MEAL PLANNING &

PREPARATION

© PDST Home Economics

 FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED
WHEN PLANNING A MEAL

 Nutrition- balanced meal.  Time available.

 Follow healthy eating  Knowledge & skill.
guidelines.  Budget.
 Requirements of age-  Availability of ingredients.
group being served.  Availability of equipment.
 Special diets e.g.vegan,
gluten free, diabetic etc.
 Variety- tastes, colour,
texture, cooking methods.
CHANGES THAT HAPPEN DURING
FOOD PREPARATION
Physical Changes
 Increase in size e.g. soaking
dried food.
 Thickening e.g. whipping
cream.
 Loss of nutritive value e.g.
water - soluble vitamins
dissolve into water.
 Tenderising e.g. meat is
tenderised by beating,
mincing.
Chemical changes
 Colour change e.g.
enzymatic browning.
 Nutrient loss e.g. enzyme
oxidase destroys vitamin C.
 Tenderising e.g. proteolytic
enzymes tenderise meat
fibres.
 Increase in size e.g. yeast
dough expands as
enzymes make CO2 .
CHANGES THAT
COOKING
Physical Changes
 Texture changes e.g. cell
walls soften in vegetables.
 Bacteria killed.
 Nutrient loss e.g. vitamins &
minerals dissolve into
cooking liquid.
 Food solidifies e.g. egg
protein coagulates.
 Food thickens e.g.
gelatinisation of starch.
 Shrinkage - protein
coagulates & shrinks e.g.
meat.
HAPPEN DURING
OF FOOD
Chemical Changes
 Maillard reaction – when
amino acids & carbohydrates
are heated together, the
food turns brown.
 Caramelisation - sugar
heated above dissolving
point turns brown e.g.
toffee.
 Dextrinisation - long starch
chains break into shorter
chains called dextrins & a
brown colour develops e.g.
toasting bread.
 REASONS FOR COOKING
FOOD
 To destroy pathogenic bacteria making food safer.
 To destroy enzymes and prevent food spoilage.
 To make food palatable & digestible e.g. starchy foods
like potatoes.
 To improve appearance e.g. meat.
 To develop flavour e.g. meat extractives released.
 To stimulate digestive juices - sight & smells of cooked
food.
 To destroy natural toxins e.g. red kidney beans.
 To combine ingredients and create new flavours.
 UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF
COOKING FOOD
 Conduction - Transfer of heat from one molecule to
another by vibration of molecules. E.g. heat passing from
the cooker hob through the base of the saucepan.
 Convection - Molecules near heat source become hot,
less dense and rise up. This allows cold molecules to take
their place. This sets up convection currents and heat is
spread e.g. simmering stews.
 Radiation - Heat passes in straight rays, from the
source, to the first solid object they reach, without
heating air in between e.g. grilling burgers.

Most cooking methods involve one or more of these

principles.
 METHODS OF COOKING

 Moist Methods: Boiling, Simmering, Poaching,

Stewing, Braising, Steaming, Pressure cooking.

 Dry Methods: Baking, Grilling, Roasting, Barbecuing.

 Frying: Dry, Shallow, Deep -fat, Stir.

 Microwave cooking.
 CHOOSING A COOKING
METHOD

 Ingredients available e.g. stewing beef or sirloin

steak.
 Experience of cook.
 Time available.
 Equipment available.
 Desired result e.g. crispy, brown, moist.
 Fuel economy.
 Retention of nutrients.
 BOILING / SIMMERING
Definition Guidelines Suitable Advantages &
foods Disadvantages
•Cooking by •100 ºC @ all •Meat - •Needs little
convection & times. bacon, attention.
conduction in •Vegetables - mutton. •Clean.
liquid @ 100ºC small amount •Eggs. •Food stays moist.
in covered of liquid. •Pasta. •Digestible.
saucepan on •Use cooking •Rice. •Less greasy.
the hob.
liquid – soups, •Veg.
•Simmering - •Little
sauces.
90 ºC preparation.
•Cook food for
•Little flavour
shortest
possible time. added.
•Loss of nutrients.
•Lacks texture.
 POACHING
Definition Guidelines Suitable Advantages &
foods Disadvantages
•Cooking by •85 ºC @ all •Fish. •Clean.
convection & times. •De- •Food stays
conduction in • Water shelled moist.
liquid @ barely eggs. •Digestible.
85ºC in moving, not •Fruit. •Less greasy.
covered bubbling.
container on •Little flavour
• Use for
hob or in added.
delicate
oven. •Loss of
foods that
need gentle nutrients.
cooking. •Lacks texture.
•Slow.
•Needs
attention.
 BRAISING
Definition Guidelines Suitable Advantages &
foods Disadvantages
•Cooking meat •Use only •Root •Littleattention
in a small enough stock vegetables needed.
amount of to cover •Chicken. •Food stays
stock, on a vegetables. •Offal. moist.
layer of •Food can be •Complete meal in
•Tougher
vegetables browned
cuts of one pot – saves
(mirepoix). under grill
meat. fuel & wash-up.
Meat is in a before •Less nutrient
covered serving.
saucepan on loss.
the hob. •Digestible.

•Combination •A lot of prep.

of steaming •Slow.
and stewing. •Lacks texture.
 STEWING
Definition Guidelines Suitable Advantages &
foods Disadvantages
•Slowly cooking •Bringto boil •Tough •Littleattention
food in a little & then reduce cuts of needed.
liquid, by heat. meat/fish. •Food stays
conduction & •Temperature •Veg. moist.
convection, of 80 ºC -90 •Fruit •Complete meal in
using gentle ºC. one pot – saves
heat (80 ºC - •Keep fuel & wash-up.
90 ºC), in a
covered. •Less nutrient
covered
•Use pressure loss.
container, on
hob or in oven. cooker to •Digestible.
reduce time. •A lot of prep.
•Slow.
•Lacks texture
 STEAMING
Definition Guidelines Suitable Advantages &
foods Disadvantages
•Cooking food •A tightly •Thin pieces •No loss of
slowly in steam fitting lid of chicken nutrients.
rising from prevents and fish. •Clean.
boiling water. evaporation. •Steamed •Food stays
•Food can be •Water boiling puddings, e.g. moist.
steamed: before & during canary, •Digestible.
•a. Between two cooking. Christmas,
•Not greasy.
plates. •Food must not chocolate.
•b. In a covered •Little flavour
touch liquid. •Vegetables.
bowl in a saucepan added.
of boiling water. •Lacks texture.
•c. In a steamer
•Slow.
over boiling water.
•Not suitable
•d. On a trivet in a
pressure cooker. for large pieces
of food.
 BAKING
Definition Guidelines Suitable Advantages &
foods Disadvantages
•Dry •Pre-heat
oven. •Bread. Cakes. •Attractive
method of •Steam made in Biscuits. appearance.
cooking the oven stops Pastries. •Doesn’t add
food by food drying, •Vegetables fat.
convection tinfoil & e.g. potatoes, •Little loss of
currents greaseproof tomatoes, nutrients.
in the paper also used. peppers. •Dries food.
oven. •Avoid opening •Fruit e.g.
oven door. Apples.
•Puddings,
apple crumble.
 GRILLING
Definition Guidelines Suitable Advantages &
foods Disadvantages
•Fast method •Pre-heat grill. •Meat - • Fast.
of cooking •Seal surface of chops, •Little loss of
food by the food with high steaks, nutrients.
radiant heat heat, preventing burgers, •Reduces fat
under a grill. nutrient loss. rashers. content.
•Use tongs to turn •Vegetables -
•Attractive
food. tomatoes.
appearance &
•Thin pieces of •Fish fillets.
taste.
food only. •Constant
•Don’t salt food attention needed.
before grilling. •Dries food.
•Oil grill grid to •Spatters grease.
prevent sticking. •Unsuitable for
tough or thick cuts
of meat.
 BARBECUING
Definition Guidelines Suitable Advantages &
foods Disadvantages
•Cooking food by •Pre-heat •Meat, • Fast
radiant heat on barbecue. chops, •Little loss of
a grid over •Seal surface with steaks, nutrients.
glowing high heat, burgers, •Reduces fat
charcoal. preventing rashers. content.
nutrient loss. •Vegetables
•Attractive
•Use tongs to turn e.g.tomatoes
appearance &
food. •Fish fillets.
taste.
•Thin pieces of
•Constant
food only.
•Don’t salt food
attention.
•Dries food.
before
barbecuing. •Spatters grease.
•Oil barbecue grid
to prevent
sticking.
 ROASTING
Definition Guidelines Suitable Advantages &
foods Disadvantages
•Cooking food • Pre-heat oven. •Meat – •Vegetables & meat
in a little fat • Cooking time beef, cooked together.
in (a) a depends on weight. lamb, •Cooking liquid used
roasting tin in •Baste every 30 as gravy.
the oven, (b) pork.
minutes. •Poultry.
•Attractive
a saucepan on appearance &
•Use cooking juices
the hob (pot •Vegetables
taste.
roasting), (c) for gravy. e.g. potatoes
•Quick roasting •Not much prep.
on a spit,
under a grill (tender cuts) - 230ºC •Spatters grease.

or in an oven for 20 mins, 190 ºC •Not suitable for

(spit for remainder. tough cuts.
roasting). •Slow Roasting (less •Greasy.
tender cuts) - 175 ºC •Shrinkage occurs.
for all the cooking
•Adds fat.
time.
 FRYING
Definition Guidelines Suitable Advantages &
foods Disadvantages
• Dry – • Pre-heat oil. •Meat - thin •Quick.
cooking food • Use tongs for pieces e.g. •Attractive taste
by turning. rashers, & appearance.
conduction in chops,
•Drain before •Constant
frying pan on burgers,
the hob. serving. attention.
sausages.
•Coating food: •Spatters grease.
• Shallow – •Fish - thin
cooking food •Protects •Not suitable for
pieces e.g.
in hot fat. surface. steaks, tough meats or
• Deep – •Texture. cutlets, fillets. large cuts.
cooking food •Flavour. •Eggs.
•Not suitable when
immersed in cooking for large
•Appearance. •Vegetables.
hot fat. numbers.
•Doughnuts. •Greasy.
•Indigestible
 PRESSURE COOKING
Definition & Structure Guidelines Suitable foods
principle
•Fast moist method •Heavy •Follow •Stocks & soups.
of cooking food @ gauge instructions. •Stews.
high temps. in a saucepan. •Never overfill.
•Vegetables e.g.
pressure cooker. Locking lid. •Build up steam
potatoes.
•Used for boiling, •Rubber before applying •
stewing & steaming. Jam.
gasket seals weight.
•Water under •Christmas
lid. •Time very
increased pressure accurately. pudding.
•Trivet.
boils @ higher temp. •Reduce
•Bottling
•Separator
Pressure increased pressure before
inside pressure basket.
opening-
cooker by not letting •Vent on lid.
•(a) Stand for 15
steam escape. As a •Safety
result, water boils @ mins @ room
valve. temp.
122ºC. Food cooks in
1/3 of normal time. •(b) Under cold
running water.
 MICROWAVE
Principle Guidelines Suitable dishes
•Electro- •Timecarefully. •Defrosting.
magnetic •Timing is affected by: •Reheating.
waves
penetrate the
Composition. •Cooking.

food to a Thickness. •Melting

certain depth Density. chocolate.
and cause the Temperature at the start. •Heating liquid.
molecules to •Unsuitable
vibrate very Amount of food.
•Cover food, keep moist, cook dishes
rapidly. This
•Pastry.
causes faster.
intense heat. •Turn or stir. •Meringue.
The •Pierce skins.
remainder of
•Arrange in circle, thickest bit
the food
cooks by outward.
conduction. •No metal or foil.
•Allow standing time.
 EFFECTS OF COOKING ON
FOOD
Moist methods Dry Methods
 Loss of vitamins and  Vitamins B & C lost due
minerals into cooking to high temperatures.
liquid.  Grilling causes loss of
 Cellulose softens. fat.
 Collagen changes to  Shrinkage - meat juices
gelatine. squeezed out - loss of
 Flavours mix and nutrients.
develop.  Food becomes crispy.
 Loss of fat causes loss
of flavour.
 Cooking smells are
developed.
 EFFECTS OF COOKING ON
FOOD
Frying Methods
 Generally adds fat.
 Coating adds nutrients.
 Food becomes greasier
and harder to digest.
 Adds flavour.
Microwave Cooking
 Quick cooking helps
retain nutrients.
 Food stays soft and
moist.
 Food does not brown
unless the microwave
has a grill also.