Fall brings some of the best produce of the year — and most of it is CACFP-creditable. Apples, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin, pears, carrots, and beets are all in season, affordable, and easy to work into your existing menus.
Whether you’re planning breakfast, lunch, supper, or snack, here’s how to bring fall flavors into your CACFP program.
🍂 What’s In Season This Fall
Before you start planning, here’s a quick look at fall produce that’s creditable in the CACFP, organized by USDA vegetable subgroup:
Pumpkin, raisins, and warm spices baked into soft squares. Each piece provides 1 oz eq grains. Must meet whole grain-rich criteria — not a grain-based dessert.
Ground turkey with sweet potatoes, black beans, and diced tomatoes over brown rice. Beans credit as vegetable (not meat alt) since turkey is the meat component.
Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and root vegetables roasted with garlic and olive oil. ½ cup provides ½ cup vegetable. Pair with a grain and meat component to complete the meal.
A roasted vegetable and fruit medley inspired by autumn farmers markets — brilliantly colored and full of fall flavor. Pair with a grain and meat component to complete the meal.
Pumpkin seeds, green chilies, cilantro, and quinoa for a different take on fall pumpkin flavors. Note: nuts and seeds can only meet up to half the meat/meat alternate requirement — check the NCA recipe for full crediting details.
Sauté sliced apples with a dash of cinnamon — no added sugar needed. Cooked fruit is creditable. Serve with whole grain toast strips for dipping.
FruitGrain
Please note: Recipes may require adjustments to meet CACFP requirements. Always verify products, serving sizes, and crediting with the CACFP Crediting Handbook and the Food Buying Guide before serving.
🔄 Simple Fall Swaps
You don’t need to overhaul your entire menu. Try swapping a few summer items for fall alternatives:
Out (Summer)
In (Fall)
Component
Fresh watermelon
Sliced apples or pears
Fruit
Fresh strawberries
Unsweetened applesauce
Fruit
Fresh blueberries
Warm cinnamon apples
Fruit
Zucchini
Butternut squash
Vegetable (Red/Orange)
Cucumber
Roasted sweet potato
Vegetable (Red/Orange)
Cold fruit salad
Baked pear halves
Fruit
All swaps maintain the same CACFP component category — fruit for fruit, vegetable for vegetable — so your meal pattern stays compliant. No paperwork changes needed. Note: Some vegetable swaps shift the subgroup (e.g., cucumber is “Other” while sweet potato is “Red/Orange”). This is actually a good thing — it helps you work more red/orange vegetables into your weekly rotation.
🥘 More Fall Recipes: Where to Find Them
Rather than guessing at crediting, use these trusted sources that provide standardized recipes with crediting information already calculated:
