Meal Management 5.

Suitability, availability and

quality of the food to be served.
- Is the process whereby
6. Aesthetics and psychological
resources, both material and
aspects of food – or the proper
human, are used to obtain goals
combination of flavor, texture
that have to do with feeding the
and shapes as well as variety in
individual or the group. It
color, form and arrangement.
involves planning, organizing,
7. Equipment available for food
controlling and evaluating the
preparation.
meal service.
- Goal: to provide food that will
PRINCIPLES IN PLANNING
ensure the physical and mental
MEALS
growth of the person, his social
1. Plan several days’ meals at one
development, and well-being,
time, utilizing simple menus that
with a reasonable expenditure of
are easy to prepare.
available resources.
2. Include more of one-dish meals
like sinigang, nilaga, tinola and
I. PLANNING MEALS
the like.
• PLANNING meals includes not
3. Plan meals that have interesting
only the listing of foods to serve
variety in color, texture and
at any one meal, otherwise
flavor.
known as the menu, but also
4. Plan to serve foods that are not
these activities as well:
only in season but also enjoyed
1. Planning the food budget.
by the diner.
2. Planning for food purchase.
5. Plan dishes that do not entail too
3. Planning for preparation and
much preparation at one time. If
serving the meals.
possible, preparation can be
started the day before the dish is
FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN
served.
PLANNING MEALS
6. Consider palatable foods that are
1. Nutritional adequacy – or the
rich in essential nutrients.
provision of palatable foods that
Consult the different food guides.
are rich in essential nutrients.
7. Make out a market list to avoid
Nutrient needs of an individual
extra trips to the food stores.
are affected by age, sex, body
8. Utilize leftovers and
build, and activities engaged in
“convenience” foods when
by the individual.
necessary.
2. The Food budget – is influenced
by the family income, knowledge
Procedure in Meal Planning
of the marketer’s procurement
MENU – a menu is a list of
skills, family food likes and
specific foods or dishes that fit
dislikes and their goals and
the meal pattern selected.
values.
3. Differences in food habits –
includes the dietary habits of
nationality groups, regional food
patterns, cultural and religious
food patterns and the socio-
economic background.
4. The time and skill of the meal
manager – The length of meal
preparation, the amount of
experience, and the time
available are to be considered.
 certain kind of meat or vegetable
must be avoided.)
WHEN menus are selected, one must
4. Is there variety in the sauces or
also think of the recipes for preparing
seasonings? (One should not
these foods. Recipes play an important
serve the same kind of sauce with
part in meal planning.
more than one dish.)
WHEN planning meals, one must keep 5. Is there too much last-minute
in mind the principles of meal planning cooking? (It is important that
much work shortly before guests
MENUS are not only planned, but arrive or while they are being
written since attention to the form or served be avoided.)
mechanics of menu-writing is desirable. 6. Have you planned too many
The following suggestions for menu- dishes, or too many complicated
writing are as follows: or new dishes? (Meals must be
kept simple.)
1. Capitalize all the beginning
letters of each dish.
Menu planning is beneficial in
2. List the foods in the order in
the following areas:
which they are to be served.
 Purchasing of essential material
3. List the beverages last,
in advance.
regardless of whether they are to
 Pricing of the food.
be served with the main course
or with the dessert.  Guiding the food preparation.
4. Foods eaten together are  Evaluating the dietary needs.
grouped together.  Evaluating the food in terms of
5. Such items as butter, cream, necessary improvements.
sugar or salad dressing are not  The menu must be planned such
written on menus unless they are that it goes well with the theme
different or particularly of the F&B outlet and it must be a
interesting. good bargain for food price and
6. When an item on the menu has a dietary value.
special accompaniment,, place A good menu must
the accompanying item  Present clear, unambiguous
underneath or to the right of the information.
main item.  Adhere to food safety and
7. Allow extra spacing between nutrition policies of the business.
courses and leave a margin  Meet or outstrip guests’
around the list: expectations.
 Meet the quality standards of the
SOME UNIVERSAL TIPS FOR MENU business.
PLANNING  Be truthful in describing the taste
1. Do the foods offer contrast in and preparations.
color? (Dishes which are all pale,  Be strictly going with the
or all dark, or of the same color production and service facilities
must be avoided.) of the business.
2. Is there variety in texture? (Some
French Food Menu- France boasts of a
of the foods should be soft,
wide range of cuisines. The cuisines
smooth or with sauce, while
follow authentic traditional cooking
others should be firm or
practices. French food caters to the
crunchy.)
preparation of appetizers, salads, soups,
3. Is thee variety in the main
stews, side and main dishes, and
ingredients? (Repetition of a
desserts. A large variety of classic food
is prepared using red and white meats.
 Traditional French dishes: Traditional Chinese dishes:

 Soupe a l'oignon (Onion soup in  Gong Bao Chicken

meat stock)  Ma Po Tofu
 Petits Pates a la Sage (Little pies  Wontons
of sage)  Dumplings
 Ratatouille (Traditional vegetable  Spring Rolls
stew)  Chow Mein
 Coq au vin (Rooster or chicken)
 Cassoulet (Comfort dish of white THAI FOOD MENU
beans stewed slowly with meat) Thai food is popular for the aroma it
 Bouef Bourguignon (stew made brings with the addition of lemongrass,
from beef ) lemon leaves, galangal, chili, and
 Chocolate Souffle (soufflé comes aromatic herbs. The base food is
from the French verb ‘to blow) vegetables, meats, eggs, sauces, noodles,
 Salade Nicoise and rice.
ITALIAN FOOD MENU Some popular Thai dishes are:
Italian food boasts of classically  Tom Yam Goong
prepared pizza bases baked with  Pad Thai
savoury toppings of vegetables,  Kuay Tiew
meat, and cheese. It also includes a  Gai Med Ma Moung
wide range of pastas of various
 Kao Phad
shapes and sizes cooked and served
 Massaman Curry
with authentic Italian
accompaniments and sauces. MEXICAN line of food is famous for
spicy and tangy taste. It includes salads,
Popular dishes in Italian cuisine:
snacks, one-dish meals, elaborate meals,
 Caprese Salad and desserts.
 Panettone
Basic food items in Mexican cuisine
 Mushroom Risotto are:
 Bruschetta
 Focaccia Bread  Tortillas
 Pasta Carbonara  Fajitas
 Margherita Pizza  Tacos
 Pasta Con Pomodoro E Basilico  Quesadilla
Recipe  Nachos
 Tiramisu  Enchiladas
 Empanadas
CHINESE FOOD MENU
Menu Courses
Chinese food is the tastiest in the
world. It includes soups, snacks, and The courses of meal around the world
meals prepared with rice, noodles, vary in number from as small as just
vegetables, meats, seafood, sauces, one to as wide as 17, in case of a
and seasonings. traditional French meal.

Chinese food is prepared with STARTER- a welcoming appetizer that

crunchy or leafy vegetables, bean
sprouts, a variety of mushrooms,
bamboo shoots, tofu, and spices such
as chilies, ginger, Chinese celery, and
garlic.
induces hunger is given to the guests.
Also, can prefer soups accompanied
with the bite-size savory snacks as side
orders in this course.
MAIN COURSE- main dishes with
vegetables or meats accompanied with
rice and served. In some cultures, such
as Indian, the main dish is accompanied
with salads.