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Regulations for the Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) require that each reimbursable meal contain fruits. Fruits may be served as one of the two required meal components of a reimbursable snack for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) afterschool snack service (NSLP afterschool snacks), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The meal pattern requirements are described in the charts located in the Resource Center.

Specific requirements:

Fruits that are fresh, frozen, dried, canned (packed in water, full-strength juice, or light syrup) and full-strength fruit juice may contribute toward the fruits requirement.

• Any liquid or frozen product labeled “juice,” “full-strength juice,” “single-strength juice,” “100% juice,” or “reconstituted juice” is considered full strength juice. To be used in meeting the fruits requirement, the product must be 100% full-strength fruit juice or a juice blend with a mixture of fruits and vegetables where fruit contributes the greatest volume.
  
  
  • In school meal programs, no more than half of the total weekly fruits requirements may be met with full-strength juice.
  • In the CACFP, full-strength juice may be used to meet the fruits or vegetables component no more than once per day.
  
  
• Juice products that are less than full strength or that contain concentrates that are not fully reconstituted may not be served as part of a reimbursable meal or snack.
  
  
  • Full-strength juice may be used as one component of a reimbursable snack when the other component is not fluid milk.
  
  
• Juice cannot be credited when used as an ingredient in another food or beverage product except for smoothies. Pureed fruit credits as juice.
  
  
• Snack-type fruit products do not contribute toward meal pattern requirements. Please refer to the section titled “Products That Do Not Meet Requirements” for more information.
  
  
  • The minimum creditable serving size for fruits is ⅛ cup. The importance of adequate and recognizable amounts of fruits must be considered in menu planning in order to ensure a well-balanced meal, to illustrate healthy choices from the MyPlate food guidance system and to meet the meal pattern requirements.
  
  
• In school meal programs and the CACFP, whole dried fruit and whole dried fruit pieces credit at twice the volume served.
  
  
  • For example, if you have ⅛ cup of dried cranberries, it credits as ¼ cup fruit. Please note that ⅛ cup of any fruit (frozen, fresh, or dried) is the minimum creditable amount; 1⁄16 cup of dried fruit does not credit as ⅛ cup of fruit because the serving size of 1⁄16 cup is less than the minimum required amount of ⅛ cup.
  
  
• In the SFSP, whole dried fruit and whole dried fruit pieces credit as the volume served. For school meal programs and the CACFP, menu items that are mixtures of fruits and vegetables, for example, carrot-raisin salad, must be credited separately for the fruits and the vegetables components. To credit towards the fruits component, a serving of the salad must contain at least ⅛ cup fruit.
  
  
• In the CACFP, vegetables and fruits are one combined component at breakfast meals. CACFP operators may serve vegetables, fruits, or a combination of both at breakfast.

To help meet nutritional standards and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the fruits requirements are based on the following recommendations:

• Include a variety of fruits each week;
  
  
  • Fruits are sources of many essential nutrients such as potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate. Serve a variety of fruit choices, as each fruit differs in nutrient content.
    
    
  • At least half of the recommended amount of fruits should come from whole fruits.
    
    
  • Fruit juice is lower than whole fruit in dietary fiber and when consumed in excess can contribute extra calories.
    
    
  • Select fruits with more potassium often, such as bananas, prunes and prune juice, dried peaches and apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew, melon, and orange juice.
    
    
  • When choosing canned fruits, select fruit canned in 100% fruit juice or water rather than heavy syrup.
    
    
  • Keep sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars low when preparing fruit dishes.
    
    
  • Incorporate seasonal and locally produced foods into meals.
    
    
  • In the CACFP and NSLP afterschool snacks, make at least one of the two required components of snack a vegetable or fruit.
    
    

Please refer to the appropriate program regulatory guidance for program-specific information related to the fruits requirement.

A serving of canned fruit (as described in “Serving Size per Meal Contribution” column) may include the juice or liquid syrup in which the fruit is packed. Serving information is also provided for drained fruit. A serving of cooked fruit includes the fruit and juice or liquid. A serving of thawed frozen fruit consists of fruit plus the juice or liquid that accumulated during thawing unless otherwise noted in “Serving Size per Meal Contribution” column.

Fruit juice concentrates are allowed to be credited when fully reconstituted. The actual amount of fruit concentrate, before reconstituting, is used to determine the creditable amount.

See the following example:

Multiply the number of 32 fl oz cans of concentrate in the recipe by the number of creditable tablespoons of concentrate (1 Tbsp concentrate credits as ¼ cup fruit juice when fully reconstituted) provided by one 32 fl oz can of concentrate.

EXAMPLE: Two 32 fl oz cans of frozen orange juice concentrate are reconstituted with water to make 100% orange juice. The yield data states that one 32 fl oz can of frozen orange juice concentrate provides 64 tablespoons of concentrate. Thus, 2 x 64 = 128. Therefore, 128 creditable ¼ cup servings of fruit juice are provided by the reconstituted frozen orange juice concentrate.

• Juice concentrates that are not fully reconstituted do not credit and may not be served as part of a reimbursable meal. In schools, up to half of the weekly fruits requirement may be served as 100% juice. In the CACFP, pasteurized full-strength juice may only be served at one meal, including snack, per day.

Please note that 1 Tbsp concentrate + 3 Tbsp water = 4 Tbsp full-strength reconstituted juice or ¼ cup credit.

Yield figures for fruits are for on-site preparation. They do not allow for losses that may occur in prepared products (both pre-portioned and bulk) during freezing, storage, heating, and serving. Other factors may affect your yields: quality and condition of the food, storage conditions and handling, equipment used in preparation, cooking and holding times, serving utensils, and portion control.

Yields of fruits vary according to the form of the food when it is purchased (before preparations). For example:

• Dehydrated fruits yield more servings per pound than fresh, frozen, or canned because they gain weight and volume as they absorb water during soaking and cooking. Some dehydrated products, particularly fruits, continue to expand while cooling.
  
  
• The weight of canned fruits varies due to different densities of the food. A No. 10 can yields an average of 12 to 13⅔ cups and 96 oz (6 lb) to 117 oz (7 lb 5 oz).
  

• Count - The number of whole fruits contained or packed in a specific container. The higher the count the smaller the size of each fruit.
  
  
• Pared - When the outer covering (skin or peel) of a fruit has been removed.
  
  
• Size - The number of pieces of whole fruits in 10 pounds of product.
  
  
• Tempered - Frozen fruit brought to room temperature; thawed but not heated.
  
  
• Unpared - When the outer covering (skin or peel) of a fruit has not been removed.

The following products do not contribute to the fruit component and may not be credited toward meeting the fruit requirement in any meal served under CNP:

• Snack-type foods made from fruits, such as fried banana chips
  
  
• Pickle relish, jam, or jelly; or
  
  
• Home canned products (for food safety reasons).
  

Fruit entries—fresh, canned, frozen, and dehydrated—are listed alphabetically. Data for canned and frozen juices are also included in this section.

Fruit information includes:

• Yield information on common institutional packs, smaller packs, and 1-pound units of many fresh, canned, and frozen fruits.
  
  
• Data on unsweetened canned and frozen fruits or those packed in juice, light syrup, or water.
  
  
• Net weight of contents of the can (including liquid) under the can size in “Purchase Unit” column, except where noted.
  
  
• Minimum weight and volume of drained fruits in “Additional Information” column.
  
  
• Yields in terms of ¼ cup servings, unless noted.
  
  
• Contribution to the meal patterns.
  
  
• Yield information on juice concentrates, if reconstituted to full strength.
  
  
• Yield information for all fruits are based on volume not weight. This includes pureed, dried or dehydrated fruits.
  

The data on fruits in the following tables include yield information on common types and customary serving sizes of products that you can buy on the market as well as some USDA Foods products.

The columns are as follows:

• Column 1: Food As Purchased, AP
  The individual foods are arranged in alphabetical order.
  
  

• Column 2: Purchase Unit
  The purchase unit is specified, for example, 1 can (generally No. 10, No. 2½, or No. 300), 1 pound, or 1 package. You can use data for one purchase unit to determine how much product you need for a specific number of servings.

  
  

• Column 3: Servings per Purchase Unit, EP (Edible Portion)
  This column shows the number of servings of a given size (found in “Serving Size per Meal Contribution” column) from each purchase unit (found in “Purchase Unit” column). Numbers in this column have sometimes been rounded down in order to help ensure enough food for the number of servings.

  
  

• Column 4: Serving Size per Meal Contribution
  The size of a serving is given as a measure and/or weight or number of pieces. In most cases the serving size and contribution to the meal pattern are the same. When they differ, the contribution is stated along with the serving size.

  
  

• Column 5: Purchase Units for 100 Servings
  This column shows the number of purchase units (found in “Purchase Unit” column) you need for 100 servings. Numbers in this column are generally rounded up in order to help ensure enough food is purchased for the number of servings.

  
  

• Column 6: Additional Information
  This column gives other information to help you calculate the amount of food you need to prepare meals. This information is not available for every food item.