Step by Step Menu Planning
Simple changes, taken one at a time, can add up to a lifetime of better eating habits. The key is to make changes that are right for you and the children. Here are some suggested techniques in planning your menus: Remember that children are the prime focus, make gradual changes over time and provide tasty and interesting food choices.
Set standards not only for taste, but also for appearance, texture, and temperature. In doing this, consider the children’s ages and preferences – for example, some children like their pizza crust thicker and chewier than others. Listen to what children have to say about the food and watch their actions and reactions. Also, watch to see what foods they end up throwing away.
Keep quality in mind. Roxy’s quality foods are created for schools and restaurants. Most important, they are child tested!
Advances in food technology make it possible to select foods in many forms – frozen or chilled, partially or totally prepared, pre-portioned or in bulk, or as ingredients to put together “from scratch.” All of this makes menu planning exciting as well as challenging. Where do you begin? Six basic menu planning principles are…
- Choose nutrient rich foods first. Increase fiber by including some fresh vegetables and fruits, brown rice and whole-grain products. Limit the number of fried foods and high-fat foods offered. Choose lean protein such as roast beef, turkey breast or other low-fat lunch meats. Select Roxy’s lean ground beef for hamburgers, chili or other dishes that require ground beef crumbles. Plan to serve fewer high salt foods such as luncheon meats and processed foods. Include foods that provide vitamin A and Vitamin C on a daily basis.
- Strive for balance. Too many mild flavors may make a meal too bland; too many strongly flavored foods may make a meal unacceptable to children. For example, a lunch menu with sausage pizza, Cajun potatoes, coleslaw, brownie and milk has too many spicy and strong flavors. Avoid having too many higher fat foods in the same week. Do not include sausage pizza on a week’s menu if you are already planning to serve hot dogs and chicken nuggets. Look for ways to use lowfat side dishes to balance a higher fat entrée. For example, with Roxy’s Cheese Pizza Quesadillas, serve carrot and celery sticks.
- Emphasize variety. Serving a variety of foods is important because no one food or group of foods can give us everything we need for a healthy diet. Variety also makes menus interesting and appealing.
To add variety consider:
· Avoid planning the same form of food on consecutive days, such as meatballs with spaghetti on Monday and meat ravioli on Tuesday.
· Vary the types of main courses you serve. For example, serve casseroles one day and soup and sandwiches the next.
· Include different forms of foods, and prepare them in a variety of ways. Some vegetables are good eaten raw. If you usually serve a particular vegetable cooked, serve it uncooked if it is good that way.
· Include a surprise item or a small amount of a new or unfamiliar food occasionally. Try adding raw cauliflower, red cabbage, or spinach to a salad.
Check to make sure that the same foods are not repeated too often (too often is more than once a week).
Add contrast. Strive for contrasts of texture, flavor, and methods of preparation
