Create Food Rules

Create food rules that dictate how often a food is served or what foods can be served together. These are referred to as food frequency and food combination rules. Watch the video below, or click a link to jump to a specific rule type.

Adding Food Frequency Rules

1. From the menu to the left, click Foods.
2. Click Food Rules. The Rules page opens.
3. Click New Rule and choose from the following:
   • Limit Foods/Day
   • Limit Foods/Week
   • Limit Foods/Month
4. The Food Frequency Details page opens. In the Display section:
   1. Click the Name box and enter a name for this rule. This box is required.
   2. Enter a description, Spanish name, and Spanish description, if needed.
5. In the Apply To section, select the age group and meals to which the rule applies:
   1. Click Infants or Non-Infants.
   2. Click Meal or Child.
   3. Click  next to each meal to which this rule applies.
   4. Click the Serving Limit box and enter the number of servings of this food allowed for the time period you selected in Step 5.
6. In the Action section, select Warn or Disallow.
   
7. In the Options section, click  next to each setting that applies:
   • Include Foods Served at Meals that were Disallowed for Other Reasons
   • Include Foods Served at Snacks Where There were Already 2 Other Valid Foods at Snack
8. Click Next. The Select Food Restriction page opens.
9. Select a food type, category, or food to restrict.
   • To restrict a food type:
     1. Click Food Type.
     2. Select the type.
   • To restrict a food category:
     1. Click Category.
     2. Click the category in the first box and drag and drop it into the Selected Items for Rule box. You can click the Type to Search box and enter a category name to filter the categories that display.
   • To restrict a specific food:
     1. Click Select Foods.
     2. Click the food in the first box and drag and drop it into the Selected Items for Rule box. You can click the Type to Search box and enter a food name to filter the foods that display.
10. Click Save.
    

Adding Food Combination Rules

1. From the menu to the left, click Foods.
2. Click Food Rules. The Rules page opens.
3. Click New Rule and choose from the following:
   • Any 2 Foods
   • All Foods
4. The Food Combination Details page opens. In the Display section:
   1. Click the Name box and enter a name for this rule. This box is required.
   2. Enter a description, Spanish name, and Spanish description, if needed.
5. In the Apply To section, select the meals to which the rule applies.
6. In the Action section, select Warn or Disallow.
   
7. In the Options section, click  next to Print Description on Provider Error Letters to include this warning/disallowance on Provider Error Letters.
8. Click Next. The Select Food Restriction page opens.
9. Select a food type, category, or food to restrict.
   • To restrict a food type:
     1. Click Food Type.
     2. Select the type.
   • To restrict a food category:
     1. Click Category.
     2. Click the category in the first box and drag and drop it into the Selected Items for Rule box. You can click the Type to Search box and enter a category name to filter the categories that display.
   • To restrict a specific food:
     1. Click Select Foods.
     2. Click the food in the first box and drag and drop it into the Selected Items for Rule box. You can click the Type to Search box and enter a food name to filter the foods that display.
10. Click Save.