CHAPTER I.

HOME ECONOMICS

Introduction

This is designed to have a broad understanding about themselves and their families to
accept the rapid changes in the stage of adolescence, use their imaginations and make
discoveries to reach their maximum potentials. To understand the complexity of family resources
and relationships.
Filipino teenagers have a lot to offer to their family. They have the obligation to contribute to
satisfying homelife. To be an adult it requires not just physical growth but also moral and social
growth. The home became a source of foundation for the family that have shared purpose.
Housing answers one of the basic needs of a person—shelter. It protects one from the
elements while providing him/her with privacy, a feeling of security, and a sense of belonging. To
a family, housing likewise allow as for closeness and unity among the family members. Family
economics is best undertaken when one has a full knowledge of the mechanics of home
management. It enables the homemaker to effectively plan, organize, coordinate and evaluate
activities pertaining to the realization of personal and family goals through the wise and careful
utilization of human and material resources.

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the factors which influence a person’s outlook in life

• Discuss how to meet expected /unexpected events at home
• Describe the characteristics of a suitable house for the family in relation to location
• Discuss the characteristics of an adequate house.
• Identify common daily household tasks as well as weekly and occasional tasks related to
housekeeping and grooming.
• Demonstrate home, time and energy management proficiently.

Lesson I. Home and Family Living

Learning Content

The Teenager’s Behavioral Traits

Adolescence-is the period of life from puberty to maturity. It includes changes in physical, mental,
emotional makeup of the individual. This is also the time that interest to opposite sex is starting.

Teenagers like you exhibit various traits. These traits make you different from a child or
an adult. Knowing the following traits of an adolescence will help you understand the different
changes that you are experiencing:
1. Adolescents have a tendency to be self centered. They focus on their needs, sometimes
even at the expense of others, oftentimes their parents and family.
2. Adolescents are moody. They worry about unimportant matters. They also get upset very
easily.
3. Most teenagers want to be independent but are quite reluctant to leave security of their
homes. Most of them still depend on their parents to make important decisions like
choosing a career or the school to go to. Furthermore, younger adolescents are more
conforming than the older ones. Older adolescents are more independent.
 4. Adolescents resent being told what to do and how and when to do a particular task. They
are also afraid of being criticized.
5. Adolescents are inquisitive. They tend to analyze events and situation and justify their
actions.
6. Most teenagers tend to be idealistic. They continually search for truth, justice and love. An
ideal set in their minds greatly influences their behavior.
7. An adolescent’s needs and wants differ from those of an adult, thereby causing conflicts
between the two.
8. Teenagers hunger for social acceptance. However, they cannot understand that the older
and more traditional members of the society find it difficult to accept their sometimes-
different manner of dressing and their rebellious ways.

The Developmental Task of Teenagers

Adolescence marks the end of childhood. The transition from childhood to adulthood is
gradual, but it culminates during adolescence. The process of psychological emancipation is
also long and gradual, as basic emotional conflicts laid in the preschool years often rise to
plague adolescents as they strive for emotional independence from their parents and other
adults.

Physical Task

During adolescence various parts of the body grow unevenly altering body proportions
often quite radically. The legs grow faster than the trunk, resulting in the often-gangly
appearance of early teen years.
The physical task changes that occur as adolescents mature enable them to tackle tasks
in graduated difficulty. Rapid physical growth necessitates body and health care to maintain
physical fitness. It is the adolescents’ task to keep their body clean and healthy, a condition that
can only be attained through good health practices and habits like frequent bathing to prevent
bad body odor, eating a balanced diet, exercising, having enough sleep and rest, and involving
oneself in activities which will enhance one’s physical attributes. Physical appearance is
especially important to an adolescent at this time. Minor skin problems like acne and weight
gain or loss take on undue importance.
The ability to use the body effectively is of crucial importance to an adolescent. This is
particularly true for boys, since high value is frequently se on the male’s physical prowess in
sports, not only by the peer group but also by adults. Because of gain of strength , speed and
capacity for coordinated movement, one reaches the peak of performance during adolescence.
Male strength is recognized for tasks which require muscular ability than precision. On
the other hand, studies reveal that females have proven to be highly capable in tasks calling for
skillful coordination and fine motor skills.

Mental Task

As you grow, your ability to think and to reason deepens. You become increasingly
aware of current events and world affairs. You continue to gather facts and search for models or
heroes to emulate.
The fact that boys and girls continue to grow in intelligence through the years of
adolescence, and probably beyond the age of 20, has important implications for both parents
and teachers. While a bright child is mentally capable of doing successful high school work at
an earlier age than a child who is mentally slower, the slower child may be able to do the same
type of high school work at a later age.
Generally, boys and girls whose level of intelligence is high maintain this high level, and
the child with average or below-average mental ability is not likely to become above average in
intelligence especially after reaching adolescence.
Girls as well as boys begin to think of choosing a vocation and planning further
education. Most adolescence thinking of their forthcoming independence. One of your task as a
teenager is to develop your mental skills to enable you to think and reason out in order to solve
problems.

Socioemotional Task

Along with the physiological and emotional changes during adolescent years, you must
establish new relationships with others of your sex and the opposite sex in your age group. This
is the time when you get interested of the opposite sex and think of getting married someday
thus, leading you to prepare for a better future.
Teenagers must somehow accomplish the following to address their socioemotional
task:
1. Make vocational and educational choices and decisions on how they will earn their living
and prepare themselves to do so.
2. Free themselves from social and emotional dependence on their parents; in some
cases, become financially independent.
3. Decide their own moral, ethical, social and spiritual values.
4. Learn to fulfill the duties, accept responsibilities and enjoy the privileges of citizens of a
democratic nation.

In short, by the end of adolescence, boys and girls should be able to think of themselves
as independent, self-supporting, responsible citizens.

Contributing to a Satisfying Homelife

Homelife is satisfying when family members

• Are in good physical and mental health
• Are doing well in school and at work yet find time to work and play together.
• Are emotionally stable, relating harmoniously with one another, because there is
respect, love and honesty among them.
• Have a livable and comfortable shelter and enough good food to eat.
• Share in the home chores so that order, system and discipline prevail.
• Are safe from danger, illness and disaster.
• Share with one another their resources like talent, service, attention, time and love.
• Understand each other strengths and weaknesses and try to complement or support
these
• Are proud of each other’s behavior, attainment and position in the community.
• Are spiritually and morally upright.

An individual can contribute to a satisfying homelife and make life easier for the whole
family by fulfilling your duties and responsibilities wholeheartedly and showing cooperation and
concern at all times. Harmonious relationship at home is not just based on love, respect and
consideration but upon the way family members perform their respective tasks as well. Here are
the things you can do for your family:
1. Run errands and do marketing
2. Mail letters and other communications
3. Help clean the house, prepare and cook meals, do the laundry, tend the garden and
wash dishes.
4. Undertake income-generating activities like food preservation, recycling, baby-sitting,
simple repair work, poultry raising, vegetable gardening, crocheting, sewing and
preparing simple dishes, among others
5. Baby-sit a younger sibling.

To be able to do these tasks, you should keep yourself healthy. Eat a balanced diet and
exercise regularly. In addition to your responsibilities at home it is also your responsibility to do
well in school.
Family members have individual differences. They have different likes, dislikes and
outlook in life thus they decide on things differently and behave differently as well. Although is
normal in every family, these differences may sometimes cause conflicts which results in
problems and communication gaps. If not immediately resolved, conflicts may lead to a
disunited family.
To prevent these situations from frequently occurring, family members should learn to
adjust to each other’s personalities and behave accordingly. Observing the following pointers
will surely help you build better family relations:
1. Keep family secrets.
2. Avoid opening and reading letters not addressed to you.
3. Avoid talking about other member’s weaknesses.
4. Participate in family councils.
5. Make decisions using sound judgement.
6. Practice thoughtfulness at all times.
7. Avoid hurting the feelings of others.
8. Obey the rules and regulations of the family.
9. Try to cooperate with all the family members as always.
10. Practice neatness and orderliness

Developing Lasting Friendships

Friendship is a special type of peer relationship in which you share yourself with the
persons of your age in a freer, more intimate way than in the family or an organized peer group
such as class. Friends a re important in your life. They understand you and accept you for what
you are and what you might become. They share their innermost thoughts with you. They
encourage and support you and they regard you as a valuable person.

Importance of Keeping a Friendship

The essential quality of a friendship is for one to be able to share one’s self without fear
of being betrayed. As a teenager, you will experience several physical and emotional changes
which you will more readily share with your friends rather than with your parents. Friends
provide emotional support to help you cope with family conflicts caused by your parents’
restrictions on some of your behaviors like being interested in the opposite sex, frequent
partying with friends, buying expensive clothes, and other activities where you prefer to be
independent. Sometimes you feel that friends are a part of your life; without them life is boring.
Fostering Lasting Friendships

To foster a lasting friendship, you have to know the special features of friendship and try
to cultivate them in the friendship you develop.
Special features of friendship:
1. Friendship is voluntary
2. Friendship is informal. Friends do not make rules. They let the friendship develop on its
own.
3. Friendship is dynamic.
4. Friendship is satisfying.
5. Friendship involves communication.
6. Friendship involves mutual acceptance.
7. Friendship is valued and enjoyed by the two parties involved.
8. Friendship is reciprocal.
9. Friendship is learned.
10. Friendship is like a life “basin”.

Making Friends

Friends make life meaningful and exciting. Unfortunately, making friends is difficult for
some. These people worry that others will not accept them or they fear that they are forcing
themselves on others. Choosing friends is another area of concern to many. Compatibility is a
good foundation of a long-lasting friendship. Indeed, you must be careful in selecting your
friends. Here are some wholesome types of personalities whom you may choose to befriend:
1. Diligent students-these are students who want to succeed in their studies.
2. Time-conscious students-these are students who are aware that youth is the time to
have fun and excitement but do not waste their time on unimportant things.
3. Unproblematic students- these students lead simple lives. They avoid people who can
cause problems like drug addiction, alcoholism and the like.

Friendship is developed through a give-and-take relationship. You have to be observant of

people who are interested to make friends with you. Here are some places where you may
discover good friends:
1. Library-mostly students in the library are serious in their studies. Establishing friendship
to individuals who are responsible with their studies may enhance your quality of being a
responsible student as well.
2. Church- teenagers of your age have special organized groups in the church. Joining the
church organizations may give you the opportunity to find true friendship.
3. School Organization-people join clubs mainly to further their talents and interests. You
may meet someone who share the same interest with you.
4. Community projects and organizations-the community needs the youth to organize
projects and work hand in hand towards improving the quality of life in the community.
This endeavor may bring you friends who can share with you the realization of the
community’s objective.

Developing a Personable You

Aside from making yourself physically strong, healthy and tidy, you must have to develop
desirable traits and values to acquire more friends.

Personal Values
Values-are strong belief, ideas, qualities, or entities considered important or desirable.

The following are among the things in life which we highly value:
1. Love- the interest in relationship with people—In its broad sense and in its various forms,
it is expressed as sexual love, parental, love, friendship or generic love.
2. Health-the interest in physical and mental well-being—Health is wealth. Many people
prefer to be healthy rather than wealthy but sickly. Good health will enable you to
perform activities much better than a sick person.
3. Comfort, the interest in making life as pleasant and agreeable as possible-you should
strive to look at life positively by making each day pleasant.
4. Ambition, the interest or desire for success in life—A personable person has ambitions in
life. These give an individual a sense of directions to know the kind of live he/she will
live. Success is attained when your ambitions are realized.
5. Knowledge and wisdom, the interest in truth and its use in all activities in life-these
values is develop through reading, listening to learned people like teachers and elders,
discussing issues and concerns and keeping abreast with recent developments in
science, mathematics, languages and skills.
6. Technological interest or work efficiency, the interest in the efficient use of things and in
skillful workmanship-to be efficient one should be aware of technological changes which
can possibly apply to your life and thus accomplish more.
7. Play, the interest in creative and imaginative activity-in playing it is not only for
enjoyment and relaxing yourself, you will also learn something and gain friends. Play
develops workmanship.
8. Art, the interest in beauty in all its forms and expressions—art gives a lot of meaning to
life.
9. Religion, the interest in goodness and rightness in unifying all aims and purpose in
living---religion is a way of life. It is a spiritual relationship with a Supreme Being, thus
your actions, thoughts, hopes are guided by your religious beliefs or affiliation.

Assessment Task

1. Suggest ways, aside from those already mentioned in the lesson, on how can you
contribute to the development of a happy home life.
2. What happens if friends have different points of view?
3. Discuss what you would like to be in the future and why?
Lesson II. Housing and Family Economics
Home Management

Home management is an organizational structure by which goals are set and achieved
through the wise use of resources within the home. this eventually brings harmonious and
successful living. Each member of the family is confronted with different activities that have to
be carried out.
Following are some tips for the homemaker on managing household activities properly:
1. Utilize the family members’ creative talents and skills in home-making to help make the
family happy and comfortable. These includes home decors, decorating the house and
planning and preparing meals.
2. Equally divide chores among the members of the family. Assign small children to do light
work like sweeping, dusting and running some errands while the bigger one can help in
the cooking, dishwashing and ironing.
3. Maintain working areas such as the kitchen and bathroom and gadgets used in cooking,
laundering properly so they can provide maximum assistance for a long period of time.
4. Encourage cooperation among the members of the family.
5. No matter how amateurish their efforts may be, respect the way young members of the
family carry out their activities and fulfill their responsibilities in the home.

Decision Making as an Aspect of Home Management

The place to develop skills in decision making among family members is in the home. A
good homemaker must do his/her best to manage the home smoothly and carry out decisions
carefully by means of thorough deliberation among family members.
The decision-making process has the following important steps.
1. Recognition of the existence of a problem or choice-making situation—be aware that a
problem exists. Accepting that a problem exists allows one to remain calm even while
thinking of a solution.
2. Weighing of available alternatives—after the problem has been recognized and
accepted, information regarding appropriate solutions should be gathered.
3. Deciding on and choosing an alternative—since every problem may have several
solutions, one has to choose the best course of action.
4. Evaluation of the consequences of the decision—consider the advantages and
disadvantages of the course of action to be taken.
Processes in Home Management

1. Planning- by means of planning, priorities and decisions are made for the attainment of
goals. A plan is created before the activity takes place.
2. Organization-careful organization makes it possible for one’s plan for a particular activity
to fit into the scheme of other activities. It involves efficient interaction of both human and
material resources.
3. Implementation-after careful planning and organization, activities are now ready to be
carried out. In implementing a plan, flexibility and resourcefulness on the part of the
person or persons accomplishing the plan are needed.
4. Evaluation-an examination of the outcome of one’s plan serves four purposes: (1) to
determine what has been accomplished; (2) to have a basis for the next plan; (3) to
guide one in modifying the plan; (4) to develop in one a better understanding of the
situation. This helps the individual to identify errors in a prepared plan and produce
better plans for future use.

Management of Time and Energy

Time is an intangible resource which should be utilized wisely as time lost can never be
regained. Time management makes it possible for one to utilize time in fruitful and productive
manner for the achievement of goals.
Time is medium through which the different activities of a person are apportioned.
Hence, time really changes as manifested by the events that take place within it. There are
instances when there is so much work to be done and there is not enough time to do it. Sorting
our priorities, grouping tasks, doing regular work in advance, and delegating some work to
others may help.
Energy should be conserved as much as possible. Some ways of making wise use of
energy are through job analysis, routing, careful direction of job sequence, elimination or
combination of certain parts of job, selection and arrangement of equipment and evaluation of
performance. One should decide which task need to be done at a specific area before moving to
another area.

Factors Affecting Time and Energy Use

1. Size and composition of the family—running a household with several members will
require more time and energy from the homemaker than that needed in managing a
small family.
2. Age of family members—younger children may be assigned to do chores which are
suited to their capabilities.
3. Task to be accomplished—there are tasks which require less time and energy than
others.
4. Income and other resources—the income earned by family members is a means by
which the needs and wants of the family can be provided.
5. Household standards—these refers to the level of performance set for a particular task.
Standards influence by culture, customs, traditions and environment.
6. Location of the house—these refers to the proximity of the house to the office, school,
church, transportation, markets and other infrastructure affects energy and time spent.
7. House features—the size and design of the house and the type of construction materials
and furnishings used for the house comprise a factor to be considered in time and
energy management.
 8. Activities of the family members—in a family where the work of some members requires
frequent traveling, the homemaker has to set his/her schedule in such a way there is
enough time to wash and iron clothes ready for the next trip or flight.

Work Simplification

Work simplification is a method of solving work problems by finding the easiest, most
economical, and fastest way of doing a task while maximizing the use time, energy and material
resources.
The following are some useful ways to simplify work:
1. Plan work beforehand.
2. Make use of available energy-saving devices for such tasks as washing clothes,
polishing floors and preparing meals by using the washing machine, floor polisher and
food processor and microwave oven, respectively.
3. When working, be relaxed and do not hurry.
4. Use the right body muscles when lifting objects.
5. Get as near as possible to an object when pulling at or pushing it.
6. Provide adequate storage compartments in the house to ensure cleanliness.
7. Set work which you can accomplish considerably at a certain time.
8. If necessary, void distraction so you can finish the task. Consider your priorities.

Following are some other guidelines that can be used to improve work habits and simplify
task:
1. Leave out unnecessary parts of a task.
2. Combine two or more tasks which you can do at one time. This technique is referred
to dovetailing.
3. Keep everything within easy reach. Store things which serve the same purpose in
one place. Position storage cabinets where the homemaker can easily get things.
4. As much as possible, use the best tool or equipment for a particular task.
5. Observe correct posture while working. Maintain desirable posture habits to eliminate
fatigue.

The Time-and-Activity Plan

 The time-and-activity plan is a time and energy management tool which outlines the set
of activities to be accomplished within a certain period.

Daily Time-and-Activity Plan

Date

Day

Time Activities Remarks

Figure 1.1 To be indicated in the plan are the date and day, the specific time in which each
activity is to be carried out, and any remarks for the activity listed in the plan.
Here are some useful tips on how maximize time and energy use.
1. Set your priorities in tackling your tasks. This will enable you to accomplish more
unimportant things.
2. Make allowances incase of emergency, interruption, or errors in calculating the time
spent for a job.
3. Group small task together.
4. Include relaxation in your plan. Make sure time for leisure is part of your schedule.
5. Strive for balance in your work with time for rest and sleep.

Principles of Budgeting

1. Know your income

2. List your expenses
3. Set your priorities
4. Keep records of expenditures
5. Make provisions for some savings

Limiting Expenditures to One’s Budget

Limiting expenditures to the available budget one has is necessary in order to avoid
debts which are a good reflection of money management. The rule is always to live within one’s
means by taking extra effort and determination not to indulge in impulse buying and by
undertaking income-generating activities. As a student, you can do the following for a fee:
1. Baby-sit or wash clothes for others during weekends.
2. Cook some cookies to sell in school.
3. Sell newspaper during weekends.
 4. Run errands for others.
5. Do handicrafts, lettering and similar projects and sell these.

Budgeting for the Family

In planning expenses of a family, one prepares a budget that makes the most of the
family’s resources so these are used to the best possible advantages.

Factors to Consider in Budgeting

1. Activities of the family

2. Income
3. Needs of each family members
4. Talent and abilities of each family members
5. Size of the family
6. Locality where the family lives
7. Health condition of each member

Elements of a Family Budget

1. Food
2. Shelter
3. Clothing
4. Education
5. Household Operation
6. Utilities
7. Medical and dental care
8. Rest and recreation
9. Savings

Cost of Meeting Family Needs

1. Know the total income earned by the whole family

2. List down all the needs according to priorities and allot a certain percentage to each.
3. Examine how much the family spends for each item and check if the percentage given to
it is realistic.
4. If you find any discrepancy in the percentage spent for each item, adjust it so it will fit the
needs of the family.

Monthly Family Budget

(Monthly Income: Php 8,200)
Item Percentage of Budget Amount
Allotted
Food 40 3, 8280.00
Shelter 13 1,066.00
Clothing 5 410.00
Education 10 820.00
Household Operations 10 820.00
Utilities 5 410.00
Figure 1.2 Shows an example of a budget of a family consisting of the parents and two children.

Assessment Task

1. Ask one of your parents to help you make a pie chart illustrating how your family income
is allocated.
2. Prepare a personal budget for one week. Indicate your expenses. At the end of the
week.
3. Cite instances showing how home management is effectively applied in your home.
 CHAPTER II
FOOD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND SERVICE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY

A. Introduction

The term food service industry refers to all the activities related to the serving of food
away from home. While terms such as institutional feeding, catering or food management are
sometimes used in its place, food service is now preferred since its clearly includes all types of
public feeding situations encountered. The food service industry is very important in the
Philippines in terms of sales and the number of workers employed.
A food service system has been defined as “an integrated program in which the
procurement, storage, preparation, and service of foods and beverages, and the equipment and
methods required to accomplish these objectives, are fully coordinated for minimum labor and
optimum customer satisfaction, quality and cost control.
In designing a food service system, it is essential to set forth, in quantitative terms
insofar as possible, the system requirements relating to costs, menu and quality.

B. Learning Objectives
• Discuss the importance quality food standards
• Recognize the importance of meal planning
• Discuss the factors in meal planning and menu requirements.

C. Learning Content

Menu Requirements

Menu requirements are set by the food preferences and nutritional needs of the clientele
to be served, and are, consequently, affected by a variety of factors including age, dietary
needs, regional and ethnic food habits and economic status.

Quality Measurements

The most reliable judgment of quality is that rendered by the ultimate consumer and can
be quantified through measurements of meal attendance or plate waste in institutional or semi-
commercial operations or sales analysis in commercial establishments.

Example of Food Service Systems

Food system can be classified as follows:

1. On-site preparation system
2. Bulk satelliting system
3. Hinged tray system
4. Cold-pack system
5. Cup-can system
6. Pre-plated hot and cold pack system

Advantages of Using the Pre-plated Dinners

1. Less labor is required

2. Less trained or less experienced employees can carry out the job
3. Less equipment and space are needed
 4. Quality is controlled
5. Sanitation may be controlled
6. Conservation of nutrients may be better than if untrained employees with poor
preparation techniques have been preparing the meals.
7. Quality is controlled with more uniform serving

Disadvantages that have been noted:

1. Lack of pride on the part of the employees in their work because of the feeling that
anybody could do this.
2. Lack of personal preference of seasonings.
3. Limited variety
4. Increased possibility of plate waste because of all portions being the same.

Meal Planning

The menu planner must be cognizant of all the problems common in-home meal
planning plus numerous others arising in situations and unique characteristic of diverse types of
institutions.

Considerations Basic to Good Planning

Before actually writing the menus, certain factors basic to the situation must be known in
order to ensure a successful meal plan. They include a knowledge of people to be served: their
nutritional needs as based on age, sex and occupation; the food habits of the group as
determined by their racial, regional and religious custom; and the number of people to be
served. The menu planner should be aware of the conditions under which food is to be prepared
and served, such as the arrangement of the kitchen and serving areas, and the equipment
available; the personnel, their schedules, abilities and skills, the amount of money provided in
the budget; and the style of service. In menu planning, one must consider the season of the
year, the climate and the availability of foods is also essential.

Knowledge of People to Be Served

1. Nutritional Needs
The nutritional requirements of the members of the group to be served are an
important consideration in menu planning. This is a major concern especially in
institutions that provide all meals for the group such as in-residence halls,
hospitals, and homes for adults and children.
2. Food Habits
The habits of individuals and groups play a larger part in food practices and
indirectly, in the determination of nutritional standards that is commonly
recognized.
3. The racial, regional and religious preferences of the group to be served are additional
cultural factors of importance in planning the group menus. It is recognized that habits
arising from foreign backgrounds persist within certain communities. Religious
restrictions and taboos affect the acceptance or rejection of certain foods. The wise food
service manager should learn all about food requirements f various religious groups,
having basic tenets regarding the use of food, in order to cater to their needs and
provide an adequate, varied menu for them.
Quality Food Standards

Translating the well-planned menu into high quality food is a prime responsibility of the
administrative dietitian or food service manager. Food quality varies widely from place to place
and often from time to time at the same place. This attributable to two major factors: the
standards of the food manager and the degree and amount of supervision given to those who
prepare and serve it. Each person has his own perception of what constitutes “quality” food and
each considers himself an expert, based on his own likes and dislikes. A food service manager
is better prepared to satisfy the many people who make up the clientele than would be true if
such factors were unknown or ignored when planning menus. However, the desired result of
food production is palatability, the factors of which are shown below:
Color
Consistency
Appearance Arrangement
Size portion
Palatability Shape or form

Temperature
Flavor Seasoning
Texture
Odor
Degree of doneness

The appearance of the food when served influence its acceptability to the consumer and
his enjoyment. Eye appeal is gained through contrasting and interesting combinations of food
differing in type, color, and form as well as the arrangement of the plate. Properly prepared and
attractively served meals are stimulating to even the most jaded appetites.
Flavor of the food is determined by the methods of preparation and cooking used,
suitable seasonings to supplement natural flavors, and proper temperature when served all
these greatly influence the acceptability of all food items.

Standardized Recipes

One of the tools for quality assurance control is the standardized recipe, or formula. A
recipe is considered “standardized” only when it has been tried and adapted for use by a given
food-service operation. Tested quantity, recipes are available from many sources, such as
cookbooks, magazines, materials distributed by commercial companies from their own
experimental kitchens and from other food service managers.

Safe Food

Every person who eats away from home in a food service operation has the right to
expect that the food served is safe for human consumption. Likewise, every food service
manager has the responsibility for assuring that all food served in his establishments is safe and
wholesome. However, many new problems have been created for the manager by the rapid
increase in the food service industry, by the vast number of new developments in the
technologies of processing and handling of foods, and by overwhelming number of new
products on the market from which to choose.
Floor Planning and Layouts

Physical facility requirements for the many and varied types of operations that make up
the massive food service industry are as diverse and numerous as the individual units
themselves. The range of locations, types of food services and their individual objectives,
budgetary allowances, clientele, trained personnel, menus and equipment are broad and may
encompass operations such as the most sophisticated hotels and restaurants, universities and
schools, hospitals and a wide variety of fast-service types.

Trends in Food Service Planning

The general concept of food service systems management includes proper facilities as
an important factor to success. Engineering principles of design applied to food service facility
planning to make for efficiency and saving of money for space, utilities, food, time and human
effort. A people-oriented setup contributes much to the happiness and satisfaction of both
workers and consumers.

Programming for Food Service Facilities –the Prospectus

Best results are obtained when a written program, complete with details, is prepared and
used as the basis for developing plans. The program or prospectus should be given a good
picture of the physical and operational aspects of the proposed facility that might be based on
many questions such as:
1. What type of food service is to be planned?
2. What is to be accomplished?
3. How many people and of what age groups are to be served? How many are to be
seated at one time.
4. What will be the hours of service? Style of service?
5. What is the menu pattern?
6. In what form will the food be purchased? How often? What storage facilities will be
needed? How much refrigerated storage?
7. What equipment and of what capacities will be required for the preparation and service
of the menus?
8. What are the desirable space relationships?
9. How many employees?
10. Will safety precautions be incorporated?
11. What are the cost limitations? Project income?
12. What energy sources are available? Most economical?

Obviously, the person who determines the space and equipment needs for an institution
food service must have authentic knowledge of the quantity of each menu item to be prepared,
methods of preparation, the schedule of preparation and service.

Assessment task
1. Explain the food service industry
2. Give the basic considerations to good meal planning
3. Explain why the meal planner needs knowledge of people to be served.