Meal planning

Learning objective To identify different factors which can help when planning for a meal occasion.

Lunch options – make your selection Option one Option two Option three Option four

Things to consider Dietary recommendations The meal occasion The money available for catering Time available for preparation and cooking Cooking facilities available Season of the year Where will the food be consumed Level of skill Colour, texture and flavour of food Individual requirements

Dietary recommendations The balanced plate model and the 8 tips for healthy eating provide consumers with a guide as to how to plan their meals and diet. The balanced plate shows the types of proportions of foods which a healthy diet should consist of. 8 tips for healthy eating 1. Base your meals on starchy foods 2. Eat lots of fruit and veg 3. Eat more fish 4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar 5. Eat less salt 6. Get active and be a healthy weight. 7. Don’t get thirsty 8. Don’t skip breakfast

Time the meal is to be consumed It is useful to think in terms of three meals. Healthy snacks can also be consumed throughout the day. What are some ideas for the following meal occasions? Breakfast Morning tea/Brunch Lunch Afternoon tea Evening meal

Where the meal is to be eaten Occasion Is it an everyday meal or a formal occasion? The cost of food and time taken to prepare the meal may take longer for a formal occasion. Where the meal is to be eaten Meals locations can vary from packed meals, school dinners, take-away meals, sit-down or buffet meal in a restaurant?

Money available When planning meals, try to think of recipes that you can double up for ingredients to save money. For example, using leftover vegetables to make soups and salads. Avoid wasting food by planning with portion sizes in mind. This helps to reduce food waste and prevent over-eating. Using seasonal foods, e.g. fresh fruit and vegetables, are often cheaper as well as tastier.

Money available Some cuts of meat and fish can be expensive, but there are affordable alternatives. Speaking to a butcher or a fishmonger about the different types of cuts can help you know how to prepare them. Frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables tend to be cheaper than fresh varieties but still count towards your 5 A DAY. Also, Vegetables and beans tend to cost less than meat, so try adding more vegetables to your meat based meals.

Time for food preparation Time to cook: 2 ½ hours Recipes vary in time taken to cook. Meal preparation can be broken up if it is a very long recipe. The cooking time for different cuts of meat will vary. Bulk cooking for the freezer can make a valuable contribution where time saving is concerned. Various pieces of equipment can save you time during food preparation. Some cooking techniques are quicker than others, e.g. stir-frying compared with pot roasting. Time to cook: 30 minutes

Facilities for food preparation Some pieces of equipment will make food preparation easier. With careful planning, food preparation can be done with limited space and few pieces of kitchen equipment.

Level of skill The type of meal prepared will be influenced by the level of skill of the cook. Recipe videos and cookbooks can help to support cooks who lack confidence and experience.

Colour, texture and flavour of food Fruit and vegetables and the addition of herbs and spices can add colour to meals as well as texture and flavour. Shorter cooking methods can help to retain the colour and texture, e.g. stir-frying or grilling.

Individual requirements When planning meals, individuals likes and dislikes should be taken into account. In addition, some individuals may have specific nutrient requirements or special dietary needs, e.g. food allergies or intolerances. Religious beliefs of individuals may also impact on the food preferences and choices made, e.g. Halal or Kosher food.

Summary • There are many factors to consider when planning meals. Taking these factors into consideration before preparing the food can help to save time, money and improve efficiency of the preparation. meatandeducation.com 2011

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