Menus & Menu Planning (2024)

FAQs

What is menu and menu planning? ›

Menu planning is the process of deciding what you will eat for each meal, including main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. It also entails knowing how many meals to plan for and when to serve them. Daily activities and scheduling variations may complicate the menu planning process.

The fundamental principles of meal planning include balance, variety, consistency, and flexibility. Remember, you don't have to be perfect. Your process can change from week to week.

Miller, a cognitive psychology expert, found that most people can only retain seven pieces of information at a time. That doesn't mean you should only have seven menu items, but it does mean that you should consider categorizing your menu items and keeping the offerings within each category between three and seven.

Perhaps the most important aspect of your menu should be its overall readability.

A static menu is the most widely used out of the menu categories. These menus are common because of their consistency, easy navigation, and options. Many successful restaurants are known for their consistent and dependable options, and a static menu helps communicate that message to customers.

The Healthy Eating Food Pyramid

Grains should be taken as the most. Eat more fruit and vegetables. Have a moderate amount of meat, fish, egg, milk and their alternatives. Reduce fat/ oil, salt and sugar.

There are five principles of meal planning – Adequacy, Balance, Variety, Moderation and Nourishment. By adequacy, we mean eating enough to support our bodies through day-to-day activities like school and work, and we're giving ourselves fuel to support physical activity.

5 course meal: A 5 course dinner menu includes an hors d'oeuvre, appetizer, salad, main course, and dessert. 4 course meal: A 4 course dinner menu includes an hors d'oeuvre, appetizer, main course, and dessert.

A typical five-course meal consists of one-bite hors d'oeuvres, a plated appetizer, a palate-cleansing salad, the main entrée, and dessert. In some cases, you can omit the hors d'oeuvres and insert a soup between the appetizer and salad courses. However, culinary practice is nothing if not changeable.