Menu Planning Grab and Go Lesson

Step-by-Step Menu Planning

1National Food Service Management Institute

Step-by-Step Menu PlanningSet aside a time and place to plan menus for a week at a time. Have your menus planned before the food is purchased.

Plan menus that meet the Child and Adult Care Food •Program (CACFP) Meal Pattern requirements for the age groups of children you serve.

Planthemaindishfirst(Meat/MeatAlternate).The•main dish may also contain pasta, rice, or vegetables.

Plan foods to go with the main dish to meet the •remainder of the CACFP Meal Pattern requirements (Fruits/Vegetables,Grains/Bread,Milk).

Include foods on the menu approved as creditable by •the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and your state agency.

Plan Nutritious Meals1. Plan to serve a variety of foods during the day and week.2. Check to make sure that the same foods are not repeated more than once a

week.3. Increasefiberbyincludingfreshvegetables,freshfruits,andwhole-grain

products.Limitthenumberoffriedfoodsandhigh-fatfoodsoffered.4. Limit the number of sweets such as cookies, cakes, brownies, doughnuts, and

sweetened cereals.5. Plantoservefewerhigh-salt(sodium)foods,suchasluncheonmeatsand

processed foods.

For success, set aside a special time and place for

uninterrupted menu planning. Have reference

materials handy. Plan menus a week at a time.

Menu Planning Grab and Go LessonStep-by-Step Menu Planning

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6. Include foods that provide vitamin A. Food sources of vitamin A arespinach and other dark, leafy greens;•deep orange fruits and vegetables (carrots, •pumpkin, sweet potatoes, winter squash, such as butternut or acorn, mango, cantaloupe);fortifieddairyproductslikemilkandcheese;and•eggs.•

7. Include foods that provide vitamin C. Food sources of vitamin C are

citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, lemons, •canned mandarin oranges);cabbage-typevegetables(Brusselssprouts,•broccoli,cabbage,cauliflower);dark green vegetables (green peppers, spinach, •kale, lettuce);melons (cantaloupe, honeydew);•kiwi;•mango;•strawberries;•tomatoes;•potatoes and sweet potatoes; and•sweet red peppers.•

8. Don’tforgettoincludeiron-richfoods.Foodsources of iron are

beef and turkey (dark meat);•dry beans and peas;•whole-grain,enriched,orfortifiedgrains/•breads;spinach; and•broccoli.•

Menu Planning Grab and Go LessonStep-by-Step Menu Planning

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Plan Meals That Look and Taste Good1. Include foods that are different shapes—

round,square,rectangular,wedge-shaped.

2. Include foods that are different colors—tan, brown, yellow, orange, red, bright green. See the list of vegetables and fruits of various colors in this lesson.

3. Include foods that are different textures—soft,fluffy,crunchy,crisp,creamy,smooth.

4. Include foods that have different tastes—sweet, sour, tart, salty, spicy, and mild.

5. Thinkaboutthelikesanddislikesofthechildren.

6. Consider special requests of parents.

7. Include some foods in each meal that are easy to like.

8. Introduce new foods along with familiar foods that children already like.

9. Plan menus that are right for the age of the children in your care. Do not serve foods that could cause young children to choke. More information on preventing choking follows.

10. Remember to take into account any food allergies that the children in your care may have. If you have been alerted to food allergies by the child’s parents, prepare a special care plan that includes the food or foods the child is allergic to, the allergic reactions you need to look for, and the appropriate treatment.Thenpreventexposuretothespecificfood(s)towhichthechildisallergic.

Menu Planning Grab and Go LessonStep-by-Step Menu Planning

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Prevent ChokingCaregivers should not offer foods that are implicated in choking incidents (round, hard, small, thick and sticky, smooth, or slippery) to children under 4 years of age. Examples of these foods are

hot dogs (whole or sliced into rounds); •raw carrot rounds; •whole grapes; •hard candy; •nuts; •seeds; •raw peas; •hard pretzels, chips, peanuts, and popcorn; •marshmallows; •spoonfuls of peanut butter; and •chunks of meat larger than can be swallowed whole.•

Source: National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Second Edition(2002).AvailableonlinefromTheNationalResource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education http://nrc.uchsc.edu.

PeanutButter

Menu Planning Grab and Go LessonStep-by-Step Menu Planning

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Choose different colors of vegetables and fruits to add variety to your menus. Here is a list that will give you ideas for a variety of colors to include.

Yellow Orange Red White/Pale Blue/Purple GreenApples

Bananas

Fruit Cocktail

Grapefruit

Pineapple

Summer Squash

Apricots

Cantaloupe

Carrots

Mandarin Oranges

Nectarines

Oranges

Peaches

Pumpkin

Sweet Potatoes

Tangelos

Apples

Pink Grapefruit

Strawberries

Tomatoes

Watermelon

Applesauce

Jicama

Onions

Pears

Potatoes

Blueberries

Dried Cranberries

Grapes

Plums

Apples

Broccoli

Celery

Peas, Pea Pods

Honeydew

Kiwifruit

Lettuce

LimaBeans

Spinach