Transcript Meal Pattern Menu Planning (At

Meal Pattern Menu Planning
Menu Planning Principles
Basic menu planning principles are a
great starting point to meet both food
preferences and the nutritional needs
of your participants.
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
5 Basic Menu Planning Principles
1.
2.
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4.
5.
Strive for balance
Emphasize variety
Add contrast
Think about color
Consider eye appeal
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
STRIVE FOR BALANCE
Balance Flavors in appealing ways:
– Avoid serving many strong flavored
foods in a meal.
– Serving only mild flavored foods may
make a meal bland and unappealing.
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
STRIVE FOR BALANCE
Examples:
– Spicy Meal: Italian sausage lasagna, garlic
bread, mexicali corn,spinach salad, milk
– Bland Meal: Baked chicken breast, white
rice, mashed potatoes, roll, pears, milk.
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
STRIVE FOR BALANCE
Balance higher fat foods with lower
fat foods:
– Avoid having all high fat entrées during
the same week.
– Balance out higher fat entrées with
lower fat side dishes.
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
STRIVE FOR BALANCE
Example:
– Entrée: Grilled ham and cheese
sandwich
– Sides: Steamed carrots and fresh
strawberries (instead of scalloped
potatoes and peach cobbler)
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
EMPHASIZE VARIETY
Include a wide variety of foods from
day to day:
– Avoid keeping a “scheduled” day for
specific items.
• Lasagna every Monday
• Tacos every Tuesday,etc.
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
EMPHASIZE VARIETY
Vary the types of entrées you
serve:
– Don’t serve sandwiches and
casseroles for dinner every day
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
EMPHASIZE VARIETY
Include food in different forms or
prepared in several ways:
– Do you usually serve vegetables
raw or steamed?
– What about flavorings and spices?
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
EMPHASIZE VARIETY
Example: Broccoli
Ways to prepare:
raw
sautéed
steamed
broiled
boiled
blanched
Ways to use:
salad
soufflé
garlic or ginger quiche
w/sesame seeds pasta
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
EMPHASIZE VARIETY
Include a small amount of unfamiliar
food in meals and snacks:
– Add a seasonal fruit or vegetable to an
old favorite
– Offer a small amount of a new food in
addition to the planned menu
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
STRIVE FOR BALANCE
Think about the texture, taste, and
appearance of foods :
–
–
Hamburger gravy, mashed potatoes, applesauce,
roll and milk
Add a crisp green salad, crunchy carrot rounds, or
strips of steak for a more appealing meal
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
STRIVE FOR BALANCE
Avoid offering too much of the same
types of foods in a meal:
–
–
Starchy: chicken pasta, baked potato, breadstick,
corn, milk
Sweet: Honey glazed ham, baked yams, apricot
cous cous, roll, strawberries, and milk
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
STRIVE FOR BALANCE
Use different combinations of
shapes and sizes of foods:
– Cubed meat, diced potatoes, mixed
vegetables, fruit cocktail isn’t too exciting
– Whole food, cubes, mounds, shredded bits,
strips should all be combined in a meal
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
THINK ABOUT COLOR
Avoid using food of all the same
color in a meal:
– Turkey, white rice, white bread,
cauliflower, pears, and milk all lack color
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
THINK ABOUT COLOR
Use color foods, like fruits and
vegetables to add natural color:
– Broccoli with mashed potatoes, a tomato
slice on macaroni salad, green peppers to
corn
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
THINK ABOUT COLOR
Sprinkle herbs and spices on bland
foods for both taste and color:
– Cinnamon on canned fruit
– Paprika on vegetables or potatoes
– Basil, parsley, or cilantro
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
CONSIDER EYE APPEAL
Visualize the entire presentation:
– Consider the color of the dishes or trays that
will be used
– Don’t forget about making the meal setting
appealing, with table clothes and seasonal
decoration, if possible
Meal Pattern Menu Planning
CONSIDER EYE APPEAL
Plan the way you will place the
items on the plate:
– Visualize how it will look when it is served
– Place foods next to each other that “go”, like
bread and pasta, not pears