1. Menu Planning Darcy Miller Vicky Boyce, MS, RD Oregon Afterschool Conference November 6, 2010

2. Menu Planning Menu Planning Principles Basic menu planning principles are a great starting point to meet both food preferences and the nutritional needs of your participants.

3. Cycle Menus Benefits of Cycle Menus: Decrease time planning menus Help organize your planning / shopping Standardize the meals / portion sizes Help in evaluating your meal service Helps to control food costs

4. Menu Planning STRIVE FOR BALANCE Balance Flavors in appealing ways

5. Menu Planning STRIVE FOR BALANCE Examples: –Italian sausage lasagna, garlic bread, mexicali corn, spinach salad, milk –Baked chicken breast, white rice, mashed potatoes, roll, pears, milk. Spicy Meal Bland Meal

6. Menu Planning STRIVE FOR BALANCE Balance higher fat foods with lower fat foods

7. Menu Planning EMPHASIZE VARIETY Include a wide variety of foods from day to day : –Avoid keeping a “scheduled” day for specific items. Lasagna every Monday Tacos every Tuesday,etc.

8. Menu Planning EMPHASIZE VARIETY Vary the types of food items you serve during the week :

9. Menu Planning EMPHASIZE VARIETY Include food in different forms or prepared in several ways

10. Menu Planning EMPHASIZE VARIETY Example: Broccoli Ways to prepare: rawsteamedboiled sautéedbroiledblanched Ways to use: saladgarlic or gingerquiche souffléw/sesame seedspasta

11. Menu Planning EMPHASIZE VARIETY Include a small amount of unfamiliar food in meals and snacks

12. Menu Planning ADD CONTRAST Think about the texture, taste, and appearance of foods : –Hamburger & gravy, mashed potatoes, applesauce, roll and milk Mushy Add a crisp green salad, crunchy carrot rounds, or strips of steak for a more appealing meal

13. Menu Planning ADD CONTRAST Avoid offering too much of the same types of foods in a meal : o Starchy: Chicken, pasta, baked potato, breadstick, corn, and milk o Salty: Corn dogs, canned Tomato soup, oven fries, saltines, and milk

14. Menu Planning ADD CONTRAST Use different combinations of shapes and sizes of foods: –Cubed meat, diced potatoes, mixed vegetables, fruit cocktail isn’t too exciting –Whole food, cubes, mounds, shredded bits, strips should all be combined in a meal

15. Menu Planning THINK ABOUT COLOR Avoid using food of all the same color in a meal

16. Menu Planning CONSIDER EYE APPEAL Visualize the entire presentation

17. Menu Planning CONSIDER EYE APPEAL Plan the way you will place the items on the plate

18. Menu Planning Think About Nutritional Content For meals - plan to provide a food item from each food group for supper For snacks - plan to provide at least two of the 5 food groups. Throughout the week vary the food groups used for variety.

19. Menu Planning CONSIDER KID FRIENDLY FOODS When trying a new food, serve a well-like food with it; How can you make kid-pleasing foods more healthy ?– pizza, chicken nuggets, hot pockets, etc.

21. Menu Planning Principles Strive for Balance Emphasize variety Add Contrast Think about Color Consider Eye appeal Nutritional Content Kid Appeal

22. Group Activity – Write 2-week Menu Cycle In your groups: Develop a minimum of a one week cycle menu – if you have time, do the second week. Both a meal and snack. If you want to develop a menu just for your program, you can use this time to do that too. Keep in mind the basic menu planning principles we’ve discussed today

23. Final Activity Put your name and address on the envelope provided and put your cards in the envelope. These cards will be mailed back to you after 30 days to help remind you of action plan. On a 3 x 5 card, write 3 action items you will implement to serve nutritious, healthy, kid-friendly meals. Keep in mind the MP Principles and portion sizes.

24. Menu Planning Give yourselves a big round of applause for being such GREAT participants!!