USDA Food Buying Guide Calculator Steps

Overview

This web page includes log in information and step-by-step instructions on using the USDA FBG Calculator in the web page:

• FBG Interactive Web-Based Tool 
• FBG Mobile App

For additional guidance, access the USDA Navigating the Calculator webinar (available in Spanish by selecting the "Languages" button in the top right menu) and the Institution of Child Nutrition (ICN) online course, Module 5: FBG Calculator Tool.

Login Information

• A USDA eAuthentication or Login.gov account is needed to access some features and save data in the FBG. If you do not have a USDA eAuthentication account or a Login.gov account, go to eAuthentication Create Account and you will be directed to create a Login.gov account. You will immediately receive an email with a link to activate your account with one simple click. Saved data is available in both the web-based tool and mobile app.
   
• Note: CACFP Operators may also choose to access the FBG web-based version or mobile app as a guest; however, they cannot save data or access previously saved data and some FBG tools.

Web-based Food Buying Guide Calculator Steps

Once logged in to the USDA FBG (refer to the Login Information section above):

• Step 1: Select the FBG Calculator tab on the FBG home page.
   
• Step 2: Select Create Shopping List to open the FBG Calculator–Create Shopping List page.
   
• Step 3: Enter a shopping list name (required) and date (optional) in section 1. Then in section 2, select the Program–Meal (optional) and Age Group/Grade Group (optional). Although both pieces of information in section 2 are optional, adding this information will create a table below section 2 with the minimum serving size required for the age group as a helpful reference.
   
• Step 4: Select the tab for the meal component (or select the Other Foods tab if the food does not contribute to the meal pattern). Then type the name of the food in the Item Keywords field (section 3).
   
  • For example, select the Vegetables tab and type broccoli in the Item Keywords field.
     
• Step 5: Select Search to produce a list of all foods in the FBG for the specified component that includes the item keywords entered (in Step 4). This list also includes the Purchase Unit (e.g., pound, #10 can), the Servings per Unit (e.g., how many servings are in each purchase unit), and the Serving Size per Meal Contribution (e.g., ¼ cup raw vegetable spears; ¼ cup cooked, drained vegetable spears).
   
  • For example, there are 16 food items within the Vegetables component of the web-based FBG that include broccoli. These include fresh broccoli (untrimmed and trimmed), broccoli slaw, broccolini, frozen broccoli, mixed frozen vegetables that include broccoli, and other forms of broccoli.
     
  • Within each form of food, there are often different preparation and serving techniques. For example, fresh broccoli has the options of prepared and served raw, cooked and drained, and cut, cooked, and drained.    
     
• Step 6: Scroll through the list of results and locate the form in which the food is being purchased and the planned preparation of food. 
   
  • For example, a CACFP Operator wants to purchase fresh (raw) untrimmed broccoli and serve raw vegetable spears. They locate an entry that lists a purchase unit of a pound of Broccoli, fresh, untrimmed with a yield of 9.8 ¼-cup servings of raw vegetable spears per pound.
     
• Step 7: Select Add to the left of form in which the food is being purchased and the planned preparation of the food. A table will open below on the screen with the name of the food added.

• Step 8: CACFP Operators who have the form of food on hand and plan to offset the amount they need to purchase with the quantity in their inventory, should enter the quantity on hand in the Number of Purchase Units on Hand column of the table (section 5). If the CACFP Operator does not have the form of food on hand, they should leave this column blank.
   
  • For example, if the CACFP Operator has 1 pound of fresh, untrimmed broccoli in the refrigerator, they should enter 1 in the Number of Purchase Units on Hand column. It is important that the amount entered is in the same unit as the unit listed in the Purchase Unit column of this table. For example, if the Purchase Unit column lists the purchase unit in pounds and the CACFP Operator weighs the amount of purchase units on hands in ounces, they must first convert this amount to pounds. Note: There are 16 ounces in 1 pound.
        
• Step 9: Select Add Serving Size in the Action column of the table (section 6). A table will open below with two columns: Serving Size and Number of Servings.
   
• Step 10: Select the Serving Size drop-down list (section 7), choose the serving size for the age or grade group being served.
   
  • For example, select ¼ cup for ages 3–5, since this is the serving size for vegetables at lunch for this age group. Note: The serving size is shown above on the page below section 2 for reference if this optional data (Program–Meal and Age Group/Grade Group) was entered.
     
• Step 11: Enter the number of participants that you expect to serve for that meal in the Number of Servings column (section 8).
   
  • For example, enter 50 to provide 50 ¼-cup servings of broccoli for that meal.
     
• Step 12: Reference the Buy Purchase Units column (section 9) in the table, which will auto-populate after the Serving Size (section 7) and Number of Servings (section 8) fields are entered. The number in the Buy Purchase Units column is the quantity of the food item to purchase.
   
  • For example, to provide 50 ¼-cup servings of broccoli, the Buy Purchase Units (section 9) will also automatically populate in the table. This number is ;rounded up from the Exact Quantity amount to the nearest whole unit (e.g., 3.5 #10 cans would round up to 4 #10 cans) or nearest 0.25 pound (e.g., 5.1021 pounds; rounds up to 5.25 pounds).
     
  • Note: If the CACFP Operator entered a number of purchase units on hand, this amount is subtracted from the Exact Quantity and Buy Purchase Units columns.

• Step 13: CACFP Operators who serve multiple age or grade groups should select Add Serving Size in the Action column (section 6) of the table and follow Steps 10 and 11 listed above to add additional serving sizes and number of servings.
   
• Step 14: Select Save to save the amount of the food item needed to purchase for that meal. The food item and the quantity to purchase will be added in the Shopping List tab, adjacent to the tabs for the components (below section 2). If Save is not selected, the food item and quantity to purchase will not be added in the Shopping List tab.
   
• Step 15: CACFP Operators who want to add additional foods and quantities to purchase to the Shopping List tab should repeat Steps 4 through 14.
   
• Step 16: Select Back to List once all food items and quantities have been saved and are added in the Shopping List tab. The FBG Calculator–My Shopping Lists page will open, and the name given to the shopping list in Step 3 will be listed in the Shopping List Name column of the table in this screen.
   
• Step 17: The CACFP Operator can select several options for the shopping list in the Actions column in the FBG Calculator–My Shopping List table.
   
  • Edit: When selected, the FBG Calculator–Edit Shopping List page opens so the CACFP Operator can enter more food items and quantities.
     
  • Copy: When selected, a copy of the shopping list is added at the bottom of the table.
     
  • Delete: When selected, a dialog box opens to confirm that the CACFP Operator wants to delete the shopping list. Select Ok to delete the shopping list or select Cancel to return to the FBG Calculator–My Shopping Lists page.
     
  • PDF: When selected, a printable PDF opens.
     
  • Export: When selected, the shopping list is converted to an Excel file.
     
  • Email: When selected, a dialog box opens, where the CACFP Operator can enter an email address. Enter an email address and select Send to email an attached PDF of the shopping list.

Once the CACFP Operator has added all items to the shopping list and performed desired actions in the FBG Calculator–My Shopping List table, they can close the FBG web page.

Mobile App Food Buying Guide Calculator Steps

Once the USDA FBG Mobile App (currently available on the iOS and Android platforms) is downloaded to the device (e.g., phone, tablet) and the CACFP Operator is logged in (refer to the Login Information section above):

• Step 1: Select More on the FBG home page.
   
• Step 2: Select FBG Calculator from the list of options.
   
• Step 3: Select Create Shopping List from the FBG Calculator–My Shopping Lists screen. A Create Shopping List dialog box opens.
   
• Step 4: Enter the name of the shopping list (e.g., Cycle 1, Week 1) in the Create Shopping List dialog box and select Create. An FBG Calculator–Edit Shopping List screen will open.
   
• Step 5: Select Add Food Item in the FBG Calculator–Edit Shopping List screen. An FBG Calculator–Shopping List Add Food Items screen opens.
   
• Step 6: Complete the following in the FBG Calculator–Shopping List Add Food Items screen:
   
  • Type the name of the food in the Search Keyword field.
     
  • Select the CACFP from the Program drop-down list(optional).
     
  • Select the meal component for the food from the Select Meal Component drop-down list (optional).
     
  • Select the food category from the Select Food Category drop-down list (optional). 
      
  • For example:
     
    • Search Keyword field: Broccoli
    • Program: CACFP–Lunch and Supper
    • Meal Component: Vegetables
    • Food Category: Dark Green Vegetables
       
• Step 7: Select Search to produce a list of all foods in the FBG for the specified component that includes the item keywords (and other parameters) entered.
   
  • For example, there are 12 food items within the Vegetables component of the web-based FBG that include broccoli as a dark green vegetable in the Vegetables component.  These include various forms of fresh broccoli, frozen broccoli, broccoli slaw, and broccolini. This is a shorter list than the web-based FBG Calculator list produces since the FBG mobile app allows CACFP Operators to refine the food by category and the web-based version does not (e.g., the Dark Green Vegetable category does not include mixed vegetables with broccoli and cauliflower).
     
  • Within each form of food, there are often different preparation and serving techniques. For example, fresh broccoli has the options of untrimmed and trimmed/ready-to-use.
     
• Step 8: Select the plus sign to the left of food entries to find the correct form and planned preparation of the food since within each form of food, there are often different preparation and serving techniques.
   
  • For example, a CACFP Operator wants fresh untrimmed broccoli that they plan to serve cooked. They select the plus sign to the left of the first entry for fresh broccoli and the yield is for raw vegetable spears. Next, they select the plus sign to the left of the second entry for fresh broccoli and the yield is for cooked vegetable spears.
     
• Step 9: Select Add next to the correct form and planned preparation of the food.
   
• Step 10: Select Add Serving Size and a Serving Size drop-down list and # of Servings table opens.
   
• Step 11: Select the serving size for the age or grade group being served in the Serving Size drop-down list.
   
  • For example, select ¼ cup for ages 3–5, since this is the serving size for vegetables at lunch for this age group.
     
• Step 12: Enter the number of participants that the CACFP Operator expects to serve for that meal in the # of Servings field. Then select Save.
   
  • For example, enter 50 to provide 50 ¼-cup servings of broccoli for that meal.
     
• Step 13: CACFP Operators who have the form of food on hand and plan to offset the amount they need to purchase with the quantity in their inventory, should enter the quantity on hand in the # of Purchase Units on Hand section above the Add Serving Size button. If the CACFP Operator does not have the form of food on hand, they should leave this section blank.
   
  • For example, if the CACFP Operator has 1 pound of broccoli in the refrigerator, they should enter 1 in the # of Purchase Units on Hand dialog box. It is important that the amount entered is in the same unit as the unit listed in the Purchase Unit field in this screen. For example, if the Purchase Unit lists Pounds and the CACFP Operator weighs the amount of purchase units on hand in ounces, they must first convert this amount to pounds.

• Step 14: Reference the Buy Purchase Units in the section above the Add Serving Size button to determine the amount of food to purchase. This number is rounded up from the Exact Quantity amount to the nearest whole unit (e.g., 3.5 #10 cans would round up to 4 #10 cans) or nearest 0.25 pound (e.g., 31.9149 units rounds up to 32 purchase units [pounds]).
   
  • For example, to provide 50 ¼-cup servings of raw broccoli, the Buy Purchase Units will automatically populate in the table to 5.25 pounds. This number is rounded up from the Exact Quantity amount of 5.1021 pounds.
     
• Step 15: CACFP Operators who serve multiple age or grade groups should select Add Serving Size and follow Steps 11 and 12 to add additional serving sizes and number of servings.

• Step 16: Select Save to save the amount of the food item needed to purchase for that meal. Select Ok in the dialog box that opens.
   
• Step 17: To add additional foods and quantities to purchase, select the back arrow at the top of the screen to return to the FBG Calculator–Edit Shopping List screen and repeat steps 5 through 16.
   
• Step 18: Once the CACFP Operator has entered all food items and quantities to the shopping list, select the back arrow at the top of the FBG Calculator screen to return to the FBG Calculator–Edit Shopping List screen.
   
• Step 19: The CACFP Operator can select several options for the shopping list at the bottom of the FBG Calculator–Edit Shopping List screen:
   
  • View List: When selected, the FBG Calculator–View Shopping List screen opens, where the foods and quantities are listed. The CACFP Operator can select Share List at the bottom of the screen to access features available on their phone, such as texting, emailing, or printing a PDF of the shopping list.
     
  • Rename List: When selected, a Rename Shopping List dialog box opens, where the CACFP Operator can rename the shopping list.
     
  • Delete List: When selected, a dialog box opens confirming that the CACFP Operator wants to delete the shopping list. Select Delete to delete the shopping list or select Cancel to return to the FBG Calculator–Edit Shopping List screen.

Once the CACFP Operator has added all items to the shopping list and selected the desired options in the FBG Calculator–Edit Shopping List screen, they can close the FBG mobile app.

Questions:  CACFP Nutrition Team | CACFPmealpatterns@dss.ca.gov

 

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Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.