Making Meals in Minutes! UH-CTAHR-CES, Nutrition Education for Wellness,
Hawaii Child Care Nutrition Program
Agenda
Let’s STREAMLINE!
“Munch on this…” activity
Menu & Recipe Checklists
Resources
Fill in the chart to identify strategies you can adopt to streamline your meal planning process.
Let’s STREAMLINE!
PLAN!
ORGANIZE!
SAVE TIME!
Why PLAN menus? Helps ensure that meal patterns are followed
& balanced meals are offered
Plan for recommended portions
Helps you plan your shopping trips, saving lengthy & last minute stops to the store
Helps you take advantage of sales, buying in bulk & seasonal foods
With practice, you SAVE TIME & ENERGY!
www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/new/hccnp/preschools.htm
PLAN those portions:
Why use a *CYCLING menu?
ADVANTAGES: Save a lot of time in: planning costing food establishing purchasing
procedures making grocery lists training staff on
making recipes
*Cycle menus are planned to run for a standard length of time, repeating on a regular basis, like every 3 weeks.
Control food costs: can buy ingredients in
bulk buy seasonal foods know how much to
purchase, which helps to prevent excess food and subsequent waste
“Building Blocks for Fun & Healthy Meals – A Menu Planner for the CACFP”, Team Nutrition - USDA
3) Add other foods to complement your main dish, and to help meet the meal pattern.
4) Consider planning a different cycle menu for each quarter / season of the year, to reap the benefits of seasonal flavors.
1) Determine the length of your cycling menu.
About 3 weeks is a good length of time as it allows for a variety of foods to be offered.
2) Select the main dish items first.
Try to plan for a different meat/meat alternate each day of the week.
How to PLAN a CYCLING menu for meals…
www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/new/hccnp/preschools.htm
Why use *STANDARDIZED recipes & service?
*Standardized recipes have been tried, adapted
& retried several times—& have been found to produce the
same good results & yields every time as long as:
the exact procedures are followed
the same type of equipment is used and
the ingredients are of the same quality and quantity
“Building Blocks for Fun & Healthy Meals – A Menu Planner for the CACFP”, Team Nutrition - USDA
Why use *STANDARDIZED recipes & service?
ADVANTAGES:
Where can I find standardized recipes?
Help ensure quality & consistency of your meals Simplify menu planning Control costs
USDA Team Nutrition recipes for child care http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/recipes/recipes-child-care-providers Recipe Finder Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook USDA Recipes for Child Care
www.nfsmi.org/Templates/TemplateDefault.aspx?qs=cElEPTYzJmlzTWdyPXRydWU=
ORGANIZING your recipes
Storage system “Keepers” vs. “Try soon”
Cookbooks / notebooks Photo album with
self-adhesive pages Recipe box with cards Pocket protectors in
binder Accordion file Sort by categories
Tag your favorite recipes for easy access OR
Separate your favorite recipes from those you’ll “try soon”
Date the “try soon” recipes and toss if you haven’t used it in a year
ORGANIZING your INVENTORY
Rotate ‘first in, first out’
Saves time: Ordering
Preparing shopping list
Cooking
Helps avoid ‘running out’ of necessities
Keep staples in stock
A well-stocked supply helps when ‘last-minute’ substitutions are needed
Use a SHOPPING LIST
First check your: Then go shopping!
inventory menu sales, coupons
Stick to your list
Grab shelf-stable items first, perishables last
Plan to shop during non-peak hours
Pack a cooler / coolants in car for perishables
SAVE TIME: Make Meals in Minutes!
Foods Cooking
Offer “whole” foods Pre-prep (measure, chop,
cook) ingredients Use convenience
products (frozen / canned produce, canned soups, dry mixes)
Have breakfast for lunch / dinner
Stir-fry One-pot meals Slow cooker Oven Double recipe Freeze Flexible substitutions
MUNCH on this…
Milk Fruits & Veggies Grains Meats & Meat alternates Seasonings Cooking methods
Cooking methods
Bake Boil Braise *Limit Frying Microwave Poach
Roast Saute Steam Stew Stir-fry
Putting the PIECES together
MENUS
Fill in the MENU CHECKLIST and identify positive
changes you can incorporate into your menus:
--- streamlining strategies --- --- more healthful options ---
Putting the PIECES together…
RECIPES
Fill in the RECIPE CHECKLIST and identify
positive changes you can incorporate
into your recipes:
--- streamlining strategies --- --- more healthful options ---
Recipe Resources Team Nutrition – Recipes for Child Care Providers http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/recipes/recipes-child-
care-providers
Fruits & Veggies More Matters Recipes www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/main-recipes
Nutrition Education for Wellness – Resources www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/new/resources.htm
eXtension – Families, Food and Fitness Recipes www.quickhealthyrecipes.msstate.edu/
Menu Planning Resources Hawaii Child Care Nutrition Program www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/new/hccnp/
USDA Team Nutrition - MENU PLANNING http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/menu-planning-0
Child & Adult Care Food Program – Nutrition Education www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/nutrition-and-nutrition-education
SNAP-Ed Connection – Food Preparation & Cooking https://snap.nal.usda.gov/resource-library/manage-your-food-
resources-wisely/food-preparation-and-cooking
? ?? Any Questions? ??
Contact Information: Hawaii Child Care Nutrition Program
1955 East-West Road, #306 Honolulu, HI 96822
Phone: (808) 956-4124 Email: [email protected]