MEAL MANAGEMENTPLANNING MEALS

Planning Meals Meal management involves using

resources of skills, money, and time to put together a nutritious meal.

A meal manager must plan well-balanced menus; shop for healthful, economical foods; and prepare meals in the time available.

Planning meals How do you begin to plan great meals?

Meal planning Cookbooks, magazines, and the food

sections of newspapers often give many good menu suggestions

You might also keep a collection of your family’s favorite recipes and add to it as you discover new favorites

Five factors when you meal plan Nutritious and appealing Meals that suit your cooking skills Food budget Available preparation time

Planning for nutrition You must plan carefully to have meals

and snacks that will supply all the essential nutrients.

Pyramid meal pattern A meal pattern is a guide that outlines the

basic foods normally served at a meal. Two to three servings from the grains group One to two servings from the vegetable

group One to two servings from the fruit group One serving from the milk group One serving from the meat and bean group

Meal pattern Grain products should be the foundation

of each day’s meal Vegetables are easy to include in meals

and snacks. Fruit should be include each day as a

drink, whole, or in a salad Milk as a beverage or foods made with

milk.

Variety in Meals Color, flavor, texture, shape, size, and

temperature are important points to consider in planning meals with variety.

Keeping these factors in mind will help you plan meals that are attractive as well as delicious.

Color

Color adds eye appeal to meals, so plan meals with a variety of colors.

Garnishes can add color and variety to a meal

flavor The flavor of foods should complement

each other Use well-liked combinations of foods

that taste good together Vary the flavors of food items to avoid

repeating one flavor

Texture

Textures of foods should offer variety Crisp, tender, soft, creamy, smooth,

crunchy, and chewy describe common food textures.

Try to serve at least three textures in each meal.

Shape and size Use your creative flair to combine a

variety of shapes and sizes in your meals

Avoid serving several foods at the same meal that are the same shape and size

Temperature

Plan to include foods that differ in temperature as part of the meal plan

Cultural and societal influences Variety in colors, flavors, textures, and

shapes plays a role in foods of all cultures

Culture and society have been influencing people’s food choices since prehistoric times.

If you are like most people you tend most often to choose foods that reflect your culture.

When you are the Meal Manager As a meal manager, you need to

consider more than the nutrition and appearance of the food.

Consider your skills, your budget, and the amount of time you have available

Your cooking skills The meals you plan are often

determined by the preparation skills you have developed.

Little experience, simple meals Have patience with yourself as you learn

to cook With practice your cooking skills will

develop

Your food budget The amount of money budgeted for food

is an important factor in planning meals Limited food budget Use care to select foods that are

economical as well as nutritious Weekly specials, coupons, seasonal

foods,

Your preparation time Convenience foods are food products

that have some preparation steps done to them

Usually ready to heat and serve Require some preparation, but they

require less time than made-from-scratch foods.

Plan foods that require no cooking

Preparation time Plan meals that suit the time you have

available for preparation. A variety of eating schedules. Meals will have to be planned to meet

these various schedules Select food that taste good reheated Plan to have food items on hand for

family members to make their own meals.

15-2 Shopping for Food Plan and organize a shopping list Describe different types of food stores List factors to consider when deciding

how much food to buy Explain how to recognize quality in

foods

Shopping list Shopping for food is an important part

of meal planning You must decide what to buy, where to

shop, and how much will meet your needs

As a smart shopper you must also be able to evaluate the quality of food products.

Shopping list A shopping list is a detailed list of the

kinds and amounts of foo you want to buy.

Save three valuable resources by planning you shopping list

Time Energy money

list Write you shopping list before you go

grocery shopping Review your recipes you are planning to

prepare List all the items you need for your weekly

menus and snacks Add staples items Save time and energy by organizing your

shopping list according to the grocery store layout.

Deciding where to shop Four types of food stores are

supermarkets Discount supermarkets Specialty sores Convenience stores

supermarkets Sell a wide range of food and household

products Charge lower prices because they do a

high volume of business Convenience services Check cashing Home delivery

Discount supermarkets Sell foods and household items at

discounted prices Offer less variety Fewer customer services

Specialty stores Specialize in carrying one type of food

item Prices are often higher Quality and personalized service

Convenience stores Offer convenient locations Longer hours Fast service Product selection is limited Prices are higher Is the added cost worth the

convenience.

Evaluating store features Does the store offer courteous service

and helpful employees? Is the sore clean and well maintained? Are meats, produce, and dairy products

always fresh? Does the store stock a variety of foods

in various packages sizes to meet you needs?

Is the checkout fast and efficient?

Deciding how much food to buy Your decision should be based on your

food budget Serving sizes Storage space Shelf life

Recognizing quality in foods Wise buying includes knowing which

quality is best suited to your needs Stores stock various brands of products; National brands House brands Generic products

National brands Advertised nationwide Generally of high quality Cost more

House brands Brands that are sold by a store or chain

of stores Quality is similar to national brands Usually cost less

Generic products Plain labels containing only the names

of the products and other required label information

Nutritionally equivalent to national and house brands, but the quality may not be the same.

Quality Foods For best quality avoid buying damaged

packages.

15-3 Buying Information Use unit pricing to compare the cost of

food products Describe four types of open dating used

to indicate the freshness of food products Identify the types of information found on

food product labels and tell how it can be used to make wise purchase decisions

List three sources of consumer information about food products

Unit pricing Unit pricing shows the cost per standard

unit of weight or measure. Unit pricing to compare prices among

brands, package sizes, and products form

Unit pricing labels are usually posted on the shelves beneath food items.

Open dating Process gives you information about the

freshness of foods Appears in four forms: Pack date-tells you when the food was

processed Pull date-last day a store should sell the

product. Usually found on dairy and cold cuts.

Open dating Freshness date-it indicates the end of

the products quality peak, but the product can be used beyond this date.

Expiration date-last day a product should be used or eaten.

Food Label Information According to government regulations

certain information must appear on labels:

The common name of the product and its form, such as whole, sliced, or diced

The net contents or net weight The name and address of the

manufacturer, packer, or distributor A list of ingredients

Label information Ingredients must be listed on the label

in descending order by weight Food additives are substances that are

added to food for a specific purpose May be added during and phase of

production Subject of concern to some people

Nutrition Facts Panel By law, almost all packaged food

products are required to include nutrition labeling

The panel includes the following nutrition facts:

Serving size Servings per container Calories per serving and calories from

fat

Nutrition Label Nutrients per serving, including total fat,

saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, and protein

Percent daily values of nutrients based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Universal product code Universal product code is a group of

bars and numbers that contains price and product information.

Automatically records the information about the product

Customer’s receipt list the items purchased and their prices, along with the total.

15-4 Storing Foods Describe general guidelines for storing

foods Identify two examples of technology in

food packaging

Storing Foods Storing food properly is just as

important as selecting it. Should be stored at home as they were

in the grocery store Will help maintain the quality of food

storage Refrigerator perishable foods Freezer Tightly wrap foods in heavy duty foil and

freezer wrap or place in airtight containers.

Label Date Practice FIFO

storage On a shelf Food rotation-store the freshest food at

the back of the shelf use the oldest first

Technology in food packaging These packaging methods allow some

perishable foods to be stored on pantry shelves .

These methods also allow for improved flavor and nutrition at a reduced cost

Aseptic packaging foods and containers are sterilized separately, then the food is packed in the container in a sterile chamber. Juices, soups, tofu

Technology Retort packaging Foods are sealed in foil pouches and

then sterilized. This type of packaging is used for some

shelf-stable entrees Stored for up to six months