MealtimeMemo - National Food Service Management · PDF fileNational Food Service Management...
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No. 8 2005 National Food Service Management Institute • The University of Mississippi Healthy meals begin with well planned menus and quality ingredients. Proper food preparation is important in achieving appealing meals and good nutrition. Keep Food Safe, Healthy, and Appealing Good food handling practices will help you keep food safe, healthy, and appealing. Properly freeze, thaw, prepare, cook, cool, and serve all foods offered to children. ■ Follow food safety rules about storage, temperature controls, hygiene, and sanitation. ■ Follow local health department codes. ■ Leave room for air to move around stored food in the refrigerator, freezer, and storeroom. ■ Cover all food in the refrigerator and freezer. ■ Date all foods and use oldest foods first. ■ Limit added salt, fat, and sugar in preparation. ■ Use herbs, spices, marinades, stocks, and fruit and veg- etable juices to add flavor. ■ Make shapes, size, color, texture, flavor, and quality of foods appealing to children. Fruits and Vegetables Storing ■ Cover refrigerated fruits and vegetables. ■ Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator at 40 °F or lower. ■ Blanch or fully cook fresh fruits and vegetables before freezing. ■ Store potatoes, onions, and uncut winter squash in a cool, dry place at 45-50 °F, at room temperature for only 1 week. Washing ■ Use cold running water to wash all fresh fruits and vegetables. ■ Scrub firm produce such as apples and potatoes with a brush. ■ Do not wash with detergent or soap. This can leave a film. ■ Do not soak fresh produce. Important nutrients can be lost in the water. Pre-Cut/Trimmed Produce ■ Purchase amounts that can be used within 5 days for peak quality. ■ Store and keep produce in the refrigerator in its original bag. The bags are designed to maintain quality and freshness. ■ Use pre-cut produce quickly. Quality will not last long once the package is opened. Cooking Methods Cook fruits and vegetables just in time to serve. For highest quality, do not hold cooked vegetables more than 20 minutes. Blanching ■ Blanch vegetables that are served cold. ■ Cook food in boiling water for a short period until just tender but still crunchy. ■ Drain vegetables and put them in cold water or ice to stop the cooking process. Boiling and Steaming ■ Boil and steam vegetables and grains. ■ Cook food in steam from a little boiling water. ■ Cook broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage without a lid to keep their bright color. Proper Food Preparation Techniques Mealtime Memo FOR CHILD CARE Updated January 2012
Transcript of MealtimeMemo - National Food Service Management · PDF fileNational Food Service Management...
No. 8 2005
National Food Service Management Institute • The University of Mississippi
Healthy meals begin with well plannedmenus and quality ingredients. Proper foodpreparation is important in achievingappealing meals and good nutrition.
Keep Food Safe, Healthy,and AppealingGood food handling practices will help you keep foodsafe, healthy, and appealing.Properly freeze, thaw, prepare, cook, cool, and serve allfoods offered to children.� Follow food safety rules about storage, temperaturecontrols, hygiene, and sanitation.
� Follow local health department codes.� Leave room for air to move around stored food in therefrigerator, freezer, and storeroom.
� Cover all food in the refrigerator and freezer.� Date all foods and use oldest foods first.� Limit added salt, fat, and sugar in preparation.� Use herbs, spices, marinades, stocks, and fruit and veg-etable juices to add flavor.
� Make shapes, size, color, texture, flavor, and quality offoods appealing to children.
Fruits and VegetablesStoring� Cover refrigerated fruits and vegetables.� Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator at 40 °For lower.
� Blanch or fully cook fresh fruits and vegetables beforefreezing.
� Store potatoes, onions, and uncut winter squash in acool, dry place at 45-50 °F, at room temperature foronly 1 week.
Washing� Use cold running water to wash all fresh fruits andvegetables.
� Scrub firm produce such as apples and potatoes witha brush.
� Do not wash with detergent or soap. This can leave afilm.
� Do not soak fresh produce. Important nutrients can belost in the water.
Pre-Cut/Trimmed Produce� Purchase amounts that can be used within 5 daysfor peak quality.
� Store and keep produce in the refrigerator in itsoriginal bag. The bags are designed to maintainquality and freshness.
� Use pre-cut produce quickly. Quality will not lastlong once the package is opened.
Cooking MethodsCook fruits and vegetables just in time to serve. Forhighest quality, do not hold cooked vegetables morethan 20 minutes.
Blanching� Blanch vegetables that are served cold.� Cook food in boiling water for a shortperiod until just tender but stillcrunchy.
� Drain vegetables and put them in coldwater or ice to stop the cookingprocess.
Boiling and Steaming� Boil and steam vegetables and grains.� Cook food in steam from a little boiling water.� Cook broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage without alid to keep their bright color.
Proper Food Preparation Techniques
Mealtime MemoF O R C H I L D C A R E
Updated January 2012
Mealtime Memo F O R C H I L D C A R E
The University of Mississippi is an EEO/AA/TitleVI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA Employer. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, thisinstitution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights; Room, 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call(202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
For more information, contact NFSMI at 800-321-3054 or www.nfsmi.org/Information/Newsletters/Mealtime_memo_index.html.
SourcesNational Food Service Management Institute. (2011). Happy mealtimes for healthy kids. University, MS: Author. Available online at www.nfsmi.org/resource center.National Food Service Management Institute. (2009). Serving it safe (3rd ed). University, MS: Author.
Canned and Frozen Vegetables� Cook canned vegetables to heat through. Canned veg-etables are fully cooked during the canning process.
� Cook loosely packed frozen vegetables, such as wholekernel corn without thawing, if desired.
� Thaw frozen vegetables in a solid pack such as spinachand collards until they break apart easily so they willcook evenly.
� Partly thaw frozen broccolispears so they will cook moreevenly.
� Prepare vegetables in smallbatches to prevent over-cooked or broken pieces.
Grains/Bread� Use long grain rice if you want loose rice.� Use medium and short grain rice if you want rice tostick together.
� Freeze bread rather than storing it in the refrigerator.Refrigerated bread stales.
Meat/Meat AlternatesFreezing� Freeze items you do not plan to use within two days(1 day for fish) of purchase.
� Make sure freezer temperature is at 0 °F or below.
Thawing� Thaw what you need for one day only.� Thaw all foods in the refrigerator. Never thaw foods atroom temperature or in warm water.
� Remove original wrapper to shortenthaw time; cover loosely.
� DO NOT refreeze thawed foods.
Cooking MethodsPoaching and Simmering� Poach and simmer large cuts of meat, chicken breast,and fish and fruits such as apples.
� Cover foods with a liquid such as water, stock, or juice.� Cook at a low even temperature just below the boilingpoint.
Braising and Stewing� Braise and stew less tender cuts of meat.� Begin by browning the meat on all sides.� Simmer slowly in a liquid.
Roasting and Baking� Use for fish and large tender cutsof meat.
� Roast vegetables such as carrots,potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini,and others.
� Bake winter squash, sweet pota-toes, grains, and casseroles.
� Cook food uncovered and brushwith liquid.
� Use an oven thermometer to check the oventemperature. For best results, use the temperaturegiven in the recipe.
Sautéing and Stir-Frying� Sauté and stir-fry meat, fish, and vegetables.� Use small amount of oil.� Use very high heat for a shorter period of time.
Resources for Food Preparation� USDA Recipes for Child Care. Available atwww.fns.usda.gov
� Culinary Techniques: Online Series of 6 Courses in FoodPreparation. Available at www.nfsmi.org
