RTE Breakfast Cereal Categories: Flakes, Rounds, Puffed, and Granola

Background

The amount of ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereal that Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Operators must provide to meet the minimum serving size requirements for the grains component depends on whether the RTE breakfast cereal is categorized as flakes, rounds, puffed, or granola.

To be creditable toward the grains component in the CACFP, a RTE breakfast cereal must:

• Contain no more than 6 grams (g) of total sugar per dry ounce (oz) prior to October 1, 2025, and no more than 6 g of added sugar per dry oz effective October 1, 2025.
• Be fortified or have a whole grain, enriched grain, bran, or germ as the first ingredient.
• Tip: Fortified cereals either include the word ‘fortified’ on the product label or the product’s ingredients statement includes the names of the added vitamins and minerals.

For additional information, access the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Determining Creditable Grain Products in the CACFP web page.

RTE Breakfast Cereal Categories

Below is a non-inclusive list of the appropriate category for many common RTE breakfast cereals. For assistance with determining a category for RTE breakfast cereals that is not included in the list below, contact the CDSS CACFP Nutrition Team at CACFPmealpatterns@dss.ca.gov.

Flakes: 1 cup (c) or 1 oz = 1 ounce equivalent (oz eq) grains

• Bran Flakes
• Corn Flakes
• Fiber One
• Great Grains Banana Nut Crunch
• Honey Bunches of Oats
• Life
• Mini Wheats
• Oatmeal Squares
• Shredded Wheat
• Special K
• Total
• Wheaties

Rounds: 1 c or 1 oz = 1 oz eq grains

• Alpha-Bits
• Cheerios
• Crispy Oats
• Toasted Oats

Puffed Cereal: 1¼ c or 1 oz = 1 oz eq grains

• Chex Cereal (Corn, Rice, Wheat)
• Crispix
• Crispy Rice
• Kix
• Rice Krispies

Granola: ¼ c or 1 oz = 1 oz eq grains

• Grape Nuts
• Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Crunch Cereal
• Simply Granola - Oats, Apple, Cranberry & Almonds

Serving Sizes

Below is the serving size (by volume and by weight) for each category of RTE breakfast cereal to provide 1 oz eq and ½ oz eq grains.

• Flakes and rounds
  • By volume:
    • 1 c = 1 oz eq grains
    • ½ c = ½ oz eq grains
  • By weight:
    • 1 oz (28 g) = 1 oz eq grains
    • ½ oz (14 g) = ½ oz eq grains
• Puffed
  • By volume:
    • 1¼ c = 1 oz eq grains
    • ¾ c = ½ oz eq grains
  • By weight:
    • 1 oz = 1 oz eq grains
    • ½ oz = ½ oz eq grains
• Granola
  • By volume:
    • ¼ c = 1 oz eq grains
    • ⅛ c = ½ oz eq grains
  • By weight:
    • 1 oz = 1 oz eq grains
    • ½ oz = ½ oz eq grains

For minimum serving size requirements of all components for each meal and age group, see the Meal Patterns Tables section on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrition Standards for CACFP Meals and Snacks web page.

Resources

• USDA Policy Memorandum 09-2018, Grain Requirements in the CACFP; Questions & Answers
• USDA Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) chart (accessible on the USDA Food Buying Guide for CNPs–Grains web page)
• USDA Choose Breakfast Cereals That Are Lower in Sugar training worksheet
• CDSS Determining Creditable Grain Products in the CACFP web page
• CDSS Determining Whole Grain-rich Products in the CACFP web page

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Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.