Nutrition and Menu Planning PDF

TH2306 NUTRITION AND MENU PLANNING Meal Plans and Menu Patterns (Palacio & Theis, 2021) A menu pattern outlines the menu item categories offered at each meal plan and the extent of choices within each category. A meal plan refers to the number of meal opportunities of...

TH2306 NUTRITION AND MENU PLANNING Meal Plans and Menu Patterns (Palacio & Theis, 2021) A menu pattern outlines the menu item categories offered at each meal plan and the extent of choices within each category. A meal plan refers to the number of meal opportunities offered over a specified period, usually 24 hours. For example, a small café may offer only breakfast and lunch; a daycare center may offer two (2) snacks and lunch; and a long-term care facility may offer breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an hour of afternoon snacks. Table 1 shows an example of a three-meal plan with corresponding menu patterns. Establishment ABC Meal Plan: Breakfast Meal Plan: Lunch Meal Plan: Dinner Menu pattern: Menu pattern: Menu pattern: Fruit or juice Soup (optional) Soup (optional) Cereal Entrée or sandwich Entrée (meat, fish, poultry, or Eggs and breakfast meats Salad or vegetables vegetarian) Toast or hot bread Bread with butter Two (2) vegetables [one (1) may be Choice of beverages Fruit or light dessert potato or any starch] or one (1) pasta Choice of beverages Salad Bread with butter Dessert Choice of beverages Table 1. A three-meal Plan with Menu Patterns Source: Foodservice management: Principles and practices (13th Ed.), pg. 142-143 A traditional meal plan has three (3) meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, served within a certain period. Sometimes, the larger meal has been served at noon, resulting in an arrangement of breakfast, dinner, and supper. In food service, the trend is moving away from traditionally structured plans because many customers desire to eat what they want and when they want it. To accommodate these preferences, cafeterias and other retail food units now offer various selections during all hours of operation. The rise of many grab-and-go stalls and convenience stores offering rice meals, soups, salads, and freshly brewed coffee is due to the ever-growing demand of diverse consumers. Ideas for menu items can come from various sources, such as industry trade journals, food magazines, customer insights or suggestions, menus at local restaurants, cooking shows, and culinary websites. A menu planner must understand that great menu ideas can come from various places. A creative, open approach to new ideas and concepts will keep current and potential customers interested in trying one's menu. Nutritional Implications on Menu Planning (Drummond & Brefere, 2021) Nutrition is the science of food, nutrients, and other substances these contain, and their ingestion, digestion, absorption, and excretion. It is one of the many factors that influence people's food choices. Other factors involve preference, habit, ethnic heritage and local cuisines, values, social interaction, emotional state, availability, convenience, age, body weight and image, and medical conditions. Today's consumers make food choices that they believe would improve their health. Food manufacturers and restaurant chefs have responded to scientific findings linking health with nutrition by offering abundant health-promoting food and beverages. Food that has a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet, regularly, and at effective levels is called functional food. Whole food is the simplest functional food, like oatmeal, tomatoes, and avocado. Some are fortified, enriched, or enhanced, such as orange juice fortified with calcium to build strong bones; bread enriched with folate to promote normal fetal development; and margarine enhanced with a plant sterol to lower blood cholesterol. 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 1 of 4  TH2306 Consumers need not choose to eat or make "special food" to enjoy a healthy diet. Many "regular" food items provide numerous natural health benefits as well. The healthiest choices are whole grains, vegetables and legumes, fruits, meats, seafood, poultry, eggs, nuts and seeds, and low-fat milk products. Dietary Ideas Health authorities are concerned about overnutrition (overconsumption of food energy or nutrients sufficient to cause disease or increased susceptibility to disease) and undernutrition (underconsumption of food energy or nutrients severe enough to cause disease or increased susceptibility to disease). Both conditions are known to be a form of malnutrition. Research confirms that dietary excesses, especially energy, sodium, certain fats, and alcohol, contribute to many chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and liver diseases (DeBruyne et al., 2019). Sound nutrition does not depend on selecting one (1) food. Instead, it depends on an individual's overall eating pattern (the combination of many different food items and beverages at numerous meals over days, months, and years). A nutritious diet has the following six (6) basic characteristics: ✓ Adequacy – An adequate diet has enough energy and enough of every nutrient to meet the health needs of consumers. ✓ Balance – Food choices do not overemphasize one (1) nutrient or food type at the expense of another. Balance in a diet helps to ensure adequacy. ✓ Kcalorie (Kilo Calorie) – It is the unit of energy content found in food. Food provides the needed energy to maintain a healthy body weight. The key to kcalorie control is selecting food that delivers the most nutrients for the least energy. ✓ Nutrient Density – This promotes adequacy and calorie control. For example, a consumer can get about 300 milligrams of calcium from either 1 ½ ounces of cheddar cheese or one (1) cup of fat- free milk, but the cheese delivers about twice as much food energy (kcalories) as the milk. The fat- free milk, then, is twice as calcium-dense as the cheddar cheese; it offers the same amount of calcium for half the calories. ✓ Moderation – This contributes to adequacy, balance, and calorie control. Food rich in fat and sugar often provides enjoyment and energy but relatively few nutrients. In addition, these promote weight gain when eaten in excess. ✓ Variety – Food items are chosen to differ from one (1) day to the next. A diet may have all the virtues just described and still lack variety if a person eats the same food day after day. People must select from each food group daily and vary their choices to achieve variety. This practice also improves adequacy. Healthy Menus As a food service professional, one is responsible for letting clients understand that eating a balanced and nutritious meal is more of a way of life than a diet. The following guidelines can help frame healthy menus for customers (Drummond & Brefere, 2021): ✓ Provide clients with healthy menu selections in each section or food group (e.g., appetizer, soup, entrée, etc.). ✓ List the elements to consider when presenting food at its best flavor, texture, and color. ✓ Select and prepare appropriate garnishes. Balance in the menu is one of the keys to success in a foodservice operation. Careful preparation and proper cooking help in creating nutritionally balanced meals. A menu may highlight more than two (2) healthy entrées and one (1) or two (2) healthy appetizers and desserts. When developing healthy menu items, the first step is to look closely at the existing menu and modify it from there. Go with any of these three (3) directions: 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 2 of 4  TH2306 Use existing items on the menu. Certain menu selections, such as fresh vegetable salads and marinated grilled skinless chicken, may meet one's needs. Modify existing items to make these more nutritious. For example, sear (dry sauté method) fish instead of pan-frying it with a butter sauce. In general, modification focuses on ingredients, preparation, and cooking techniques. Modifying an existing item may mean offering a half portion, which would work well for elderly clients who cannot eat full portions and those who prefer taking leftovers home. It is also a great marketing tool because the customers may opt to pay less; however, this does not mean they pay half the price. The food cost is less, but the labor and expenses are not. Create new selections. Many resources are available to obtain healthy recipe guidelines and ingredients or draw on one's culinary skills and creativity to craft recipes via experimentation or trial and error. Ways to Modify Recipes Change/Add healthy preparation techniques, such as using enough natural preservatives like salt rather than monosodium glutamate (MSG), during marination or seasoning. Change/Add healthy cooking techniques like steaming, pan-searing, and sous vide (a modern cooking method wherein food items are vacuum-sealed in plastic bags and are cooked slowly at a constant temperature in a special water bath). Change an ingredient by reducing it, eliminating it, or replacing it. Add new ingredient/s, particularly to build flavors, such as rubs, toasted spices, and fresh herbs. Ingredients and Preparation The ingredients and methods of preparation that a food service operation uses greatly affect the food's nutrient content. It is ideal to maximize the number of vitamins, minerals, and fiber and to minimize calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar. Tailoring a food service operation's cooking methods to minimize nutrient loss can be achieved by adhering to these eight (8) guidelines (McVety, Ware, & Ware, 2009): Avoid overcooking food. Steam, stir-fry, or microwave food instead of boiling. If cooking in water cannot be avoided, use as little as possible and reuse that water to make soup or gravy. Keep food wrapped to prevent oxidation. If appropriate, keep food items cool to decrease the activity of enzymes. Do not add baking soda to green vegetables to give them a bright green color. Store food items in dark or opaque containers. Cut food items into medium-sized pieces for cooking. Large pieces usually cook too slowly, and very small pieces promote oxidation and loss of vitamins in the cooking water. Avoid holding food at serving temperature for a prolonged period [not more than four (4) hours]. This procedure increases vitamin loss, affects texture, and increases the risk of food poisoning. A nutrient breakdown of menu items, printed general nutrition information (such as calorie count) on the menu, and health-oriented newsletters are just a few vehicles that can increase interest in healthful eating. Food service personnel or employees can be educated about nutrition through training and seminars and by encouraging them to take short courses and refreshers on food preparation, safety, and basic nutrition. Refer to 04 Infographic 1 for the nutritional guidelines in menu planning, particularly for Filipinos. 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 3 of 4  TH2306 References: DeBruyne, L., Pinna, K., Whitney, E., (2019). Nutrition and diet therapy (10th Ed.). Cengage Drummond, K. E., & Brefere, L. (2021). Nutrition for foodservice and culinary professionals (10th Ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. McVety, P., Ware B., & Ware, C. L. (2009). Fundamentals of menu planning (3rd Ed.). Hoboken. NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Payne-Palacio, J. & Theis, M. (2021). Foodservice management: Principles and practices (13th Ed.). Pearson Walker, J. (2022). The restaurant: From concept to operation (9th Ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 4 of 4