UNIT 7 - MENU PLANNING

Introduction

MEAL PLANNING involves planning a balanced meal which is colorful, attractive, appetizing, and palatable and within the economic means of the individuals concerned. A balanced diet is one which provides all the nutrients in the amount and proportion required according to one’s age, gender and activity.
Meal planning involves decision making regarding what to eat and how much to eat each day at each meal.
The meals planned should not only ensure that nutrients are adequately met but also be flexible enough to take advantage of easy availability and lower prices if seasonal foods and meet the needs and choices of family members.
As the health of an individual or a family depends on how well they are fed within the given resources, effective meal planning is a great challenge to every meal manager.

AIMS

• To meet the nutritional needs of an individual who will be consuming the food.
• Plan meals within the food cost.
• Simplify purchase, preparation and storage of meals.
• Provide attractive, appetizing meals.
• Save time and money.

Importance of meal planning

• Customer satisfaction
• Facilitating costing
• Facilitating pricing
• Reference by customer and management
• Guide production
• Facilitate evaluation and improvements
• Facilitate ordering
• Plan storage
• Guides the catering staff on how to  prepare dishes
• Help the catering staff to prepare in terms  of attitudes, skills ordering etc.
• Some menu requires special preparation  like decorations and equipment therefore  menu will help in availing the necessary.

Principles:

1. Budget
2. Nutrition
3. Time
4. Meal Appeal

BUDGET

It is necessary that one must plan meals and buy food wisely so as to achieve maximum nutrition from the money spent. For eg. As a source of protein pulses as compared to animal foods are relatively cheaper.

NUTRITION

Your health and well being is dependent on eating nutritious food.
TRY TO INCORPORATE EACH PART OF MYPLATE INTO ALL YOUR MEALS!
Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

TIME

HAVING LITTLE TIME DOES NOT MEAN YOUR MEALS NEED TO BE “FAST FOOD”.
PLAN AHEAD OR USE CONVENIENCE FOODS.
PRECUT FRUIT/VEGETABLES
SALAD MIXES
MICROWAVES, CROCKPOTS, DISHWASHERS AND FOOD PROCESSORS CAN BE TIME SAVING TOOLS!
MAKE MEALS AHEAD OF TIME
CROCKPOT
FREEZER
FAST COOKING METHODS
MICROWAVE
BROILING
ONE DISH MEALS
CASSEROLES

MEAL APPEAL CHARACTERISTICS

• COLOR
• SHAPE
• FLAVOR
• TEXTURE
• TEMPERATURE

Meal Appeal Characteristics
Color- Combine different colors to make a meal interesting and vary the nutrients within the meal!
Shape- Contrasting shapes within a meal make it fun and appealing.
Flavor- Experiment with different flavors in a meal to stimulate the taste buds.
Texture- All meals should include a variety of textures. The texture can vary from soft, crunchy, smooth or chewy.
Temperature- Serving food at various temperatures is another way to add appeal to a meal. A cool side salad with a warm meal is one way to vary the temperature.

Meal Planning based on Food Group System

The first prerequisite of a good meal plan is to meet the nutritional needs of the individual and the family as a whole. No single food can meet all the nutrient requirements. A combination of different foods needs to be included in the diet.
For convenience in meal planning, different foods have been grouped under three food groups based on their function and major nutrient contributions.

1. BODY BUILDING FOODS
2. ENERGY GIVING              
3. PROTECTIVE FOODS

ENERGY GIVING FOODS

This group includes foods rich in carbohydrate like cereals and their products, starchy roots and tubers and sugar and those rich in fat like nuts, fats and oils. Therefore the energy in our diet is mainly contributed by this group.
Cereals and nuts in addition to energy, contribute significant amount of proteins, minerals and B group vitamins.
Fats sugars besides being energy dense add palatability to the diet.

BODY BUILDING FOODS

This group includes food which provides proteins that are important for tissue building and maintenance.
Foods of animal origin like milk and its product, eggs, meat, fish, provide proteins of good quality.
Plant protein foods like pulses, legumes nuts and oilseeds have a relatively inferior quality of protein.
The foods of this group in addition to protein also contributes energy, vitamin A, vitamins of B groups and minerals.

PROTECTIVE FOODS

This group includes foods that provide ample amount of vitamins and minerals for protective regulatory function of the body.
All vegetables and fruits (except starchy roots and tubers) and fruits comprise this group.
Amongst vegetables most of the GLV’S are good source of iron, calcium, beta carotene, vitamin C and dietary fibre.
Deep yellow and orange colored fruits and vegetable are particularly rich in beta carotene and citrus fruits in vitamin C.
Hence, selection and inclusion of some foods from each of these food groups in every meal is important to provide all the essential nutrients for various body functions and to make the diet well balanced.

FOOD COST AND ECONOMY

• It is necessary that one must plan meals and buy food wisely so as to achieve maximum nutrition from the money spent. For eg. As a source of protein pulses as compared to animal foods are relatively cheaper.
• For economizing in meal planning, the following characteristics are important:
• Compare the prices of food items to make best buy of money spent.
• As far as possible buy food from fair price shops etc.
• Buy only non-perishable foods in bulk.
• Use seasonal foods as they are not only economical but nutritious also.
• Cook the right amount to minimize wastage.
• Go for economic substitutes within the same food groups. Eg. Choosing cereals and millets instead of bread and pasta.
• Make proper use of leftover. 

ACCEPTABILITY OF MEALS

Acceptability of meals is as important as meeting nutritional needs and keeping the food cost within the budget. To make meals acceptable, following considerations are important during planning,
LIKES AND DISLIKES: while planning meals it is very important to keep in mind likes and dislikes of family /people.
VARIETY: the meals should have variety in color, texture, and flavour for better acceptability. Variety can be achieved by:
Selecting different foods from each food group.
Avoiding repetition of same food from particular food group.
Including a variety of vegetables in meals so as to incorporate colour.
Using different methods of cooking such as baking, boiling, frying etc. to bring about variety in texture.
Using attractive garnishes, toppings and accompaniments such as papad, pickles and relishes.
SATIETY VALUE: the meals planned should provide adequate satiety so as to prevent hunger till it is time to next meal. Sufficient amount of proteins, dietary fibre and fat helps to provide satiety in the meals.
TIME AND CONVINIENCE: selection of dishes should be done according to the availability of time.
FOOD HABITS AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
FOOD AVAILABILITY AND SEASONAL VARIATION: as far as possible seasonal and locally available food should be made use of. Vegetables and fruits in season are not only cheaper but have the highest content and best flavour.

FACTORS AFFECTING MEAL PLANNING

Several factors direct what kind of menu to  make

Nutrition requirements

• Proteins
• Starches
• Vitamins
• Fats
• Mineral salts

Health consideration

• Sickness
• Availability of foodstuffs
• Seasonal foods like Fruits Vegetables

Number of courses

• Appetizer
• Main dish
• Dessert

Sequence of courses

Occasions

• Funerals
• Wedding
• Birthday
• Graduation Ceremony
• National holiday celebration
• Festivals