to assess nutrient content in relation to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for older adults (HHS/AoA, 2006).

Meal Requirement Recommendation 3: USDA should give CACFP providers the option of serving one enhanced snack in the afternoon in place of a smaller snack in both the morning and the afternoon (shown in Table 7-6). The enhanced snack option would be particularly appropriate for at-risk children in afterschool programs and for older adults because their access to nutritious foods may be limited at home. The enhanced snack would have the same requirements as two of the smaller snacks. Providers would specify in advance which snack option they were choosing and would serve the same type of snack to all participants in their care. The current CACFP monitoring and reimbursement structure would need to be modified to allow for this new option.

The meal and snack patterns developed by the committee are essential parts of the recommended Meal Requirements. The tables that are presented below show, by eating occasion and age group, the types and amounts of food components that are to be offered. Footnotes in the tables refer the reader to the proposed food specifications. Those specifications are key elements of the Meal Requirements and appear later in this chapter.

The recommended meal and snack patterns for infants, shown in Table 7-1, increase the consistency of CACFP infant meals with recommendations made by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (see Table 3-1 in Chapter 3) and also with the Institute of Medicine’s recommended revisions for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food packages for infants (IOM, 2006).

For children and adults, the recommended weekly meal and snack patterns covered below align CACFP meals and snacks with dietary guidance. For 1-year-old children, the patterns are aligned with recommendations from the AAP and the DRIs. For those ages 2 years and older, the patterns are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines and the DRIs. For all the age