to reduce the number of products 554 00:28:01.582 --> 00:28:02.783 that you need to purchase 555 00:28:02.816 --> 00:28:05.853 and then store in inventory, as well. 556 00:28:05.886 --> 00:28:09.923 Basically, you'll be able to serve those lower-sugar items 557 00:28:09.957 --> 00:28:11.658 to not just your preschoolers, 558 00:28:11.692 --> 00:28:15.629 but also your other, older students, as well. 559 00:28:15.662 --> 00:28:18.432 Okay, number five. 560 00:28:18.465 --> 00:28:20.734 Grain-based desserts don't count 561 00:28:20.767 --> 00:28:23.337 as part of the grain component during breakfast 562 00:28:23.370 --> 00:28:25.973 nor lunch in the preschool meal pattern. 563 00:28:26.006 --> 00:28:29.476 So for example, if you're planning cinnamon rolls 564 00:28:29.510 --> 00:28:31.879 for your older students for breakfast, 565 00:28:31.912 --> 00:28:35.616 just make sure you have some sort of alternate grain item 566 00:28:35.649 --> 00:28:37.518 that will credit as the grain component 567 00:28:37.551 --> 00:28:39.720 for your preschool students. 568 00:28:39.753 --> 00:28:41.755 Or you can substitute a grain item 569 00:28:41.788 --> 00:28:44.892 for a meat/meat alternate item, for preschool, 570 00:28:44.925 --> 00:28:47.828 a few times a week instead. 571 00:28:47.861 --> 00:28:51.031 All right. Number six is pretty simple. 572 00:28:51.064 --> 00:28:54.935 Serve juice just during one meal service during the day, 573 00:28:54.968 --> 00:28:56.837 if you want it to credit as part of the fruit 574 00:28:56.870 --> 00:28:58.672 and vegetable component. 575 00:29:00.807 --> 00:29:04.044 And then lastly, there's not offer versus serve 576 00:29:04.077 --> 00:29:06.079 under the preschool meal pattern. 577 00:29:06.113 --> 00:29:09.116 If you're looking to save some time during meal service, 578 00:29:09.149 --> 00:29:12.619 consider pre-plating all or some of the food items, 579 00:29:12.653 --> 00:29:15.055 or consider family-style meal service 580 00:29:15.088 --> 00:29:20.327 in the cafeteria or classroom for preschool students. 581 00:29:20.360 --> 00:29:22.729 If you can do these seven things 582 00:29:22.763 --> 00:29:25.766 and provide those K through 5 portions, 583 00:29:25.799 --> 00:29:27.668 you'll be meeting the preschool meal pattern 584 00:29:27.701 --> 00:29:31.939 without really having to do that much extra work. 585 00:29:31.972 --> 00:29:33.841 Remember that you're receiving the same amount 586 00:29:33.874 --> 00:29:35.843 of reimbursement for a preschool student 587 00:29:35.876 --> 00:29:38.512 that you are for a K through 5 student, 588 00:29:38.545 --> 00:29:41.215 since you're claiming both of these groups of kids 589 00:29:41.248 --> 00:29:43.016 under the National School Lunch Program 590 00:29:43.050 --> 00:29:45.219 and School Breakfast Program. 591 00:29:45.252 --> 00:29:47.988 You could likely save money on food costs, 592 00:29:48.021 --> 00:29:50.691 if you provide meals that are closer to the minimum 593 00:29:50.724 --> 00:29:53.660 required portion sizes for preschool. 594 00:29:56.897 --> 00:30:01.368 Okay, now, how does all of this fit into your operation? 595 00:30:01.401 --> 00:30:03.270 How might preschool meal service 596 00:30:03.303 --> 00:30:07.474 affect how you plan your menus? 597 00:30:07.508 --> 00:30:09.443 There's two basic scenarios 598 00:30:09.476 --> 00:30:13.046 when you're serving preschool students. 599 00:30:13.080 --> 00:30:14.414 In the first scenario, 600 00:30:14.448 --> 00:30:17.284 preschool is served at the same time 601 00:30:17.317 --> 00:30:21.388 and the same place as other, older students. 602 00:30:21.421 --> 00:30:22.823 In the second scenario, 603 00:30:22.856 --> 00:30:27.761 preschool is served separately from other, older students. 604 00:30:27.794 --> 00:30:31.431 If preschool students are served in the same place 605 00:30:31.465 --> 00:30:34.201 and at the same time as older students, 606 00:30:34.234 --> 00:30:38.172 then this would be considered a commingled meal service. 607 00:30:38.205 --> 00:30:41.408 An example of a commingled meal service could be, 608 00:30:41.441 --> 00:30:43.277 in the morning at breakfast, 609 00:30:43.310 --> 00:30:46.680 preschool students filter into the cafeteria tray line 610 00:30:46.713 --> 00:30:50.117 with older students. 611 00:30:50.150 --> 00:30:53.086 If preschool students are served in a different place 612 00:30:53.120 --> 00:30:57.024 and/or at a different time than older students, 613 00:30:57.057 --> 00:31:00.894 then that would be considered a separate meal service. 614 00:31:00.928 --> 00:31:03.397 I've got two examples of what might be considered 615 00:31:03.430 --> 00:31:05.999 a separate meal service. 616 00:31:06.033 --> 00:31:09.703 In one instance, preschool students could be served 617 00:31:09.736 --> 00:31:13.807 maybe ten minutes prior to all other, older students. 618 00:31:13.841 --> 00:31:15.976 They're served at a completely different time, 619 00:31:16.009 --> 00:31:17.778 so of course this would be considered 620 00:31:17.811 --> 00:31:20.480 a separate meal service. 621 00:31:20.514 --> 00:31:24.852 In a second instance, a school is preparing preschool meals 622 00:31:24.885 --> 00:31:27.354 to be delivered to the childcare center 623 00:31:27.387 --> 00:31:29.122 across the street. 624 00:31:29.156 --> 00:31:30.891 The preschool students would be eating 625 00:31:30.924 --> 00:31:33.393 in a completely different facility 626 00:31:33.427 --> 00:31:35.896 than the other, older students in the school, 627 00:31:35.929 --> 00:31:38.065 so this would also be considered 628 00:31:38.098 --> 00:31:42.135 a separate meal service. 629 00:31:42.169 --> 00:31:46.106 Now, why does commingled or separate really matter? 630 00:31:46.139 --> 00:31:48.709 If preschool students are separate, 631 00:31:48.742 --> 00:31:51.645 then you must plan and serve preschool meals 632 00:31:51.678 --> 00:31:55.482 that meet the preschool meal pattern requirement. 633 00:31:55.516 --> 00:32:00.954 However, if preschoolers are commingled with other students, 634 00:32:00.988 --> 00:32:03.290 then you have the flexibility to plan 635 00:32:03.323 --> 00:32:05.092 and serve meals to preschoolers 636 00:32:05.125 --> 00:32:09.263 that meet either the preschool meal pattern or plan 637 00:32:09.296 --> 00:32:14.735 and serve meals to preschoolers that meet the K through 5 meal pattern. 638 00:32:14.768 --> 00:32:18.839 Now, I did give a few examples of what a commingled 639 00:32:18.872 --> 00:32:21.175 and a separate meal service might look like, 640 00:32:21.208 --> 00:32:23.277 but each school does meal service 641 00:32:23.310 --> 00:32:25.179 just a little bit differently. 642 00:32:25.212 --> 00:32:28.315 So how do you decide if your particular breakfast 643 00:32:28.348 --> 00:32:33.854 or lunch meal service is commingled or separate? 644 00:32:33.887 --> 00:32:36.056 Let's talk about the decision-making process 645 00:32:36.089 --> 00:32:38.559 that you might go through. 646 00:32:38.592 --> 00:32:42.329 So you'd first ask yourself, "Are the pre-K students 647 00:32:42.362 --> 00:32:45.566 served in the same place with older students?" 648 00:32:45.599 --> 00:32:47.501 The key word is "served." 649 00:32:47.534 --> 00:32:49.770 Are they coming through the cafeteria line, 650 00:32:49.803 --> 00:32:52.706 just as the older students are? 651 00:32:54.174 --> 00:32:58.779 If they are not, then pre-K is considered separate, 652 00:32:58.812 --> 00:33:01.548 and you would need to plan the preschool meal pattern 653 00:33:01.582 --> 00:33:03.951 for pre-K students. 654 00:33:03.984 --> 00:33:07.688 But if preschool students are served in the same place, 655 00:33:07.721 --> 00:33:11.758 you'll ask yourself the second question. 656 00:33:11.792 --> 00:33:15.195 Are preschool students served at the same time 657 00:33:15.229 --> 00:33:17.531 as older students? 658 00:33:17.564 --> 00:33:20.901 If they are not, then pre-K is considered separate. 659 00:33:20.934 --> 00:33:24.238 But if they are, then preschool is considered 660 00:33:24.271 --> 00:33:26.073 commingled with older students, 661 00:33:26.106 --> 00:33:29.376 which means you would have the flexibility of choosing 662 00:33:29.409 --> 00:33:33.480 if you want to provide the K through 5 or preschool meal pattern. 663 00:33:33.514 --> 00:33:34.882 Remember, preschool students 664 00:33:34.915 --> 00:33:37.284 need to be served in the same place 665 00:33:37.317 --> 00:33:41.288 and at the same time, in order to consider 666 00:33:41.321 --> 00:33:43.690 the possibility of planning preschool meals 667 00:33:43.724 --> 00:33:48.295 that meet the K through 5 meal pattern. 668 00:33:48.328 --> 00:33:52.232 Many times it takes numerous staff to plan and serve meals. 669 00:33:52.266 --> 00:33:56.236 There could be multiple servers, cooks, managers, 670 00:33:56.270 --> 00:34:00.274 food service directors, et cetera, so I highly encourage 671 00:34:00.307 --> 00:34:03.243 you to talk about this chart with other staff, 672 00:34:03.277 --> 00:34:07.114 to make an informed decision on which meal pattern 673 00:34:07.147 --> 00:34:10.117 is the appropriate choice for your school. 674 00:34:10.150 --> 00:34:13.353 During a school nutrition program administrative review, 675 00:34:13.387 --> 00:34:17.324 you can talk to your reviewer about how preschool is served. 676 00:34:17.357 --> 00:34:19.426 Explain how you came up with your decision 677 00:34:19.459 --> 00:34:21.395 on how you're serving preschool. 678 00:34:21.428 --> 00:34:24.364 You know, are you serving the pre-K meal pattern, 679 00:34:24.398 --> 00:34:26.867 or what factors influenced your decision 680 00:34:26.900 --> 00:34:29.870 to provide the K through 5 meal pattern flexibility, 681 00:34:29.903 --> 00:34:32.139 in a commingled situation? 682 00:34:32.172 --> 00:34:35.475 Ultimately, you determine if the preschool 683 00:34:35.509 --> 00:34:40.180 is commingled or separate. 684 00:34:40.214 --> 00:34:42.850 During this presentation, we covered the basics 685 00:34:42.883 --> 00:34:45.986 and details of the preschool meal pattern 686 00:34:46.019 --> 00:34:48.488 and cooking and serving practices. 687 00:34:48.522 --> 00:34:50.858 We also discussed making judgments 688 00:34:50.891 --> 00:34:53.060 regarding which meal pattern to use 689 00:34:53.093 --> 00:34:54.561 and when that is applicable, 690 00:34:54.595 --> 00:34:57.364 depending on when preschool students are served, 691 00:34:57.397 --> 00:35:00.000 compared to other grades. 692 00:35:00.033 --> 00:35:01.602 You can find most of the basic 693 00:35:01.635 --> 00:35:04.137 meal pattern-specific information 694 00:35:04.171 --> 00:35:06.540 on the School Nutrition Program page 695 00:35:06.573 --> 00:35:09.309 of the Minnesota Department of Education website, 696 00:35:09.343 --> 00:35:11.645 shown in the picture on the right. 697 00:35:11.678 --> 00:35:14.181 Many additional resources I referenced 698 00:35:14.214 --> 00:35:16.717 during this training can be found on the Child 699 00:35:16.750 --> 00:35:18.919 and Adult Care Food Program page 700 00:35:18.952 --> 00:35:22.055 of the Minnesota Department of Education website. 701 00:35:22.089 --> 00:35:25.492 That path is indicated in the gray box. 702 00:35:27.427 --> 00:35:29.429 Thank you very much for attending the preschool 703 00:35:29.463 --> 00:35:31.331 meal pattern webinar. 704 00:35:31.365 --> 00:35:33.467 If you have questions, feel free to contact 705 00:35:33.500 --> 00:35:35.469 the Minnesota Department of Education Food 706 00:35:35.502 --> 00:35:38.472 and Nutrition office at the contact information 707 00:35:38.505 --> 00:35:40.474 indicated on the slide. 708 00:35:40.507 --> 00:35:42.009 Thank you.