This document discusses meal planning and menu development. It explains that a meal pattern is a tool used to ensure meals contain recommended servings from various food groups. It provides the framework for a menu by listing required food components. Developing menus using meal patterns helps ensure balanced nutrition and reduces costs. The document also discusses other important aspects of meal planning like considering dietary needs, incorporating variety of flavors, textures and colors, and managing time and budget.

2. Meal Preparation
Meal pattern
Menu planning
Marketing Guide

3. Meal Pattern and Menu Planning
 A meal pattern is a menu-planning tool
used to develop menus for a specific age
group.
 It is a set of food components, food
items, and minimum quantities required
for a breakfast, supplement (snack), or
lunch or supper for a specific age group.
 In schools, meal patterns are used to
create menus with the healthiest meals
for students.

4. Meal Pattern and Menu Planning
 It should include food from each of four
food groups- meat/meat alternate,
vegetable/fruit, bread/bread alternate,
and milk/milk alternate.
 Patterns can incorporate standards
including: low sodium, low fat, low
saturated fat, and low cholesterol as
designated by State Units of Aging (SUA)
guidelines.

5. How is a meal pattern used to develop a
menu?
 When developing a menu, each meal is
required to include a variety of foods to
assure that it contains at least 1/3 of the
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDAs).
 The meal pattern is a template for the
menu planner. It provides a framework of
foods to include.
 Proper food preparation and handling should
also be addressed.

6. What are the benefits of using a meal
pattern to develop a menu?
 Meal patterns are simple and
cost efficient tools that ensure
the number of servings per
food group are met at each
meal.

10. Why is meal planning important?
 Many family members
are balancing: multiple
roles ex.) parents,
employees, children,
volunteer
 Families are trying to
meet good nutritional
standards.
 The busier & unprepared
a family is the more
tendencies the family
may have to develop
poor eating habits.

11. Why is meal planning important?
• When planning meals for the family or guests
consider the following:
– Allergies
– Likes and dislikes
– Your Resources:
• How much time do you have for preparation
• Food choices and availability
• Money
• Your preparation skills and equipment
– Meal Appeal
– Incorporate a balance of nutrients
– Modify meals and recipes for health concerns and
conditions

12. Time Management
 Organize the kitchen
 Assemble the ingredients and equipment
before beginning
 Work on several items at the same time
 Clean as you go
 Use time saving shopping strategies
 Prepare larger quantities of food and
freeze some for later
 Use convenience foods to save time

13. A Good Meal Includes…
 Following the food pyramid
 Following the dietary guidelines
 Maintaining nutritional balance
 Making food look good to eat
(aesthetics)

14. Follow Food Guide Pyramid
Recommendations
Food Groups No. of Servings
Bread, cereal, rice & pasta Group 6-11 servings
Fruit Group 2-4 servings
Vegetable Group 3-5 servings
Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs
& nuts Group
2-3 servings
Milk, yogurt & cheese Group 2-3 servings
(teenagers : 3-4 servings)
Fats, oils & sweets Use sparingly

15. Understand aesthetic guidelines
of meal planning
 color
 texture
 flavor
 temperature
 size and shape
 preparation method
 nutritional variety

16. COLOR
 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.
 Example of a dinner served to special guests:
- fresh broccoli, raisin, peanut salad
(green)
- cran-raspberry drink (red)
- chicken cordon blue (yellow)
- rolls with blackberry jam (dark purple)

17. COLOR

18. TEXTURE
 What can’t be seen; it can be felt with the
tongue. A variety of textures adds
interest; i.e., smooth, rough, lumpy, soft,
crisp. The way food feels when you chew
it, such as soft, hard, crisp, or chewy.
 Some foods that have similar textures:
- soup, milk, pudding
- chili, stew, some casseroles, baked
beans
- tacos, chips, crackers

19. TEXTURE

20. FLAVOR
 Variety is important! Each person has
9,000 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 mild foods for a meal.

21. FLAVOR

22. 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.

23. TEMPERATURE

24. Size and Shape
 Use various sizes and shapes.
Meatballs, peas and olives are
different colors but not different
shapes.

25. SIZE and SHAPE

26. 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.

27. Parts of a Meal
 Appetizers: 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,

28. Family Differences
 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.

29.  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.
 Food Budget: If money if limited, foods from
basic ingredients prepared from scratch may
be a better choice than fast-food or
convenience foods.

30. Marketing Guide
-Marketing Strategy-
A marketing strategy includes
determining your target market, choosing
how to position your product, deciding how
your market will find out about you, creating
a reason why customers should buy from
you, and developing a consistent message
and focus for your business.

31. An Effective Marketing Strategy
focuses on these Key Elements:
 identifying the target market,
 creating a company identity,
 reaching the market and determining how
much it will cost to do this.

32. Actions are the actual ways to
carry out the strategies it includes:
• Publicity
• Trade shows
• Advertising
• Internet presence
• Networking
• Alliances with others selling products or
services that compliment yours.

33. Successful marketing
of a food product depends on:
1. The Marketing Environment
 This includes trends in consumer behavior,
developments in technology, competition, the
economy, changes in business structures and
opportunities.
2. The Goals of the Firm
 Launch a new business or product, maintain
market share, or expand and grow.

34. Continuation…
3. The Capabilities of the Firm
 Production capabilities, financial limitations,
management skills, strengths and weaknesses
within the organization.
4. The Target Market
Who is the consumer, what are the consumer's
needs and wants, and where is the consumer
most likely to purchase the product.

35. Continuation…
5. The Product
 Desired image, the storage, handling and
preparation required, and label information.
6. The Economic Feasibility
 costs, price and profitability

36. Distribution
Strategy
A distribution strategy answers the question:
 "How will I sell my product?“
Examples
A manufacturer of chocolate and chocolate products
could sell:
 from a store-front directly to consumers
 customized packages and shapes for businesses to
use as gifts
 chocolates packaged with a store's own brand to a
supermarket chain

37. Product Promotion
This may be through the following:
 Advertising
 Price promotion
 Public relations activities
Pricing
The pricing of the product is important. Costs of
production and overhead must be met

38. Prepared by:
Abano, Nieza
Alfonso, Senen
Agudo, Kristine Claire
Al-shidhani, Saidha Ly
Bachinilla, Donna Claire
BEEd – 4D3