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Unit 18
MENU PLANNING MADE EASY,
LABEL READING & SUPERMARKET PSYCHOLOGY
Objectives
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To understand the importance of menu planning
To be familiar with the principles of a balanced diet
To show the benefits of planning a one-week menu
To plan menus to stay within a limited food budget
To learn how to interpret nutrition panels and ingredient lists on food
products
To understand what nutrient claims are and how to interpret them
To understand the psychology behind market strategies
To understand how to get value for your food dollar
INTRODUCTION
The main aim of menu planning is to ensure a wide variety of foods are eaten so that
nutritional needs are met. Menu planning is not difficult. However it is an important
responsibility of the homemaker. In fact the health of the total family depends on it 1.
Many factors control your choice of food, and the way you prepare and eat it. Food
patterns vary from area to area and group to group, and when you look at meal
patterns of various individuals you will find they also vary1.
Different cultures have developed traditional eating patterns that met their nutritional
needs, and utilise the foods on hand. Whether you are eating pasta dishes, rice
meals, or beans and tacos, meal planning is necessary. In all cases good menu
planning will ensure healthy eating1. The best part of a healthy eating is that it makes
you feel good.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MEAL PLANNING
The foods that you eat are one of the important determinants of your health. The
variety of food you choose should meet your physical, emotional and social needs 1.
A meal plan is a good way to ensure that family members are well fed. The plan can
be written out on paper with much detail, or it can be in a person’s mind as intent.
There is much to be said for writing out the meal plan1.
Of primary importance, is the goal of providing nutritionally adequate meals. Working
with a meal plan on paper enables one to ensure that the individual’s nutritional
needs or the needs of all family members are met1.
A meal plan should1:
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Ensure the provision of a nutritionally adequate diet for household members of
all ages.
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Allow for the matching of meals to the household food budget.
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Allow for individual taste preferences, traditions and culture.
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Ensure the efficient management of available resources – supplies,
equipment, money and time1.
In addition from your meal plan, a shopping list can be prepared that will include all
the foods needed for the meals to be prepared. Buying only those foods on the
shopping list prevents impulse spending1.
It also means you can buy food accordingly and use all food that is bought. (Less
waste). Using a meal plan and a shopping list helps stretch your food dollar1.
If the principles of the Healthy Eating Pyramid are followed, planning healthy meals is
made easier. The bulk of the day’s meals should be made up of foods such as
vegetables, fruits, grains and cereal products. Moderate quantities of protein foods,
such as legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy products, eggs and vegetarian protein foods.
Fats, sugar and salt should be kept to a minimum1.
PLAN FOOD TO BE ATTRACTIVE1
The presentation of food is of great importance. Your enjoyment of a meal is linked
with its visual appeal – we eat with our eyes1!
It is good to keep in mind the appearance of the food, colour, form, arrangement and
quality1.
For example, potato, cauliflower and patties with a white sauce may taste delicious,
but will look unappealing. A plate of different coloured mounds of soft foods will also
have limited appeal1.
Visualise foods as they will appear on the plates. Choose vegetables that contrast in
colour as well as texture. Select sauces to complement flavour and appearance, not
to disguise them1.
‘Variety is the spice of life’. There should be sufficient variety of foods to ensure that
meals do not become repetitious and boring. Variety will include colours, shapes and
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textures. A variety of foods served over a weekly period will also help to ensure that
nutritional requirements are being met1.
PLAN FOOD TO BE ENJOYABLE1
Food should taste good, smell good and look good. Plan and prepare a meal so that
your family will enjoy that which is most nutritious for them1.
PLAN FOOD TO STAY WITHIN YOUR BUDGET1
Many people are limited with their food budget. A little time spent in planning can
assist in making the best use of the available resources.
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Plan your meals and your shopping list.
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Avoid buying more than you plan to use.
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Compare prices of fresh, frozen or canned foods, like canned tomatoes, or
frozen beans and peas.
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Calculate what you pay for convenience when you buy prepared foods.
Decide whether you can afford the convenience.
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Buy fresh foods at the peak of their season. Imported foods and local foods at
the beginning of the season are usually expensive.
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When costing your food, don’t forget the snacks you eat between meals 1.
PLANNING A ONE WEEK MENU1
Making the time to sit down and plan the menu for the following week is the most
difficult part of providing the family with a balanced diet. Once the menu has been
planned, you can make up a shopping list and stock the cupboards with the
necessary ingredients1.
Take a pencil and paper, and list the seven days of the week.
Step one. Decide which meal will be the main meal for each day, example, the night
meal. Then choose the main dish for each day of the week, e.g. pasta, stir-fry,
patties etc.
Step two. Choose vegetables, salads or grains to complement the main dish, as
well as accompaniments such as gravy, bread, dessert or fruit.
Step three. Having completed the main meal for each day of the week, now plan the
second most important meal. Remember to complement the foods already used,
following steps one and two.
Step four. Plan the remaining meal, making sure that a variety of nutritious food has
been supplied by the three meals.
Now review the entire plan. Is your weekly menu nutritionally sound? Are the foods
used mainly from the base of the pyramid? Does the plan follow the Dietary
Guidelines for Australians1?
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After you have followed this plan for four weeks, you will have a one-month menu
that you can use on a rotating basis. With minor changes now and then, no one will
know that you are serving the same basic menu1.
SUMMARY
The aim of every homemaker is to develop in each family member good food habits.
So make each meal time a pleasant experience. Create a pleasant atmosphere! A
tidy room, a nutritious appetising meal laid on an attractive table, will set a seal of
approval on successful meal planning1.
Points to remember!
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Buy foods at the peak of their season - it is usually more economical to do so.
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Compare the price of fresh foods with frozen, dried or canned foods.
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There is no substitute for quality. To ensure optimum quality, good storage
methods are necessary, e.g. store fresh vegetables in a cool dark place. Buy
fresh fruit and vegetables several times a week, this helps with freshness and
should be less wasteful1.
References
1. Sanitarium Nutrition Education Service;
MEAL PLANNING MADE EASY
INTERPRETING FOOD LABELS
CHANGES INTRODUCED IN DECEMBER 2002
The food labelling laws ensure that consumers are provided with information about
what is in the food products we buy.
The Australian and New Zealand food labelling laws (within the Australia New
Zealand Food Standards Code) require that almost all products carry a ‘mandatory’
(compulsory) nutrition information panel4.
In the past nutrition information panels were required only when a nutrition claim such
as ‘low fat or ‘low salt’ was made. Many manufacturers voluntarily included a
nutrition information panel4.
There was a two-year ‘phase in’ period ending in December 2002 for these changes
to take effect to allow manufacturers to change over to the new standards 4.
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WHAT IS ON FOOD LABELS (AFTER DECEMBER, 2002)
The mandatory nutrition information panel must include the following energy and
nutrients:
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Energy (kilojoules)
Protein
Fat, with Saturated Fat also listed separately
Carbohydrate, with total sugar also listed separately
Sodium4
Some of the differences on food labels that you will notice are:
1. The addition of saturated fat to the nutrition panel. Saturated fat is present in
many foods and is generally present in higher amounts in animal-based
products. Some vegetable oils such as coconut and palm oils are also
surprisingly high in saturated fat. The inclusion of saturated fat in the nutrition
panel does not necessarily mean that saturated fat is now added to the
product - it has always been there, but the quantity must now be declared 4.
2. The percentage of key ingredients must now also been shown. The key
ingredient is not necessarily the main ingredient in terms of mass, but it is the
ingredient which gives the food its character. For example, you can tell what
percentage of strawberry jam is actually made up of strawberries 4.
3. The labelling laws also ensure that the main foods that may cause allergies
such as peanuts, seafood, fish, gluten, milk, soybeans and eggs are declared
on the label. This is good news for those who suffer from food allergies, as
you are able to look out for these food items on the label4.
4. There are also strict guidelines that ensure that products provide warning
statements for certain ingredients (like Royal Jelly) that can cause allergy
health risks. In the past, people may not have been aware that the food
contains these ingredients4.
5. The law requires that foods, that contain substances which have a potential
health risk, include a statement alerting to the presence of such substances or
ingredients. For example, added caffeine was previously only mentioned on
cola beverages, however, a statement is now required on other products with
added caffeine, or where the ingredient has a similar action to caffeine, e.g.
guarana (a herb which contains caffeine) is used4.
HOW TO READ LABELS
The three main sources of nutrition information on labels:
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The nutrition information panel
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The ingredients list
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Nutrient claims4
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Reading the nutrition information panel
The Australian and New Zealand Food Standard Code2 requires nutrition panels to
provide certain nutrition information. This includes:
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Energy (kilojoule and/ or calorie)
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Protein
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Fat (total fat and saturated fat)
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Carbohydrate (total carbohydrate and sugars)
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Sodium4
In addition other relevant nutrients may be listed (e.g. fibre, potassium, calcium, iron
etc). The nutrients are displayed in a standard format, providing amount per serve
and per 100g (or 100 ml, if liquid) of the food4.
You can use the nutrition information panel to compare similar products in the
supermarket. For example, by using the information per 100g, you could find out
which of two types of cereal is higher in fibre, or which two yoghurts is lower in fat4.
You can also use the panel to calculate your day’s total nutrient intake 4.
READING INGREDIENT LISTS
By looking at a product’s ingredient lists, you will be able to gain more of an idea of
how healthy the product may or may not be4.
The ingredients on the product label must be listed in descending order of weight or
quantity. The first ingredient on the food is present in the largest amount, while the
last ingredient is present in the lowest amount. Water must also be listed in order
according to its weight, except when it makes up less than 5% of the finished
product. If this is the case, it does not need to be declared. If a product ingredient
list has fat, sugar or salt at, or near the top of the list, it probably contains large
amounts of fat, sugar or salt4.
Fat, sugar and salt in ingredient lists may be called other names. When shopping, be
aware that the following are still fat, sugar or salt4:
FAT – animal oil, animal fat, vegetable oil, vegetable fat, butter fat, shortening, milk
solids, copha, tallow, lard4.
SUGAR – raw sugar, brown sugar, sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose,
dextrose, golden syrup, corn syrup, honey, malt, malt extract, molasses 4.
SALT – rock salt, vegetable salt, baking soda, baking powder, sodium, sodium
bicarbonate, monosodium glutamate (MSG) 4.
Labelling requirement2 regarding the ingredient lists
People are able to see on the food label the exact proportion of the key or
characterising ingredients (i.e. ingredients used in the name or description of the
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product) of the food. The key ingredient is not always the main ingredient in terms of
mass, but it is the ingredient which gives the food its character4.
Below is an example of an ingredient list from Sanitarium Weet-Bix, which is
described on the packaging as ‘wholegrain breakfast biscuits’:
Ingredients: Whole Wheat (97%), Raw Sugar, Salt, Malt Extract, Vitamins (Niacin,
Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate), Mineral (Iron).
As you can see, the key characterising ingredient in Weet-Bix is whole wheat and this
makes up 97% of the product. Raw sugar, salt, malt extract, vitamins and iron are
the remaining ingredients and are listed in order by weight, e.g. iron is the last
ingredient as it has been added in the least amount compared to other ingredients 4.
NUTRIENT CLAIMS
Nutrient claims are used by manufacturers to emphasis the nutritional benefits of a
product. They can make it easy to identify foods with a particular benefit you may be
looking for, such as being high in fibre.
The following are some common claims3, 4:
“Reduced fat”. The food must contain at least 25% less fat than the regular
product. There must be a reduction of at least 3g of fat per 100g of food (or 1.5g of
fat per 100g if it is a liquid food).
“Low fat” or “Low in fat”. The food must not contain more than 3g of total fat per
100g (or 1.5g of total fat per 100g if it is a liquid food).
“Fat free”. The food must not contain more than 0.15g total fat per 100g of food.
“Cholesterol free”. The food must have less than 3mg of cholesterol per 100g of
product and must meet the requirements for a “low fat” claim or have saturated fat
content below a certain level. It is important to remember that “cholesterol free” does
not mean, “fat free”.
“No added sugar”. The food has no added sugar (including sucrose and other
simple sugars), honey, malt, malt extract, glucose syrup or fruit syrup. It may contain
natural sugars that comprise part of one of the ingredients. e.g. sultanas.
“High fibre” or “High in fibre”. The food must have 3g or more fibre per serving.
Keep in mind that serving sizes can vary between foods and brands. Remember that
fibre also refers to gums and mucilages (soluble fibres)4.
“Light” or ‘Lite”. These words can be confusing as they can refer to a number of
different aspects of a product, such as colour, flavour, texture, salt content of a food,
when it is often expected that this word refers to the fat or kilojoule content of a food,
when instead it may be referring to something quite different4.
These are guidelines developed for foods sold in Australia. In New Zealand,
variations in these regulations may occur according to the New Zealand Food
Regulations4.
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DATE MARKING6
The consumer has a right to obtain food in as fresh a condition as possible. To help
ensure that a packed food has not deteriorated to a point where it has suffered a
significant loss of ‘fresh eating quality’, in the extreme become unfit for consumption,
the Food Standards Code has a regulation for the date marking of certain foods 6.
Most foods that have a minimum expected life of less than two years before there is a
significant loss of quality must have some form of date marking. This may take the
form of the ‘date of packing’ or the ‘use-by-date’6.
The use-by-date is of greater value to the consumer because it immediately indicates
the date up to which a food will retain its quality provided that any storage instructions
on the label have been followed6.
No instructions are required where no particular storage conditions are necessary.
Foods can generally be expected to maintain good to fair quality some time past this
date, particularly in the case of longer life foods6.
The use-by-date usually includes a margin before the food is likely to have
deteriorated to a stage where it is unsafe to eat6.
SUMMARY
Food laws in the form of regulations and standards aim to protect public health,
ensure foods are labelled to allow informed choice and not to mislead consumers and
to promote fair trade in food and commerce in the food industry6.
Although the task of interpreting the information on food labels may seem daunting at
first, once you know how and use it a few times it becomes very useful for making
good choices when you shop.
SUPERMARKET PSYCHOLOGY, MARKETING AND ADVERTISING
The Australian food system is made up of 130,000 farmers, more than 3500 food
manufacturers, a large number of supermarkets (most controlled by two major
chains), plus many other retailers, convenience stores, fast food outlets, restaurants
and nearly 19 million consumers7.
Some $33 billion is spent on food each year. Most food retailing is controlled by the
supermarkets which are spacious, allowing room for many more food products. Food
processing companies keen to expand their businesses, have employed food
technologists to develop an ever increasing range of new products. The forces
driving the increase in products includes:
1. The endeavour to increase sales and maximise profits by both the food
manufacturer and supermarket.
2. The attraction to consumers of produce with a wider variety of tastes and
textures.
3. A preference of consumers for foods which need less time and work in
preparation (due in significant degree to more homemakers being in full-time
employment)7.
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A modern supermarket may stock 20,000 to 30,000 different items 7.
MARKETING AND ADVERTISING
Modern marketing techniques, of which advertising is the most prominent
component, have a strong influence on food choice. The fact that manufacturers
spend large amounts of money on advertising shows that market research has
proved its importance to sales and profits6,7.
Amount of money spent on advertising food and other products in Australia,
1997. (Latest figures available7,Error! Reference source not found.)
Food or other item
Amount spent per year in millions
Aerated soft drinks
39
Alcoholic beverages
67
Bread
10
Breakfast foods
55
Cheese
16.5
Confectionery
59
Snacks
19
($)
Comparison items
Cars
44.4
Pet food
22
Analgesics
23
7,Error! Reference source not found.
To put the figures in context, the annual spending in the soft drink grocery market in
1997 was about $873 million. Soft drinks have a relatively low cost of production and
much of the retail price is made up of marketing costs and profit margins 7.
Although we are influenced by advertising and we are aware of it in our daily
surroundings, we tend not to be aware of its influence on our own purchases7.
We are all influenced by advertising. For value for money we need to balance
savings on ‘specials’ against the travel costs involved in visiting a number of
supermarkets. In other words we need to look at the total cost.
Another factor in influencing our selection is where the foods are on the shelves. You
will be interested to learn that seventy percent of purchases are made from eye level.
Supermarkets position foods to encourage better sales. A familiar example is sweets
at the check-out counter ready for hungry impulse buyers and as a ‘shut-me-up’ for
kids.
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Today, more and more customers are interested in foods that are healthy as well as
convenient. Nutrition has become a positive marketing factor. Customers expect an
adequate choice of safe and wholesome food at an affordable price.
SHOPPING ACCORDING TO THE FOOD PYRAMID
The food pyramid, used as a guide to a balanced healthy eating program, is also a
very useful tool5 in determining where the greatest percentage of your food dollar
should be spent. The average Australian spends most of their food dollar on the
items which are found at the top of the pyramid, (fats, sweets, snack foods and meat)
rather than those at the bottom (fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes).
Any change in lifestyle nutrition actually commences at the supermarket. Therefore it
is good practice to budget how much of your food dollar will be spent on certain types
of food.
 Spend most on plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, breads, cereals, legumes
and nuts.
 Spend moderately on dairy products or alternatives, meat or meat alternatives
and eggs.
 Spend least on fats, sugar and indulgences.
If you take one food dollar and divide it up according to the approximate number of
serves which you should have in a day of various food groups you find that the dollar
could be spent in the following way:
Type of Food
Oils, Butter, Margarine, Sweets &
Snacks
Dairy, Eggs & Meat
Legumes & Nuts
Fruit
Vegetables
Bread & Cereals
Per $1.00 Per $100
$0.05
$ 5
$0.10
$0.10
$0.20
$0.25
$0.30
$10
$10
$20
$25
$30
If you are not using meat, dairy or eggs, then the amount for this section would be
divided amongst the bread, vegetable, nuts & legumes as the alternatives would be
coming from these types of foods. This gives an idea of the type of budgeting that
you could do in making sure that you have balanced nutrition for your food dollar.
Remember that the cost of food increases with the packaging, convenience and
processing procedures. Therefore you will need to adjust your food dollar
accordingly if you wish to take advantage of convenience foods over those that you
would prepare yourself.
Low cost foods selected carefully for their nutritive value can keep you and your
family healthier than expensive foods chosen without thought and care 5.
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REFERENCES:
2. Australia New Zealand Food Authority;
AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND FOOD STANDARDS CODE
December 2000 www.anzfa.gov.au or www.anzfa.govt.nz
3. National Food Authority:
CODE OF PRACTICE – Nutrient claims in food labels and in
advertisements. January 1995
4. Sanitarium Nutrition Education Service;
GOOD FOOD NEWS
Sanitarium Health Food Company March 2001
5. Sanitarium Nutrition Education Service;
MORE VALUE FOR YOUR FOOD DOLLAR
Sanitarium Health Food Company 1993
6. Wahlqvist M.L; FOOD AND NUTRITION – Australasia, Asia and the Pacific
Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd Crows Nest NSW 1997:26-28,148-156
7. Wahlqvist M.L; FOOD AND NUTRITION- Australia and New Zealand 2nd Edition
Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd Crows Nest NSW 2002: 39-47
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