Food Purchasing for Child Care

National Food Service Management Institute

The University of Mississippi

www.nfsmi.org

800-321-3054

Lesson 1: Working With the Menu

Menus help you to

• estimate the amount of food to purchase,• create a grocery list,• purchase food,• prepare meals, and• receive and store food.

Lesson Objectives

• State the benefits of using cycle menus

• Identify strategies for planning nutritious and appealing meals

• State the benefits of reviewing menus prior to purchasing foods

Cycle Menus

• Series of planned menus

• A different menu is served each day

• After the cycle is complete, the menus are repeated

Advantages of Using Cycle Menus

• Cycle menus allow flexibility.

• Cycle menus save time.

• Cycle menus make food shopping

easier.

Menu Planning Process

• Always plan menus before purchasing food

• Identify the CACFP Meal Pattern

requirements

• Select the main dish first

• Add the remaining food components

Planning Nutritious Meals

• Serve a variety of foods

• Ensure foods are not repeated more than

once

• Increase fiber

• Limit the number of fried and high-fat foods

Planning Nutritious Meals (cont.)

• Limit sweetened foods

• Serve fewer high-salt (sodium foods)

• Include foods that provide vitamin A & C

• Include iron-rich foods

Planning Appealing Meals

• Include different shapes, colors,

textures, & tastes

• Incorporate herbs and spices

• Think about culture

• Plan new foods with familiar favorites

Question?

Did you know children under the age of four pose the highest risk for choking?

Age 4 and Under

• Higher risk for choking

• Tend to explore using the mouth

• Developing new skills i.e. chewing

Foods to Avoid

• Round

• Hard

• Small

• Thick

• Sticky

• Smooth

• Slippery

• Larger than ½ inch

Reviewing Menus

• Foods are in compliance with CACFP

Meal Patterns

• Within budget

• Appropriate for the children

Lesson Recap

• Planning menus is the first step• Benefits of cycle menus• Ensure menus

−healthy−appealing−appropriate−meet the CACFP Meal Pattern

requirements

Questions?

National Food Service Management Institute

• Mission: To provide information and services that promote the continuous improvement of child nutrition programs.

• Vision: To be the leader in providing education, research, and resources to promote excellence in child nutrition programs.