1. Meal Planning for the Family

2. What’s Wrong? Breakfast Milk Cornflakes with sliced banana Toast
Analyze the following menus according to the MyPlate. Pinpoint probable problems. How can they be improved?
All the same color
Barely meets the requirements of MyPlate

3. What’s Wrong?
Lunch
Chili
Crackers
Apple
Water
Lacks the dairy group

4. What’s Wrong? Dinner Hamburger French fries Vanilla Shake High in fat
No vegetables or fruits

5. Meal Planning Elements

6. #1 Follow Dietary Guidelines
Eat nutrient dense foods.
Balance calories to manage weight.
Reduce sodium, fats and added sugars, refined grains and alcohol.
Eat nutrient dense foods.
Balance calories to manage weight.
Reduce sodium, fats and added sugars, refined grains and alcohol.

7. #1 Follow Dietary Guidelines continued
Increase vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk, seafood and use oils in place of solid fats.
Build healthy eating patterns that meet nutritional needs over time at an appropriate calorie level.
Include physical exercise as part of healthy eating patterns.
Increase vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk, seafood and use oils in place of solid fats.
Build healthy eating patterns that meet nutritional needs over time at an appropriate calorie level.
Include physical exercise as part of healthy eating patterns.

8. #2 Follow MyPlate Recommendations
Fruits Group
Vegetables Group
Grain Group
Protein Group
Dairy Group

9. Fruit and Vegetable Group
What are the recommendations?
Use a variety
Raw or cooked
Crisp or soft textures
Strong or sweet flavor
Brightens a meal with color
Vegetables used in salads, casseroles, stews, soups
Fruits used in juices, raw, desserts
Recommendations
Vegetables – 2 ½ cups
Fruits – 2 cups

10. Grain Group What are the recommendations? Breakfast
Toast, muffins, pancakes or grits
Cereal; cooked or ready to eat
Lunch and Dinner
Macaroni, spaghetti, noodles, rice
Breads, rolls, biscuits
Recommendations – 6 oz. everyday

11. Proteins Group What are the recommendations?
Usually appear as the main dish
Meat found in soups, stews, casseroles or sandwiches.
Eggs used in custards and baked goods count as well.
Recommendations – 5 ½ oz. everyday

12. Dairy Group What are the recommendations? Served as a beverage
Included in cereals, soups, main dishes, custards, puddings, baked goods.
Cubed or sliced cheese
Ice cream or yogurt
Recommendations – 3 cups everyday

13. #3 Aim for Nutritional Balance
Meals should be planned for nutritional balance, appeal, and suitability to various individual and family circumstances.

14. Would this be appealing?
When planning meals there are six things to consider so that food is appealing as well as nutritious.
Imagine eating the following dinner:
Halibut
Mashed potatoes
Cauliflower
White bread
Vanilla ice cream
Would this be appealing? Why or why not? (The foods are all the same color).

15. #4 Add Color for Appeal
Some of the most beautiful objects in nature are foods.
Many colors of food are available.
Color combinations can be appealing or make you lose your appetite.
Colors that are nearly the same are dull and boring.
When planning meals, we need to be like artists painting a picture and use the elements and principles of line and design.

16. #5 Add Texture for Appeal
What can be seen; it can be felt with the tongue.
A variety of textures adds interest (smooth, rough, lumpy, soft, crisp).
The way food feels when you chew it, such as soft, hard, crisp, or chewy.
Soups, milk, pudding/Chili, stew, casseroles/tacos, chips, crackers

17. #6 Use a Variety of Size and Shape for Appeal
Use various sizes and shapes.
Meatballs, peas and olives are different colors but not different shapes.

18. #7 Use a Variety of Flavor
Variety is important!
Each person has 9000 tastebuds that can taste sweet, bitter, sour, and salt.
Smell is also important to tell small differences.
Avoid using foods with similar flavors in one meal.
If all the foods have a strong flavor, the combination can be unpleasant.
Instead, serve both strong-flavored and milk foods for a meal.

19. #8 Use a Variety of Temperature
Meals are more interesting if some are hot and some cold foods are used.
Hot foods should be served piping hot and cold foods should be crispy chilled and served on separate plates.
The temperature outside is a consideration.

20. #9 Vary Heavy/Light
Rich, very sweet or fatty foods need to balance with lighter foods.
When planning a menu start with a main dish, add appetizers, beverages, and a dessert that complements it.

21. Parts of a Meal Appetizers Main Dish Accompaniments Salad Dessert
Include fruit/vegetable juice, raw fruits/vegetables, soup, sea food, etc.
Main dish
A main dish can be meat, seafood, poultry, a salad, an omelet, pancakes or a casserole.
Accompaniments
Vegetables, breads, rolls, sauces, relishes.
Salad
Tossed vegetable or fruit, jellied
Dessert
Cakes, cookies, pies, puddings, fruit

22. Differences Between Families
Family Size
Age
Activity Level
Food Preferences
Time
Special Diets
Food Budget
The circumstances, values, and ways families manage their resources from house to house are very different in terms of meal preparation.
Have the students give an example of a time they ate at someone else’s home and how the food, as well as the circumstances under which it was eaten, was very different from what they normally experience.
Family Size - This affects the amount of money needed, the preparation time, and the style of table service preferred.
Age - Babies, children, teenagers and parents need different foods and don’t eat the same amount.
Activity Level - With more exercise, the body requires more energy.
Food Preferences - All families don’t like the same kinds of foods because of culture and traditions.
Time - Recipes vary greatly in preparation time required. When there is little time, fix foods requiring little time.
Special Diets - Health considerations such as diabetes, high blood pressure, lactose intolerance, ulcer, stroke, and heart problems influence what people eat. What are some examples of foods some people must limit and why?
Food Budget - If money is limited, foods from basic ingredients prepared from scratch may be a better choice than fast food or convenience foods. Some families don’t realize this and the fact that they could help themselves out of a trying financial situation with their food budget.

23. Meal Management Resource Skills

24. Time Management Organize kitchen Assemble all ingredients Dovetail
Clean up as you go
Shopping strategies
Preparing larger quantities of food
Organize kitchen
Assemble all ingredients before beginning
Work on several items at the same time (dovetail)
Clean up as you go
Implementing time-saving shopping strategies
Preparing larger quantities of food at one time and freezing some for later

25. Cost of Convenient Foods
May increase expense and lower quality
Time saved may be of greater value
Evaluate the use of convenience foods to save time; may increase expense and lower quality
At times the time saved may be of greater value than the additional expense

26. Shopping Tips
Fruits and vegetables in season are generally at their lowest price.
Plan menu around grocery ads.
Make a weekly menu plan.
Make a list and use it.

27. Summary
When planning a meal for your family don’t forget these main points:
1. Include the meal planning elements.
2. Understand the different parts of a meal.
3. Be aware of various needs among the family.
4. Use your meal management resources.