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Food Purchasing for Child Care Centers

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What are your initial thoughts on purchasing

nutritious foods?

Do you think it costs too much to buy nutritious food?

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Step back and look at the big picture

• What role does meal time have in child care?– Not just “feeding kids”– Providing nutritious foods so children receive

nutrients needed to properly grow (vitamins, minerals, fiber, low-fat protein)

– Teach good life-long eating habits (making good food choices)

– Providing opportunities to try new foods (exposing to foods they may not get at home)

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Step back and look at the big picture

• What role does the CACFP have in child care?– Improve quality of child care– Improve the diets of children by providing

nutritious meals– Help children develop good eating habits and

foster lifelong healthy eating and physical activity habits

– CACFP provides financial supplement to purchase more nutritious foods

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True value of meal timeHealthy, Happy

Children outweigh the “extra” costs

Food Program Budget

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Food budget is still important

• Do not throw budget out window• Purchasing healthier foods may require a

revision to the food program budget • Food purchase choices reflect the value

placed on feeding children well and teaching them about healthy eating

• May need to use more operating budget funds

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Average Cost of CACFP Meal?

• The costs that go into preparing a meal per child (food, supplies, labor, etc.) may be, on average, the free rate of reimbursement*

• Your agency will have to use funds from other program accounts to supplement CACFP reimbursement

• No agency can make a profit off the CACFP

* FY 2013 reimbursement rates

Breakfast $1.51

Lunch $2.77

Snack $0.76

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Do your menus meet nutrition recommendations?

• CACFP meal pattern will be revised to bring CACFP meals and snacks into alignment with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• USDA asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to review and recommend revisions to the CACFP meal pattern

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IOM General Recommendations

• More fruits and more vegetables• A greater variety of vegetables• More whole grain-rich foods, fewer

refined grain foods• Milk choices limited to nonfat and low-fat;

no flavored milk for younger children• Limiting foods high in solid fats and

added sugars

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How do your menus compare?

• Start by assessing your current menus• Let’s complete the Menu Assessment in

your folder to determine if your menus meet the best practices– Menu Assessment is from North Carolina’s

CACFP and Division of Public Health and is a “cheat sheet” to help determine if your menus meet IOM best practice standards

– These are not all current CACFP requirements but practices you may strive for to create a healthier nutrition environment

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Budget Friendly Fruits and Vegetables

• Fresh– Buy in season – taste better and cost less*– Purchase locally grown fresh, whole, raw fruits

and vegetables and/or accept donations of such items• Intact fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries,

whole carrots, radishes, and fresh market tomatoes. Vegetables cut during harvesting, such as lettuce, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower

• Sources: Farms, farmer’s markets, produce auctions, community gardens, school gardens and home gardens

• Get a receipt of some kind or write down all of the items purchased with the amount paid to document as a food cost

* Seasonal Availability of Wisconsin Produce chart http://www.farmfreshsewi.org/pdf/produce_calendar.pdf

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Home Gardens• It is okay to accept foods from home

gardens

• It is NOT okay to accept or provide home canned, distilled, pickled, smoked, etc. products because of health and safety reasons

• NOTE: Any donations made to the center and used in the food program must be recorded/tracked so you have an inventory of foods used for meals

Find Local Sources

• Farmers Market Search http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/

• Wisconsin Farm Fresh Atlas http://www.farmfreshatlas.org/

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Budget Friendly Fruits and Vegetables

• Canned– Fruit in water or its own juice and vegetables in no

or low sodium water is best option– If fruit in syrup or regular sodium vegetables are

less expensive, drain and rinse the fruit/vegetable prior to serving

• Frozen– Choose frozen fruits unsweetened and vegetables

without added sodium or fats (butter sauces, etc.) – Purchase in bulk when on sale, have long storage

times

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Budget Friendly Fruits and Vegetables

• Canned, frozen or cooked dry beans, peas* and legumes are an inexpensive option– Use in a chili, bean salad, hummus, casserole

• Buy whole potatoes rather than frozen French fries and make homemade potato wedges, mashed potatoes or potato salad

• Buy whole fruit/vegetable and cut up yourself– Ex. Head of lettuce instead of lettuce in a bag– Whole carrots instead of bags of baby carrots

* Does not include green peas, green lima beans and green string beans

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More whole grain-rich foods, fewer refined grain foods

• Buy regular rice, oatmeal, and grits instead of the instant and flavored types

• Make homemade items (breads, muffins, cookies, etc.) with whole-wheat flour

• Buy day-old bread or rolls—use them quickly, freeze them, or use them in recipes

Fat-free and low-fat milk; No flavored milk for younger children

• Nonfat and low-fat milk are less expensive than whole and 2%

CACFP Milk RequirementsInfants Breast milk or formula Required

Age 1Whole

(Whole is recommended but any type is ok)

Recommended

Age 2 and up 1% (low-fat) or skim (fat-free) Required

Compare the nutrition in 1 cup of various forms of cow’s milk:

• Fat-free or low-fat milk provides the same nutrients with less total and saturated/solid fat

• Because these milks have less fat, they also have fewer calories• While they are lower in fat and calories, they contain the same amount

of important nutrients like protein, calcium and vitamin D

Milk Nutrition

Flavored Milk

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Limiting foods high in solid fats and added sugars

• Limit meats high in solid fats: – Serve dry beans and peas, eggs, low-fat or

non-fat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese instead of high fat meats and processed meats

– Watch out for convenience/processed products which may be higher in fat and sodium and are often more expensive than preparing homemade versions

– Use low-fat cheese to make homemade pizza, quesadillas, grilled cheese

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Limiting foods high in solid fats and added

sugars• Limit foods with added sugars:

– Unsweetened applesauce– Unsweetened cereals– Canned fruit in water; rinse canned fruit in

juice/syrup– Plain yogurt and add fruit– Make homemade muffins, cookies, breads, etc.

and reduce amount of sugar used; add vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon to intensify sweetness• Use applesauce in place of oil

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Saving Money on Infant Meals

• Home-Prepared Baby Food– Refer to USDA Feeding Infants Guide,

Chapter 12 http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/resources/feeding_infants.pdf

for information on: • Equipment needed• Tips for preparing food (the do’s and

don'ts) • Cooking guidelines• Serving, storing and reheating

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Save Money When Shopping

• Where to Shop– Large “big box” stores, whole sale clubs

generally less expensive– Vendor (Sysco, Dierks, US Foodservice,

etc.)– Smaller grocery stores – best when items

are on sale (shop ad) and/or when you have coupons to double

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Save Money When Shopping

•  What to Buy– Store brand is usually cheaper (look for products on lower

or higher shelves, products at eye level generally cost more)

– Coupons may help you get products at a lower cost than store brand

– Processed convenience foods are generally more expensive than if you purchased the components and made homemade version (because someone else already done the prep work)

– Buy frequently used ingredients in bulk and when on sale• Cycle menus are great for this because you always know

what you will need in the coming weeks so when something you need goes on sale you can buy it knowing it will get used

STRETCHING YOUR FOOD DOLLAR 26

The Grocery Store

Purchase items on your menu• Organize grocery list according to store layout

& group foods. This saves you time, keeps you from forgetting items, and reduces temptation to buy foods not on the list

Stock up on non-perishable food items when on sale• Items you regularly serve to children• The only time you should go off shopping list

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The Grocery StoreCheck unit pricing for cost comparisons

• Similar foods may be packaged in different-size containers making it hard to compare prices

• Divide prices by weight or volume of contents• Many stores now include unit pricing on prices

listed on shelves

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The Grocery StoreDo not purchase convenience foods

• They cost more!!!• You are paying for the packaging and someone

else to do the work. • Make the same foods from scratch – they may

also contain less fat, sugar and salt• Carrots, apples and bananas cost the same as

a large bag of chips or box of cookies

Store brands are less expensive than brand name • Many store brands are made by same

processor as national brands 29

Shopping Tips by Food Group

Meat/Meat Alternate• Eggs are inexpensive and make good

main dishes• Light tuna is one of the least expensive

kinds of canned fish• Buy yogurt in larger containers rather

than single servings• Shredded cheese is more expensive

than buying it in block form and shredding yourself 30

Shopping Tips by Food Group

Fruit and Vegetables• Buy fresh produce in season • Buy frozen when fresh F/V’s are out of

season and cost too much• Buy whole produce and process yourself

• Baby carrots cost $1.13 more for 10 oz than large carrots you cut yourself

• Washed and cut apple slices cost $0.75 more per apple than a whole apple

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Shopping Tips by Food Group

Fruit and Vegetables• Ethylene Gas

• Ripening agent that occurs naturally in nature (natural plant hormone)

• Some fruits and vegetables are major ethylene gas producers while others are very sensitive to ethylene gas and can become damaged quickly

• Store fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene gas separate from fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to make your food last longer 32

apples grapes passion fruit

apricots green onions/scallions

peaches

avocados honeydews/ watermelons

pears

ripening bananas ripe kiwi fruit peppers

blueberries mangoes persimmons

cantaloupe melons pineapple

citrus fruit (not grapefruit)

mushrooms plantains

cranberries nectarines plums/prunes

figs okra quinces

guavas papayas tomatoes

F/V’s that Create Ethylene Gas

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asparagus endive peppers

broccoli escarole potatoes

Brussels sprouts florist greens potted plants

cabbage green beans romaine lettuce

carrots kale spinach

cauliflower kiwi fruit squash

chard leafy greens sweet potatoes

cucumbers lettuce watercress

cut flowers parsley yams

eggplant peas  

F/V’s Damaged by Ethylene Gas

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Shopping Tips by Food Group

Grains• Buy generic/store brand unsweetened

cereals• Skip quick-cooking varieties of rice and

oatmeal, they cost more than regular cook varieties

• Rice mixes cost more than flavoring your own

• Fancy pasta shapes cost more than spaghetti and macaroni 35

Vegetarian Options

• Consider vegetarian dishes to help save money OR substitute beans for half of meat

• Main dishes and snacks can include– Eggs, beans, cheese, yogurt, beans,

nuts and seeds• Nuts/seeds can only meet ½ of total

m/ma serving and must be combined with another m/ma to fulfill the lunch/supper requirement

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Recipes and Home Made ItemsCost less and have less fat, sugar and

sodium

When you make home made items, list all ingredients individually on production record so it is evident what items and in what amounts are being served to children • Example: “Casserole” is not specific

Item Serving Store Bought

Home Made

Fish Sticks 4 – 6-12 y/o $18 $6.68

Muffins 4 – 6-12 y/o $3.32 $0.68

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Shrinkage• 5% of every dollar you spend is lost

from employee theft (employees taking food home – watch access to storage areas and unlocked refrigerators/freezers)

• Throwing out food because of spoilage

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Give-Aways• How much are employees eating?

You are allowed to serve teachers food prepared with CACFP funds, but you are not allowed to claim for these meals

• LeftoversYou cannot make extra food for employees

to take home. This is not an allowable cost under the food program. Save $$ by only preparing amounts necessary to serve the children and program adults that meal/day.

Use leftovers as part of the meal the next day or freeze

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Shopping & Inventory

• Foods budgets– Depends on CACFP reimbursement– Depends on other sources of income

• Type of purchasing may vary– Large Vendor (i.e. Sysco, Reinhart)– Retail– Wholesale– No Control

Shopping & Inventory• Plan one big trip each month for bulk staples

(wholesaler or other big box store)• Make a list of items you do not have on hand but

will need for meal production in the next week• Check store flyers for ads and newspapers for

coupons– Buy 1 – get 1– Double coupon days– Some stores will price match– Stock up on sale items (this works really well for cycle menus

because you know the items you will need in the future)– Store brands– ALWAYS COMPARE UNIT PRICING

• Watch the register at check-out

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