planning the menu Flashcards
Plan a one week menu for one of the following
General Hospital
Long term care
What factors did you consider in planning this menu
Long term care: can be for months
Acute care: around 6 days is the longest so would have a smaller cycle : 1-7
What factors to consider to make it more enjoyable:
Do they have dentures, do they fit well?
Religious affiliation: jewish, hindu…
Preferences: food habits, food intolerances
Portion sizes- eat less so need more nutrient dense foods- less sweets
Nutritional requirements- breakfast with 1/3 of daily requirements
Factors Affecting Menu Planning
The crux of menu planning is that the menu is customer driven; the overriding concern in all facets of planning should be the satisfaction of customer desires.
The concept of value cannot be ignored in menu planning; value prompts the clientele to select a particular item from the menu.
Although satisfying customers is a primary concern for all foodservice managers, producing menu items at an acceptable cost is also a priority.
Customer Satisfaction. Sociocultural factors should be considered in planning menus to satisfy and give value to the customer.
Nutritional needs provide a framework for the menu and add to customer satisfaction.
Probably the most important aspects for satisfying customers are the aesthetic factors of taste and appearance of the menu items.
Sociocultural factors. Includes the customs, mores, values, and demographic characteristics of the society in which the organization functions.
Sociocultural processes are important because they determine the products and services people desire.
Customers have food preferences that influence the popularity of menu items.
Food Habits and Preferences. Defined by customers wants and are based on personal , cultural, demographical and regional factors.
A health care food service operation marketing information system should provide information about specific food preferences of the operation’s target market
Consideration of food habits and preferences should be a priority in planning menus for a particular population.
Too often, menu planners are influenced by their own likes and dislikes of foods and food combinations rather than those of the customer.
Food habits are the practices and associated attitudes that predetermine what, when, why, and how a person will eat.
Food preferences express the degree of liking for a food item.
Informal and formal methods can be used to collect data about how clients will react to various foods and food combinations.
Nutritional Influence. Nutritional needs of the customer should be a primary concern for planning menus for all foodservice operations, but they are a special concern when living conditions constrain persons to eat most of their meals in one place.
In healthcare facilities, colleges and universities, and schools, for example, most of the nutritional needs of the customer are provided by the foodservice.
Increasing public awareness of the importance of nutrition to health and wellness also has motivated commercial foodservice operators to consider the nutritional quality of menu selections
Eating well with Canada’s food guide was developed to allow food choices that will supply required nutrients without too many calories
Aesthetic Factors. Flavor, texture, color, shape, and method of preparation are other factors to consider in planning menus
Sustainability. Sustainability concepts are having an increased influence on menu planning in many foodservice operations.
Government Regulations. Menu planning in some foodservice organizations will be impacted by local, state, and/or federal regulations governing the types and quantities of food items to be served at a meal, as well as the cost per meal
Schools and long-term care facilities that receive state and/or federal funding are required to meet menu planning guidelines.
Management Decisions. The menu should be viewed as a managerial tool for controlling cost and production.
management decisions
number of staff working, number of equipement
Food Cost/ Budget Allocations Production Capability Availability & skills of employees Preparation & scheduling requirements Production & service systems Space and equipment Type of service
Nutritional considerations in menu planning
Importance of the four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide in menu planning
Give examples of food group (s) related to the following menu categories:
Appetizers: soup, juice (most common
Entrée (protein): example pasta with a meat- beef chicken
Salad/vegetables
Starch
Deserts:
Beverages
Aesthetic Factors
Aesthetic Factors. Flavor, texture, color, shape, and method of preparation are other factors to consider in planning menus.
Flavor. Flavor is the taste that occurs from a product in the mouth and often is categorized as salty, sour, sweet, or bitter, unami, spicy, tart.
A balance should be maintained among flavors, such as tart and sweet, mild and highly seasoned, light and heavy.
Texture. Texture refers to the structure of foods and is detected by the feel of foods in the mouth.
Crisp, soft, grainy, smooth, hard, and chewy are among the descriptors of food texture, which should be varied in a meal.
Consistency. Consistency of foods is the degree of firmness, density, or viscosity.
Runny, gelatinous, and firm describe the characteristics of consistency, as do thin, medium, and thick when referring to sauces.
Color. Color on the plate, tray, or cafeteria counter has eye appeal and helps to merchandise the food.
The combination of colors of foods always should be considered in selecting menu items.
Shape. The shape of food also can be used to create interest in a menu through the variety of forms in which foods can be presented.
COLOR
red, white, green, purple, etc)
Contrast
Attractive combinations
Garnishes used
FLAVOR
Balance/complementary
Contrast:
tart, sweet, spicy, mild, strong
TEXTURE
Structure of food
Consistency, mouth feel
Contrast:
crisp, firm, soft, smooth, hard, chewy
FORM, SHAPE, SIZE
Variety:
flat, round, long, chopped
small, medium, large
PREPARATION TYPE
Frequency of: fried/baked/broilled/steamed/braised, sauces, mixtures Temperature hot/cold, raw/cooked
REPETION
Try to avoid
Same Food – Same Meal (bakes potato, baked chicken, baked veg)
Same Food – Same day - fish for lunch and dinner
Same dish – Same week
Marketplace Conditions
Weather conditions
Favourable conditions- abundance of produce at lower prices
Adverse conditions- higher prices & shortages
Geographical location
Urban/rural/remote (food cost, availability)
Determine the type & quality of food products available
Improvements in transportation can eliminate this problem
Supply cycles
Improvements in food processing, distribution & storage technologies have increased the availability of many foods
Sustainability
Sustainability concepts are having an increased influence on menu planning in many foodservice operations.
Sustainable menu planning typically focuses on one or more of the following:
Use of locally grown/produced items. The use of locally or “hyper” locally (having one’s own garden) grown/sourced meat, seafood, and produce items are becoming much more common.
Use of “in season” foods. Seasonality might mean serving vegetables such as asparagus only in the spring, tomatoes in the summer, and butternut squash in the late fall when those vegetables are available from local growers and not serving them at times of the year that they are not available locally.
Use of sustainable seafood. Sustainable seafood is from fished or farmed sources that are not impacting the ecosystem by its production
Limited use of processed foods. Processed foods often involve more energy, packaging, and transportation than the onsite production of similar foods; thus an increased practice of preparing products from “scratch” at the foodservice operation using more locally sourced products is occurring in operations focused on improving their sustainability in menu planning and food production.
Replacement of meat entrees with vegetarian entrees. A focus on vegetarian rather than meat-based entrees also is deemed more sustainable because livestock production is more harmful to the environment than the growing of vegetables.
Menu Specifications
Target Markets
Patients/ Nonpatients
Patients can be further segmented:
age, medical condition, gender
Nonpatients composed of employees, staff, visitors, visitors & guests
Meal Plan
3-meal plan (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
4-meal plan (breakfast, brunch, main meal served late afternoon, snack in the evening)
5- meal plan ( breakfast, brunch, light early-afternoon refreshment, late-afternoon main meal, and an evening snack)
Menu pattern
# of item to be served at each meal
Lunch: soup, salad, entrée, vegetable, dessert
Normal diet/ modified diets
Planning & producing modified diets is easier when the normal diet menu includes several foods that can also be served on modified diets
Degree of selection and repetition
Cycle, static and single use
The food service director must establish basic menu specifications before planning any menus
First the number of target markets or customer groups for which menus will be developed, along with any special services offered by the department, must be identified
Then the number of menus that must be developed to meet the needs of different customers groups must be specified
Next a meal plan and menu pattern appropriate for each customer group must be determined
Finally such issues as the degree of selection and repetition to offer customers should be specified
Advantages of Proper
Menu Planning
adequate nutrition more varied & interesting meal Economical use of time and energy. maximum use of available resources Pleasing and satisfying meals
