Meal Planning for the Family

Know the Dietary Guidelines

• Aim for Fitness…

–Aim for a healthy weight

–Be physically active each day.

• Build a Healthy Base…

– Let the Pyramid guide your food choices.

– Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains.

– Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.

– Keep food safe to eat.

• Choose Sensibly…

– Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.

– Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.

– Choose and prepare foods with less salt.

– If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

Follow Food Guide Pyramid Recommendations

• Grains -3 ounce equivalents

• Fruits -1 cup

• Vegetables -1 cup

• Meat & Beans -2 cups

• Milk -2 ounce equivalents

• Physical activity At least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day, 10 minutes or more at a time.

• Fats, oils & sweets -use sparingly

•Meals should be planned for

nutritional balance, appeal, and

suitability to various individual

and family circumstances.

When planning meals there are six things to consider to that food is appealing as well as nutritious.

Imagine eating the following for dinner: mashed potatoes, cauliflower, white bread,

halibut, vanilla ice cream.

Would this be appealing? Why or why not?

Answer: The foods are all the same color.

Elements that make food appealing:

Color: • Some of the most beautiful objects in nature are

foods. Many colors of food are available. Color combinations can be appealing of 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.

• 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)

Texture: What can 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

Size and Shape:

Use various sizes and shapes. Meatballs, peas and olives are different colors but not different shapes.

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 milk foods for a meal.

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.

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.

Time Management

1) Organize kitchen2) Assemble all ingredients before beginning3) Work on several items at the same time (dovetail)4) Clean up as you go5) Implementing time-saving shopping strategies6) Preparing larger quantities of food at one time and

freezing some for later7) Evaluate the use of convenience foods to save time;

may increase expense and lower quality8) At times the time saved may be of greater value than

the additional expense

Label Definitions/Termslow in-the food could be eaten frequently without exceeding

recommended amountsi.e. fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium or calories

low in fat-means that one serving has no more than 3 grams of fat

reduced, less, or fewer-the food must have at least 25% less of something (fat, calories, sodium) than a comparison food

the term reduced-is used when the food has been nutritionally altered

good source of-one serving of the food contains 10 -19% of the daily food value for a particular nutrient

organic and natural-have not been defined by law

high source of fiber- at least 20% from fiber

juice-must be 100% juiceproducts using the terms fruit drink or fruit beverage may contain less than 10% fruit juice

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, fruit

Seven main differences between families:

The circumstances, values, and ways families manage their resources from house to house are very different in terms of meal preparation.

Give an example of a time you ate at someone else’s home and how the food, as well as the circumstances under which it was easier, was very different from what you normally experience.

1. Family Size: This affects the amount of money needed, the preparation time, and the style of table service preferred.

2. Age: Babies, children, teenagers and parents need different foods and don’t eat the same amount.

3. Activity Level: With more exercise, the body requires more energy.

4. Food Preferences: All families don’t like the same kinds of foods because of culture and traditions.

5. Time: Recipes vary greatly in preparation time required. When there is little time, fix foods requiring little time.

6. 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?

7. Food Budget: If money if 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.

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.

Budgeting and Shopping Strategies to Meal Management

Guidelines:• prepare a shopping list

group similar foods together to be efficientcheck cupboards/pantry to avoid duplicationfamiliarize yourself with the store layoutcomparison shopping - compare unit prices and cost

per servingavoid damaged goods and frozen packages with ice

crystals on outsidecheck dates on the packageplan meals around store specialscheck ads for loss leaders

• stick to the list to avoid impulse buying• shop alone

• avoid shopping when hungry or tired• limit shopping trips - the more trips to the store, the more

money spent• purchase what you can use and store• quantity buying can benefit if the item is used frequently• take advantage of sales of frequently used items; case

lot sales• buy foods in season for best prices• using a calculator while shopping can help keep track of

money spent while shopping

• Advertising strategiesimpulse buying

most popular and profitable items are at eye level to courage buying

end isle displaysmultiple pricing encourages buying more - (3/1.00)specials - buy one get one freecelebrity endorsement - often don’t tell you they actually use the

productcreate brand recognition - shop for a brand instead of a product

(Kleenex vs, facial tissue)advertisements appeal to basic needs - security, self-esteem,

acceptancepositive images - associate the image with the productif the claim is too good to be true, it probably ismanufacture and store couponsin store samples; free mailed samplesloss leaders - get you in the store to purchase the bargain and

often end up buying extra items

• Unit pricing/cost per serving

price per unit - ounce, quart, pound or other unit to show the best value

unit price = total price divided by the number of units

unit pricing is often figured and listed on the store shelf

unit pricing is a way to compare brands and also different size packages/containers of the same

brand

largest package isn’t always the least expensive per unit

larger package even if it is cheaper per unit not always best buy if the product isn’t going to be used before the expiration date or spoilage

cost per serving = total price divided by the number of servings

cost per servings is often used to compare two different types of foods

example - chicken breast with bone and skin vs. boneless skinless chicken breast

• Coupons

coupons usually offered on national brands; check cost of other

brands to compare

use coupons when the final cost is less than other comparable

brands/products

coupons are often used to get consumer to try new products

consumer often purchase items they don’t use/need because of the coupon incentive

rebate coupons often require original receipt and proof of purchase hard to sometimes track; additional time and

postageincentive

• Name/National Brands vs. Store Brands

store brands are foods without name/national brand names

store brands usually less expensive and often same quality; often manufactured by a national company

check unit pricing of brands to compare

buy for intended use - store brands that have lower quality and appearance; may work for food products where appearance isn’t a major factor

• Spending Recordfood dollars may be evaluated by keeping a

spending record

is helpful when determining how to reduce amount of money spent on food

includes money spent on food prepared in the home as well as food prepared outside the home

• Convenience Foods

convenience foods are food products sold prepared or semi-prepared

convenience foods come in many forms

generally the more the food is processed/prepared the higher the cost

save time but consumer will pay for the service of the preparation

when taking into account the cost of time, some convenience foods are worth the added cost

on a limited budget reducing the amount/type of convenience foods can save money

most contain food additives

generally convenience foods are higher in fat and sodium content

cost of packaging is also added into the total cost of the convenience food