Meal Planning

Meal Planning

• Meal: – grouping of food often served or eaten at

regular times of the day

• Meal Pattern: – list of general groups of foods used to guide

for a specific menu

• Menu: – group of food planned for a particular meal,

restaurant etc.

• Meal Appeal: – combination of appearance, flavour, texture,

temperature etc.

• Meal Planning: – management of resources (money, food,

time) to create meals that appeal to and are good for those eating them.

Meal PatternsContinental Light Medium Heavy Very Heavy Notes

Breakfast • juice•Rolls •Beverages

•Fruit/juice•Egg/cereal•Toast•Beverage

•Fruit/juice•Egg•Bacon•Toast•Beverage

•Fruit/juice•Cereal/fried potatoes•Egg•Bacon•Toast•Beverage

•Pancakes, waffles or French toast may be the main dish.•Sweet rolls may replace toast

Lunch •One main dish (salad or sandwich)•Beverage

•Two main dish (salad/soup/sandwich)•Beverage

•Two main dishes•Dessert•Beverage

•One main dish•Vegetable•Salad•Bread/rolls•Dessert•Beverage

•Often a light meal.•In restaurants, must have quick service (min 1 hr)

Dinner •Main dish (meat, fish, or poultry)•2 veg.•Bread/rolls•Beverage

•Main dish•2 veg. •Salad•Bread/rolls•dessert•Beverage

•Appetizer•Main dish•2 veg•Salad•Bread/rolls•Dessert•Beverage

•Appetizer •Soup•Main dish•2 veg•Salad•Bread/rolls•Dessert•Beverage

•Usually the heaviest meal of the day

• Why do we want to share meals in families?

– Communication

– Share events, memories

– company

• Factors to consider…– Schedules– Likes & dislikes– Allergies– Stages – e.g. childhood vs. teens– Special diets – e.g. vegetarian– Activity levels– Religious/dietary laws

Principles

• 1. Try to have foods from all four food groups in each meal

• 2. Each day you should meet Canada’s Food Gide:

Teens Males FemalesGrains 7 6

Vegetables & Fruit 8 7

Milk & Alt. 3-4 3-4

Meat & Alt. 3 2

• 3. Meals should be attractive: consider…– Colour– Flavour & aroma– Texture– Shape & size– temperature

• 4. Cost:– Try to use foods in season

E.g. – What are some early summer foods?

– What about late summer foods?

– Fall?

• 5. Consider Cooking Ability

• 6. Consider time available

• 7. Consider cooking method– E.g. oven, BBQ

How to Time a Meal.

1. Decide on times the meal is to be served• E.g. Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner

2. Write out the menu• Appetizers? Main course? Beverages?• Write out the cooking time for each food

3. Make up a timetable for the meal– Food/preparation time/cooking time/total time– E.g. groceries, slicing/cutting, cooking

4. Make up a work schedule– List work in the order in which it is to be done– Begin with the foods that take the longest– Set the table first, if possible