Nutrition Facts Labels and the CACFP

In the CACFP, all breakfast cereals, including ready-to-eat, instant, and regular hot cereal, must contain no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce. Total sugars include both natural and added sugar. To determine if cereal is creditable, use the Nutrition Facts label for the cereal and the Sugar Limits in Cereal chart found in the USDA worksheet Choose Breakfast Cereals That Are Lower in Sugar.聽

In the Toasty Oats Cereal example, use the following information from the Nutrition Facts label:聽

Find the Serving size in grams and the Total Sugars amount from the Nutrition Facts label. Use the Total Sugar amount from the column without milk and compare it to the Sugar Limits in Cereal chart. If the cereal has that amount of sugar or less, the cereal meets the sugar limit and is creditable.聽

The Toasty Oats Cereal meets the sugar limit. The 43 gram serving size has 8 grams of Total Sugars, which is less than the 9 grams, as indicated on the chart.聽