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Meal Planning 2 Text (Adapting Meal Planning to Lifestyles Text) Written by Heather Csikos, 1999 TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Three Steps to Successful Meals …………………………………… 2 Factors Affecting Food Choices ..................................................... 3 Lifestyle ..................................................................................... 3 Nutrition ..................................................................................... 3 Special Dietary Needs ............................................................... 3 Resources ................................................................................. 4 Family and Cultural Traditions ................................................... 5 Psychological and Sociological Influences................................. 6 Presentation of Foods - Variety ...................................................... 8 How To Analyze Meals For Variety ................................................. 9 Convenience Foods........................................................................ 10 Convenience vs Mix vs Homemade Comparison ............................ 11 Comparative Shipping Across the Food Groups ............................. 12 Consumer Tips on Food Shopping …………………………………. 14 Managing Time in Meal Preparation ………………………………... 15 Table Service ................................................................................. 16 Basic Table Setting ........................................................................ 16 Menu Format .................................................................................. 16 Meal Planning Strategies ................................................................ 17 Eating Patterns Through the Life Cycle .......................................... 19 THREE STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL MEALS There are three basic steps to good meal planning: 1. Planning: Consider all the factors in meal planning: the weather, the people you are preparing the meal for, the nutritional value of the food, the time, energy, money, skills and equipment you have available and the eye appeal of the meal (presentation). 2. Consumer Strategies - check coupons and advertised specials, prepare a list (check foods on hand), know the store layout, compare prices while at the store and check for unadvertised specials, shop in order of food perishability, then select and store food properly. 3. Meal Preparation - manage your time while preparing your meals, set an attractive table and serve the meal in an appropriate way. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …2 FACTORS AFFECTING FOOD CHOICES There are many factors that affect your everyday selection of food. Nutritional value of foods, how much time and energy you have for food preparation and grocery shopping, your food budget and knowledge of food preparation are some of these factors. All of these factors are related to your lifestyle. Lifestyle Your family’s lifestyle plays a major role in how you select food. Lifestyle is your pattern of living. It includes many aspects of eating: food selection, the social setting in which eating takes place and the number and time of meals and snacks. Your lifestyle is influenced by many of the same things that influence your food choices: knowledge of nutrition, finances, time, family customs and more. Families with two working parents generally have more money to buy food, but less time and energy for food preparation. A single parent who works may budget carefully and have little time and energy for food preparation. When one parent works at home there may more time and energy for food preparation. Busy family schedules result in the use of more convenience foods. Music lessons, after-school activities and meetings require foods to be available at varying times. All these aspects of daily living affect what foods you choose to prepare and eat. Nutrition The nutritional value of foods sometimes plays a role in your food choices. You eat certain foods because they are good for you. If you are looking for a snack and are reminded that you haven’t eaten any fruits and vegetables that day, you might select one because you know your body needs it. Or you might have a glass of milk when you are thirsty because you know you should drink milk every day. Special Dietary Needs People requiring special diets such as diabetic, low fat, low cholesterol and low calorie will receive instructions for these from their doctor and dietitian. It is important to know any diet restrictions of the people you are planning meals for. Special diets influence your food choices because they limit certain foods or substances in food. People with allergies or on special diets are usually extremely efficient at reading food labels and avoiding foods that cause reactions. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …3 Factors Affecting Food Choices continued, p. 2 Resources Your current resources can affect your food selection. Resources include money, time, physical energy and kitchen equipment available as well as skills in food preparation. In order to successfully plan meals you should assess your present resources. Money The money you have available for food (food budget) affects your meal plans. It can determine what you eat, your use of convenience foods and how often you can eat out. Money is limited so you want to stretch your food dollar as far as possible. Being a comparative shopper will help you get more for your money. Time and Energy Everything you do takes time and energy. Like money, these are resources that can be spent only once, so they are limited. The amount of time and physical energy you can give to grocery shopping and meal preparation will affect the type of meals you serve. Your time available for grocery shopping will determine how often you go shopping and whether you can travel around to different stores or go to the store when you are missing an ingredient. Your time for food preparation affects the type of recipes and the complexity of the meals you can prepare. Simple quick foods and convenience foods can be prepared when you don’t have much time. Save the more complicated recipes for when you have time to prepare them. Also consider making food ahead and freezing it (preparing your own convenience foods and mixes). In general, food that takes less time and energy to prepare (convenience foods) costs more money. Food Preparation Skills Your food preparation skills also affect the type of menu you can handle successfully and how long it will take to prepare it. Be realistic about what you are capable of doing and build on your present skills. Technology and Equipment Availability of some special equipment will influence your menu decisions. Some recipes call for special equipment, but often other equipment may be substituted.. For example, stir fried vegetables can be prepared in a wok or a frying pan. Deep fried foods can be prepared in a deep fat fryer or a deep pot. Pastry can be made using a pastry blender or using two knives. All foods that are cooked in a microwave can also be cooked using the range. Consider alternate cooking equipment before ruling out a recipe because you don’t have the cookware it suggests. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …4 Factors Affecting Food Choices continued, p. 3 Family And Cultural Traditions Traditional family foods as well as religion, holiday customs and superstitions will influence your selection of food and sometimes how it is prepared. Family Traditions Certain foods are selected for special occasions, such as cakes for birthdays and weddings. Sometimes specific family members prepare special dishes. These special foods may be traditional foods from your ethnic background or just foods that everyone likes. They are all family traditions. Religion Food patterns are strongly influenced by religious beliefs. Food is a symbolic part of many worship services, sacred writings often state what foods you can and cannot eat and some religions have set periods of feasting and fasting. Christianity - Different sects of Christianity have different food restrictions. For Roman Catholics, meat is forbidden on Fridays during Lent and during Holy Communion. Bread and wine symbolize the body and blood of Jesus. Seventh Day Adventist believe a vegetarian diet promotes good health. Christmas and Easter are the major celebrations. Hinduism - Eating the flesh of animals is prohibited in the sacred writings of the Hindus. The cow is a sacred animal and cannot be eaten, but the milk and butter can be eaten and are considered sacred foods. Islam - Eating pork is strictly forbidden according to Islamic teachings. Fasting at certain times of the year is an important Islamic religious practice, in particular, the Fast of Ramadan. Judaism - Eating pork and shellfish is not allowed in the Jewish religion. In strict Orthodox Jewish homes, meat and dairy products are prepared and served separately (Kosher). There are symbolic foods for Jewish holidays. The Passover Seder uses traditional foods to symbolize the Jews’ flight to freedom from slavery in Egypt. Holiday Customs Many foods are associated with specific holidays and religious festivals. Thanksgiving dinner usually includes turkey with cranberries and pumpkin pie. Different cultures might adjust their dinner to reflect their ethnic origin. Indonesian families might serve a peanut sauce with the turkey, whereas an Asian family might stuff the turkey with a rice dressing. Whether for a feast or special event (weddings, birthdays and graduations) certain foods make the celebration special. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …5 Factors Affecting Food Choices continued, p. 4 Psychological And Sociological Influences Your food decisions are often a response to psychological (emotions and feelings) and sociological (peer pressure and lifestyle) needs as well as physical needs. Advertising and marketing target these aspects of your personality in order to influence your purchasing habits. Advertising and Marketing The role of advertising and marketing is to increase your desire for a product to the point where you will want to purchase it. They appeal to both your psychological and sociological needs. Advertising appears on radio, TV, bill boards, flyers, etc. Sometimes you feel pressure to purchase products because the advertisement can make you feel that a particular product will make your life perfect. A lot of television advertisements focus on snacking. These advertisements are often directed to children and adolescents and have subtle ways of leading the viewer to believe that the product is not only delicious, and fun to eat, but that everyone eats it. Be aware of the psychological effects of advertising to learn how to make rational decisions on purchases. Brand names are a form of advertising, they can influence the shopper just by the idea that you recognize the brand. Supermarkets are laid out in such a fashion to influence the purchase of certain products over others. The following organization of products are marketing techniques usually employed in the supermarkets to influence the shopper to buy them. Products displayed at eye level. Products displayed at the end of the aisles or as part of a special display. Products near the check out counters. Pricing - Products priced as 2 for $.59 , buy 2 and get the third free, instant coupon rebate or value priced (get 5-15% off if you are a member) are more likely to influence you to buy them. Product packaging also influences the shopper. Brightly coloured boxes are selected more often than name brands or plain boxed foods. Before purchasing a highly advertised food consider the following: Is the product genuinely nutritious or does it need to be eaten with other foods to be nutritious? TV advertisements say “this cereal provides a well balanced breakfast when eaten with juice and milk”. Cereal boxes always have the nutritional value for the cereal itself and also with milk. When a cereal is eaten with milk it is more nutritious. 2. Are there any misleading methods used to convey the message to buy? Any brand of margarine advertised as low in cholesterol is misleading because there is no cholesterol in any margarine. 3. Does the advertisement on the package tell the whole story? “Toasted Oat Cereal with Real Apples and Cinnamon!” in actual fact the label says dried apple flakes (are these ‘real’ apples?) Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …6 Psychological And Sociological Influences continued, p. 2 Peer Pressure Sometimes what you eat is influenced by what your friends eat or don’t eat. Food is part of your social life. Some of your friends might find certain foods disgusting, or love other foods. Another friend might find the thought of eating animals revolting and become a vegetarian. All these can affect how you select food. There is an increasing desire to be thin especially among adolescent females. How does your body image affect what you eat? “15 percent of girls (and 8 percent of boys) diet or exercise to look like one of the many images they soak up on TV” People Magazine, June 3, 1996 For females, the search for low calorie, low fat and diet foods becomes a major consideration in selecting food. For those into body building and shaping, foods and supplements advertised to increase muscle mass are considered. The powerful desire to shape your body can result in eating disorders such as anorexia (fasting and reduced food consumption) and bulimia (overeating followed by depression, then vomiting and/or excessive exercise and/or laxative abuse). These disorders are debilitating physically and psychologically, many women every year die from anorexia. Emotions Your emotions influence what and how you eat. Sometimes you eat to relieve tension or anxiety or because you feel depressed. All people don’t eat for the same reasons. Food can express positive emotions as well. For example, when you prepare a favourite food for someone you care for or when young children make breakfast for their parents. Unfortunately, food is also used to influence the behaviour of others, especially children. “No dessert unless you finish your dinner” or “If you’re good I’ll give you a candy”. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …7 PRESENTATION OF FOODS - VARIETY Variety stimulates the senses and makes meals more appealing. Your appetite is often stimulated by the first sight or smell of food. Colour A colourful combination of foods makes your meal attractive and interesting. Contrasting colours of food are more appealing than a plate of similar coloured food. Imagine a plate with sliced turkey, mashed potatoes and cauliflower. Change the cauliflower to carrots or peas and carrots and you have already improved the eye appeal of the plate. Try to arrange your food so that contrasting colours are next to one another. An easy and creative way to add colour is to use garnishes. Garnishes should be simple, yet attractive. They should be edible and complement the flavour and colour of the plate. Consider complementary colours: red and green, brown and white, yellow and green and orange and green. Flavour A variety a flavours helps to enhance the appeal of the meal. Consider providing foods that have hot, mild or strong flavours, sweet and sour flavours as well as characteristic flavours such as garlic, basil, lemon or tomatoes. Be careful when serving similar flavours and repeating flavours in the same meal, for example, two strong flavoured vegetables served together may be overwhelming and a meal with both sliced tomatoes and tomato soup is boring. A variety of flavours makes a meal more interesting. Texture Varying the texture of foods in a meal also adds interest. Texture is both seen by your eye and felt in your mouth, therefore it contributes a great deal to your sense of variety in the meal. Consider including foods that are soft, hard, crisp, chewy, smooth and chunky. Also look at the dryness or moistness of each food. Adding sauces can improve the texture of a meal. Some foods have more than one texture depending on how they are prepared. Consider the option of changing the cooking method of a food before substituting it with other. Potatoes can be served in many ways: boiled, mashed, scalloped, baked, French fried, etc. All of these have different textures. Shape Plan menu items that have different shapes. Change the shape of whole foods by cutting and mashing, for example boiled potatoes can be whole, cut or mashed. When you cut vegetables for stir frying or salads use different methods of cutting: chop, slice, julienne and dice. Temperature Always serve your food at the temperature it should be eaten: hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Some foods taste best at room temperature such as cheese. Consider the temperature of the food when incorporating variety into the menu. Method of Cooking and Preparation Vary the cooking and preparation methods used when you are preparing a meal. Try different methods of cooking: boiling, steaming, parboiling, stewing, braising, frying, stir frying, baking and barbecuing. Also serve fruit and vegetables raw, cooked, as an ingredient in a recipe or with a sauce or dip. These will add interest to the meal. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …8 HOW TO ANALYZE MEALS FOR VARIETY List all the descriptive words possible for each variety attribute (colour, flavour, shape, etc.). If there are at least two different types of each attribute the variety is adequate, but three different types of each attribute is more interesting and appetizing. For example in the menu: Tomato Cucumber Salad Baked Breaded Chicken Mashed Potatoes with Gravy Peas and Carrots Biscuits Hot Fudge Sundaes Milk Tea/Coffee Describe the attributes of each menu item: Attributes Colour Tomato Cucumber Salad red, green Baked Breaded Chicken brown Mashed Potatoes with Gravy white, brown Flavour Texture sweet, mild crisp, soft mild tender, juicy irregular mild semi-solid, liquid mound hot bake Shape Temperature Cooking Method wedges, sliced cold none Peas and Carrots Biscuits golden brown pleasant flaky, moist round hot green, orange sweet tender crisp round, disk hot boil steam bake warm Hot Fudge Sundaes white, chocolate sweet smooth, creamy round scoops cold and warm none Amount of Variety excellent good excellent excellent excellent good If there is not adequate variety, substitute or add foods or garnishes that increase the variety and eye appeal of your meal. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …9 CONVENIENCE FOODS There are different types of convenience foods to consider: ready-to-eat, heat and serve and partially prepared or mixes. Ready-to-eat Foods require no cooking and little mixing, they can be served directly from the package or may only need to be reheated or browned. Some examples are: cereals, granola bars, deli meats, canned meats, baked goods, canned fruits, peanut butter, frozen juices. Heat and Serve Foods are usually canned, frozen or dried and require minimal preparation or cooking. Canned soups and chili; frozen TV dinners, waffles, entrees and pizza are examples. Partially Prepared Foods or Mixes are those that require the addition of a few ingredients and some mixing and cooking. Some examples are cake mixes, puddings, pizzas, macaroni and cheese, pasta sauces, hamburger helper and others. Advantages of Convenience Foods Save Time and Energy Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables have been peeled and cut, ready for use. Mixes eliminate the need to have all ingredients on hand. Convenience foods can be stored for long periods of time. Consistent Quality Ingredients and measurements are rigidly controlled and stabilizers are used in convenience foods to retain quality. Easy To Prepare Simple precise directions allow anyone to prepare them. How To Evaluate Convenience Foods Consider the cost in time, energy and money before deciding on convenience or homemade. Some convenience foods cost more than homemade, but others do not. Making your own soup or juice, usually costs more than buying a can and requires little time and energy. Making your own baked goods is less expensive than purchasing them from the bakery, but also more time consuming and requires you to have some baking skills. Also look at the quality of the food you are selecting - consider its flavour, texture and appearance. If you prefer homemade over convenience or visa versa, this will play a big role in your choice. Next consider nutrition. Processed foods usually have lost nutrients (although some products have had the nutrients added back), contain preservatives, sugar, salt and fat and may contain more fillers and stabilizers. Convenience soups and stews do not contain as much meat and vegetables and homemade soups and stews and are therefore not as nutritious. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …10 CONVENIENCE VS MIX VS HOMEMADE COMPARISION Consider the difference in purchasing an angel food cake, a mix to prepare an angel food cake and the ingredients to prepare the homemade version. Angel Food Cake Comparison 1 Cost Time Quality2 Ease of preparation Packaging Convenience $2.09 none very good no preparation Mix $2.79 80 minutes depends on skills one step method is easy cardboard, plastic box and plastic bags Homemade $1.75 90 minutes depends on skills separate eggs and beat to soft peak stage none 1Based on prices, Fall 1996 2The author’s opinion on flavour, texture and appearance In the case of angel food cake, the mix is the most expensive, has the most packaging and is in-between as far as time, quality and ease of preparation. The convenience is tied with the mix for the most packaging, but has no preparation and the highest quality. The homemade is the least expensive and has no packaging, but is time consuming to prepare and the quality depends on the baker. Macaroni and Cheese Comparison Cost1 Time Quality Ease of preparation Packaging Convenience $2.35 5 minutes very good no preparation Mix $.99 12 minutes okay two step method is easy foil and cardboard box, foil and paper Homemade $1.35 15 minutes very good know how to make a cheese sauce none 1Based on prices, Fall 1996 2The author’s opinion on flavour, texture and appearance For macaroni and cheese the convenience costs the most and has the most packaging but is time saving and very good in quality. The mix also has lots of packaging, requires some preparation, has fair quality and is the least expensive. The homemade has the least packaging, a high quality, in between for cost, but has slightly more preparation time than the others. There are no rules as to which product (homemade, mix or convenience) is better or worse in terms of quality, time saving and cost. The choice depends on your priorities for each factor and the individual products. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …11 COMPARATIVE SHOPPING ACROSS THE FOOD GROUPS Adapted from: Your food and your money, Shopping for Food and Nutrition, Agriculture Canada General Considerations Buy plain products rather than fancy or flavoured ones. The more processed a product is the more it costs. House and no name brands are usually less expensive than widely advertised name brands and are of comparable quality. Find a use for leftovers. Saving Money on Milk and Milk Products The cost milk and cream are related to their butterfat content. Whipping cream has the highest fat content, then cereal cream and then the types of milk you drink. Whipping cream is about five times as expensive as milk. Products that have been flavoured such as yogurts and chocolate milk usually cost more and have sugar added. The price of cheese is related to the age and method of preparation. Old cheese is more expensive than medium cheese. Buy plain yogurt and milk and add your own flavourings. Use mild cheese in place of medium or old, unless you required the sharp flavour. Use skim milk powder in recipes in place of milk and evaporated milk in place of cream. Grate cheese that has become hard and use it in baked products or sauces. Compare the prices of bulk cheese with packaged cheese slices, prepackaged sticks and bags of grated cheese. Saving Money on Grain Products Buy frozen bread when on ‘special’ and store up to 1 month. Check the number of slices of bread in loaves to determine the cost per slice. Compare cereals by unit price not package price because most packages are different weights. Compare the cost of sweetened vs unsweetened cereals Enriched and whole grain bread, cereal, pasta and rice provide more nutrients and better money value. Home cooked cereals are less expensive than ready-to-eat or sugar-coated cereals. Buy pastas and rice in bulk or when on ‘special’ as they keep for years. Converted and long grain rice are usually less expensive than instant and preseasoned rice and more nutritious. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …12 Comparative Shopping Across The Food Groups continued Saving Money on Fruits and Vegetables The prices of fresh fruit and vegetables vary year round and are usually lowest when the product is in season. Remember the waste (outer leaves, peel and roots) when comparing the prices of fresh fruit and vegetables. Buy just what you need and select small size whole fruit for children so there is no waste. Compare grades (fancy and choice) and style (halved, sliced) of canned fruits and vegetables. Use overripe fruit in sauces or baked goods. Compare prices by cost per serving rather than unit cost. Saving Money on Meats and Alternates This part of your meal can be a large part of the cost, so careful selection and cooking is important. The price of ground beef is related to its fat content. The higher percentage of fat, the lower the cost. Therefore, use regular ground beef when you cook the meat first and can drain the fat from the meat and use lean or extra lean in hamburgers, meat balls or meat loaf where the fat cannot be drained away. Compare cuts of meat by the cost per serving rather than cost per kilogram because fat, bone and gristle reduce the number or servings. Consider, ground beef, standing rib roast and rump roast - they all yield a different number of servings per kilogram. Buy larger quantities on special then divide into portions and freeze. Variety meats such as liver, kidney and tongue are less expensive than other cuts. Use less tender cuts of meat and learn how to tenderize them. They have the same nutritional value as tender cuts and are less expensive. Buy sliced meat at the deli counter rather than in presliced packages. Buy whole chickens if you use all the parts. Compare the price per kilogram of the different parts of the chicken. Compare the price of the different sizes of eggs. Flaked can meats are usually less expensive than solid canned meats. Try using dried peas, bean or lentils occasionally, instead of meat. They are good sources of protein and less expensive. Saving money on Fats and Oils Compare the unit prices. Substitute margarine for butter and shortening in recipes, when possible. Choose olive oil only when it is specifically called for in a recipe as it has a special flavour of its own and is much more expensive. Reuse oil used for deep fat frying by straining it and keeping it refrigerated in a closed container. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …13 CONSUMER TIPS ON FOOD SHOPPING Before you leave home: Use weekly newspaper food ads to comparison shop Collect food coupons for items you normally buy. Use a shopping list organized according to your store layout. Plan to shop alone. Others generally contribute to impulse buying. Shop after you have eaten to avoid impulse buying. In the store: Eliminate unnecessary snack foods, these are usually expensive and nutritionally deficient. Cut down on expensive beverages such as soft drinks. Buy lower cost cuts of meat and learn the appropriate cooking methods. Compare unit prices. Compare brands: national, store and no name. Buy in quantity only if the food will not be wasted. Know regular prices so you can recognize a bargain and take advantage of “specials”. Scan the products located on the top and bottom shelves. The more expensive products are usually located at eye level. Before purchasing foods check to see that they have been stored properly and they are within the expiry date. Fresh items should be fresh: meat, poultry, fish and bakery products, check the dates. Canned goods should be rotated so that the older cans are used up first. They are safe to eat as long as there is no sign of bulging or leakage. Packaged foods such as cereals should be tightly sealed. Select packaged frozen food that does not contain any ice inside the bag. Choose produce that is free from bruises and bad spots. Check the expiry date on milk products and eggs to ensure that you will consume them before they expire. Other: Avoid shopping at convenience stores as the prices are much higher. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …14 MANAGING TIME IN MEAL PREPARATION The amount of time available for planning and preparing a meal is probably the biggest factor affecting what to cook. Consider the schedules of all family members. If time is short, consider preparing dishes ahead of time and refrigerating or freezing. Also consider the use of convenience foods. Be realistic about the time of preparation, the cooking time and the assembly time. 1. For each menu item consider the time it would take to prepare it and then cook it. Also consider if there is any last minute arranging to be done to any of the food and allow time to place food in serving bowls. 2. Decide when the meal will be served. 3. Work backwards to determine when you should start preparing and cooking each dish. First, schedule the menu item that takes the longest to prepare and cook. Example Time Plan: MENU Tomato Cucumber Salad Baked Breaded Chicken Mashed Potatoes with Gravy Peas and Carrots Biscuits Chocolate Ice Cream Milk Tea/Coffee Serving Time: 6:00 pm Allow approximately 10 minutes for last minute arranging and serving of main items. Menu Item Preparation Time Begin Cooking/ Begin Preparation Baking Time Cooking/ of Ingredients Baking Breaded Baked Chicken 20 min 4:30 1 hour 4:50 Mashed Potatoes 5 min 5:15 30 min 5:20 Biscuits 10 min 5:30 20 min 5:40 Peas & Carrots 5 min 5:40 15 min 5:45 Tomato Cucumber Salad 10 min 5:20* ----Gravy 5 min 5:10* 5 min 5:50 Chocolate Ice Cream 5 min After dinner --*Prepare gravy and tomato cucumber salad ahead to eliminate rushing at the last minute. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …15 TABLE SERVICE There are a variety of ways to serve a meal. Formal, informal, individual place settings and buffets are the most common. You can combine these in any way to create the mood or occasion desired. Foods can be served directly from the kitchen (informal) or at the table (formal) or a combination of both. You should set the table for a meal, depending on the occasion. Place settings should include every utensil necessary for eating the meal. When planning a buffet you should set the food out in a logical sequence, preceded by the plates. Cutlery and napkins are usually picked up at the end, unless there is a table set elsewhere. BASIC TABLE SETTING dessert spoon dessert fork dinner plate glass cup & saucer dinner fork soup spoon side plate salad fork teaspoon dinner knife MENU FORMAT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Centre the menu on the page. Capitalize The First Letter in Each Word. Write foods in the order that they are eaten. Write foods beside each other that are eaten together. State the method of preparation when possible i.e. Poached Eggs Beverages are last. French Onion Soup Roast Leg of Pork with Brown Gravy Applesauce Whipped Potato Fresh Garden Peas Blueberry Crisp with Ice Cream Tea/Coffee Milk Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …16 MEAL PLANNING STRATEGIES Budget Constraints Also refer to “Comparative Shopping Across the Food Groups”. Using Leftovers When there are leftover foods store them in airtight containers close to the front of the refrigerator so you won’t forget them. Consider the following uses before discarding leftovers: bones and cooking liquids for soup stock stale bread for crumbs or croutons stale cake and cookies in puddings chicken, beef or bacon fat for soups, sauces or in baked goods such as muffins cooked meat in casseroles, salads, sandwich fillings, omelets sour milk in baking vegetables in soups, sauces or casseroles Fast Meal Preparation Incorporate ways to decrease meal preparation time: Use cooking methods which take less time such as microwaving, steaming and grilling. Make batches of foods ahead and freeze for quick reheating during the week. Make your own mixes. Buy or make ready-to-add foods (pre cut or pre cooked) and mixes to reduce preparation time at home. Staggered Schedules Select foods that will reheat easily on the stove or in the microwave such as stews, crock pot recipes, pasta and rice dishes. Serve cold foods like subs and sandwiches that only need to be assembled. Have all ingredients precut. Avoid serving foods that will lose their texture or colour after standing, such as Caesar salad, and foods that do not reheat easily like breaded and fried foods. Limited Equipment Plan to use the equipment available for only one part of the meal, otherwise you won’t be able to serve all menu items at the correct temperature. For example, baking potatoes, poaching salmon and steaming vegetables all in the microwave will result in only one food being hot at serving time. Incorporate entrees such as salads and desserts that can be served at room temperature or cold. Plan meals that contain several parts of a meal, i.e. one pot meals such a curries, stews, hearty soups, casseroles. Cook the potatoes, rice, pasta and vegetables with the meat portion of the menu. Serve with bread, buns or biscuits. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …17 Meal Planning Strategies continued, p. 2 Cooking For One Use small pots and pans to aid cooking small portions. Consider sizes of canned goods carefully. The 398 mL (14 oz) can may be a better buy than the 284 mL (10 oz) can. However if 1/3 of the larger can is wasted, it is no longer a bargain. Frozen vegetables can be purchased in large quantities, then at each meal pour out just what will be eaten. Measure the contents of regularly used packages - puddings, gelatin desserts, mixes. Record the total contents and only use half for each meal. Invest in a freezer. Buy family packs of meat on special and divide into individual servings and freeze. Prepare roast beef and small turkeys with all the trimmings, then slice or dice leftovers and assemble into small portions and freeze. Later use these meats for hot sandwiches, stew and casserole dishes. Divide your recipes in half and use 1 small egg in place of a large egg. Or prepare the whole batch and freeze cookies, cakes and muffins. Entire stew and casserole recipes can be prepared and arranged in one or two serving portions and frozen. To prevent food contamination when freezing, cool leftovers quickly in the refrigerator, then package and freeze immediately. Store highly seasoned dishes and those with a high fat content for short periods of time. Use leftovers within two weeks. Be aware that some foods can change the texture of a dish when frozen then thawed. Refreeze only foods that have been at room temperature less than 2 hours to minimize chances of food poisoning. Eating Out Frequent eating of restaurant food can be a challenge for health conscious people. The following guidelines will help a frequent restaurant visitor to select healthy foods (low fat and high fibre). Eat only what you need (until you are no longer hungry) regardless of the portion on the plate. Use plain bread and buns (whole wheat) in place of garlic toast or cheese bread. Ask for dressings to be served on the side, so you can decide how much to put on. Order broiled meats rather than fried or deep fried. Choose tomato based sauces instead of cream sauces for pasta and broth based soups instead of cream based. Select baked potato or rice instead of French fries. Choose sherbet, frozen yogurt or fresh fruit for dessert rather than ice cream, pie or layered cakes. Limited Food Preparation Skills Read through the entire recipe before selecting it to make sure you understand the directions. Look up any cooking terms you don’t know. Gradually try new recipes to increase your skills. Take a cooking class. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …18 EATING PATTERNS THROUGH THE LIFE CYCLE Preschool/Children The two main considerations in planning meals for preschoolers and children are portion size and frequency of eating. They need small portion sizes and nutritious snacks (low sugar) in between meal times. Adolescents Nutrient needs are highest during the adolescent years because of the demands of growth and maturation. Teenagers need calcium, particularly for skeletal development. Three to four servings of Milk and Milk Products are recommended. An adolescent’s lifestyle may include frequent snacking. It is important that the snack foods are selected from Canada’s Food Guide. The pregnant adolescent must meet the nutritional need of her own growth as well as the nutritional demands of pregnancy. Pregnant Women Adequate nutrition during pregnancy is essential for the health of the child and the mother. During pregnancy maternal and fetal tissues grow at a rapid rate and during lactation there is daily production of milk. These physiological functions require increased intakes of many nutrients. Increasing the number of servings from Grain Products, Milk Products and Vegetables and Fruits will satisfy the increased demands. Pregnant women especially need to increase their consumption of high iron foods such as organ meats, egg yolks, red meats, dried peas and beans, nuts and dark green vegetables. Adults In general, an adult’s needs for nutrients remains the same, but the need for calories decreases. An adult’s metabolic rate slows down by two or three percent every decade and many people let their activity level drop as they get older. The prevention of obesity and related diseases is the most important challenge during the adult years. Seniors As with adults, energy requirements are less, but nutrient needs remain the same. Wise food choices for this age group are those of higher nutrient density - those foods that provide nutrients without extra calories. There are many other problems that affect meal planning for this group: disability and illness depression and loneliness and reduced income Sharing meals with friends, participating in community meal programs can help make meals more enjoyable. Meal Planning 2 Text by Heather Csikos 1999 …19