MEAL PLANNING. Meal Planning

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Aldous Warner
7 years ago
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1 MEAL PLANNING Meal Planning

2 (teacher) Sample question: Mealtime should be a time when families sit down together and enjoy the company of one another while eating a meal. With busy schedules families are not always able to sit down as a family for meals. What makes it difficult for your family to sit down together at mealtime? Eat together as a family as often as you can. Choose a time that works best for you. Sometimes it may be a weekend meal or breakfast. Try to plan to eat together often. Meal Time - Family Time Meal Plannng 3 Parents serve as role models when serving nutritional foods at mealtime. If you want your children to eat a certain food, it is important that you eat those foods too. Meals prepared at home usually have a greater variety of nutritious foods compared to foods eaten away from home. Meal Planning 2

3 Meal Time - Family Time Meal Planning 3

4 (teacher) Sample question: What kinds of things can you think of doing that might save you time and money when food shopping? Planning meals and using a shopping list will help you manage your grocery budget. Feeding your family will be more enjoyable if you plan carefully and have the food you need on hand. Manage your grocery budget by: Planning meals Shopping with a grocery list Meal Plannng 5 Meal Planning 4

5 Planning meals and using a shopping list will help you manage your grocery budget Meal Planning 5

6 (teacher) Share with participants: Planning meals for a week save you time, money and stress. Planning meals for a week saves you time and money. Planning for a week of meals. saves trips to the grocery store, saves money by avoiding impulse spending and reduces the stress over what to cook for dinner. When planning a meal, let the food groups guide your food choices. Choose low fat dairy foods, lean meats and beans. Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. Meal Plannng 7 Meal Planning 6

7 Planning meals for a week saves you time and money. Meal Planning 7

8 (teacher) Share with participants: Start planning meals around the foods you already have at home. Plan meals with foods you already have on hand! Look in your cupboards, refrigerator and freezer for foods you have on hand. Plan meals using the foods you have on hand. Make a grocery list of any additional foods needed to complete meals. Plan your shopping ahead of time. Avoid last-minute trips to the grocery store when you are hungry and rushed. Meal Plannng 9 Buy fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season because they cost less. Planning meals around sales and coupons can help you save money. Check weekly newspaper for grocery store ads. Don t forget to look for in-store specials. Meal Planning 8

9 Plan meals with foods you already have on hand! Meal Planning 9

10 (teacher) Share with participants: Each day eat a variety of foods from the 5 food groups. It is important to know what foods are nutritious and how much to prepare when planning healthy meals. Eat a Variety of Foods Recommended daily intakes per person based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Vegetables 2 1/2 cups Meal Plannng 11 Fruits 2 cups Dairy 3 cups of milk or 3 equivalent milk product servings Grains 6 ounces Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs & Nuts 5 1/2 ounces Meal Planning 10

11 Eat a Variety of Foods Meal Planning 11

12 (Teacher) Sample question: As long as variety and nutritious foods guide your menu planning, there are no set rules on what needs to be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner (supper). What is your favorite breakfast meal? Menu Ideas Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snacks Menu Ideas: Breakfast Traditional breakfast items are fruit, juice, eggs, cereal, pancakes and breakfast sausage. However, breakfast can be non-traditional foods such as lunch and dinner leftovers like pizza, hot dogs, or salads Lunch Keep tasty foods on hand that are easy to serve and easy to fi x. Limit menu items for lunch to a combination of two or three items such as soup and sandwich. Meal Plannng 13 Dinner Dinner is often the main meal of the day and may contain more menu items. Snacks Offer a variety of foods from at least two food groups. Try new foods with children as part of a snack before introducing it as a regular meal. Children like fi nger foods that are easy to eat for snacks. Meal Planning 12

13 Menu Ideas Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snacks Meal Planning 13

14 (teacher) Sample question: Children are more likely to eat the food they help plan and prepare for a meal. Do you let your children help prepare meals? What foods do they like to prepare? Planning Meals with the Family Plan meals around foods the family enjoys eating. Let children help plan and prepare meals. Include a variety of food with different fl avors, textures, and colors to help children learn to like different foods. Test new foods with young children at snack time by introducing a small amount the fi rst time and only introduce one new food at a time. Include raw and cooked foods. Example: raw and cooked vegetables. A balanced breakfast should consist of foods from at least three or more different food groups and provide carbohydrates, protein and a small amount of fats. Avoid breakfasts that are high in sugar and low protein to ward off hunger until lunchtime. Meal Plannng 15 Nuts and seeds can cause choking in children under fi ve. Other foods that cause choking are hot dogs, hard candy, peanuts, and popcorn. Plan healthy snacks that contain food from at least two food groups. Snacks should include foods that are low in fat and sugar, quick and easy to prepare. Finger foods are easy for young children to eat. Serve foods in bite-size pieces. Meal Planning 14

15 Planning Meals with the Family Meal Planning 15

16 teacher) Sample question: What meals do you prepare that are quick and easy and healthy for you? Prepare do-it-yourself meals. Planning ahead can help you make meals that are easy to prepare and healthy for you. Prepare do-it-yourself meals. Examples; deli sandwiches, mini pizzas on English muffi ns, etc. Use quick cooking methods. Slice meat and poultry in thinner slices for faster cooking. Use instant rice. Cook foods like potatoes in the microwave instead of the oven. Meal Plannng 17 Cook more than one meal at a time. Make enough food for 2 meals and freeze one. Make an extra meal while one meal is simmering. Prepare foods ahead of time to serve later. Meal Planning 16

17 Prepare do-it-yourself meals. Meal Planning 17

18 (teacher) Sample question: What are other things you do to help save time planning and preparing meals? Prepare Some Foods Ahead of Time and Serve Later Cook dried beans, rice, macaroni, noodles and potatoes. Use in salads, casseroles, and side dishes within 2 to 3 days. Hard cooked eggs can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Remove shell and store in covered container. Meal Plannng 19 Prepare molded (gelatin) salads and desserts one day ahead. Most casserole dishes can be prepared one day, refrigerated, and baked the next day. Many soup and stews improve in fl avor on standing. Cook one day, cool quickly (refrigerate) and heat the next day. Meal Planning 18

19 Prepare Some Foods Ahead of Time and Serve Later Meal Planning 19

Family Meals: Easy, Tasty, and Healthy

Family Meals: Easy, Tasty, and Healthy Session Overview: This session is intended to help busy parents plan, shop, and prepare healthy, low-cost meals for their families, learn ways to let their children