Meal Pattern Analysis (Menu Cycles)

The Meal Pattern Analysis analyzes meal component contributions offered in your menu cycle and compares them with Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) 5-day week meal pattern requirements. Click here for a video demonstration of how to read this analysis .

IMPORTANT : This report does not include analyses for Saturday or Sunday menus.

Component Analyses
The first part of the analysis lists each meal component type along with a breakdown of the amounts offered for each day of the week.

Fruit Analysis
The meal component offerings are checked against the minimum weekly requirements. If a week's meal component contributions meet or exceed HHFKA requirements, the Requirement Check box for that meal component will be green and read Yes. If a week's meal component contributions do not meet HHFKA requirements, the Requirement Check box will be red and read No. In addition, the analysis will check that the substitution of fruit for juice does not exceed its limit.

Vegetable Analysis
The meal component offerings are checked against the minimum weekly requirements. If a week's meal component contributions meet or exceed HHFKA requirements, the Requirement Check box for that meal component will be green and read Yes. If a week's meal component contributions do not meet HHFKA requirements, the Requirement Check box will be red and read No . In addition, the analysis will have a more detailed breakdown of the types of vegetables used in the reimbursable meals and check that all of the different vegetable subgroups are offered. The vegetable table only shows the largest amount of any subgroup offered each day. For example, if two meals are offered and one has 1 cup of legumes and the other 1/2 cup, only the 1 cup offering will be shown.

Note : No vegetable requirement exists for breakfast meal cycles. Vegetables can be used to help fulfill fruit requirements.

Meat/Meat Alternate Analysis
The meal component offerings are checked against the minimum and maximum weekly requirements. If a week's meal component contributions meet HHFKA requirements, the Requirement Check box for that meal component will be green and read Yes. If a week's meal component contributions do not meet HHFKA requirements, the Requirement Check box will be red and read No.

Note : No meat requirement exists for breakfast meal cycles. Meat can be used to help fulfill grain requirements.

Grain Analysis
The meal component offerings are checked against the minimum and maximum weekly requirements. If a week's meal component contributions meet HHFKA requirements, the Requirement Check box for that meal component will be green and read Yes. If a week's meal component contributions do not meet HHFKA requirements, the Requirement Check box will be red and read No. In addition, the analysis will check that the number of grain-based desserts does not exceed its limit, as well as check that the grains being offered are whole grain rich.

Milk Analysis
The meal component offerings are checked against the minimum weekly requirements. If a week's meal component contributions meet or exceed HHFKA requirements, the Requirement Check box for that meal component will be green and read Yes. If a week's meal component contributions do not meet HHFKA requirements, the Requirement Check box will be red and read No. In addition, the analysis will check that a variety of milk types are offered, as well as make sure that low-fat flavored, 2%, and whole fat milk types are not offered.

Reimbursable Meals
The second part of the report lists all the reimbursable meals used for each day of the week in the cycle. Each meal will also have a list of all items used to make up the meal. In addition, all of the contributions associated with each item will be listed in this section, separated by item.
Click Print to print a copy of this analysis. Click Close or the red X to close the analysis window.

Substitutions
Breakfast meals do not have a requirement for meat and vegetable component contributions. Instead, meat can be used to fulfill grain requirements, and vegetables can be used to fulfill fruit requirements.

All meals are evaluated for Total Fruit, Total Non-Starchy Vegetable Total, and Total Starchy Vegetable Total. If the Weekly Minimum Non-Starchy Vegetable Requirement has been met, the Weekly Fruit Total = Weekly Fruit Total + Substitutable Vegetable Contribution. If you do not have enough Non-Starchy vegetables, the Weekly Fruit Total = Weekly Fruit Total + Substitutable Non-Starchy Vegetable Contribution.

Similarly, if the Minimum Daily Grain Requirement has been met, Grain Total = Grain Total + Substitutable Meat contribution. For each day, the maximum grain after substitution, as well as whole grain rich percentage, are recalculated to include the meat substitutes.

Note : For breakfast analyses, if your grain requirement is being met with meat substitutions, or if your fruit requirement is being met with vegetable substitutions, an asterisk ( * ) will appear next to the component amount.