Meal Planning and Food Service Management
Meal Planning and Food Service Management turns nutrient theory into the daily plate and into the running of kitchens, whether at home, in a hostel, hospital or canteen. The exam tests principles of meal planning, diet modification for different groups, menu types, food service systems, purchasing, storage and hygiene.
Principles of meal planning
A good plan is nutritionally adequate (cereals and millets, pulses, vegetables and fruits, milk and meat, fats and sugar), balanced, economical, based on seasonal and local food, culturally acceptable (rice, dal, fish and saag in Odisha), satisfying in quantity, and varied in colour, texture and flavour. It must also fit the cook's time, energy and equipment.
Diet modification
Pregnancy and lactation need extra energy, protein, iron, calcium and fluids; infancy needs exclusive breastfeeding up to six months followed by complementary feeding; school children need frequent, nutrient-dense meals; the elderly need soft textures, low fat, low salt and high fibre.
Menu and service types
À la carte lists individually priced items; table d'hôte is a fixed-price set meal. A cycle menu repeats over a fixed period and is standard in hostels and hospitals. Service systems: conventional (cook and serve on site), commissary (central kitchen with satellite units), ready-prepared (cook-chill or cook-freeze) and assembly-serve (rethermalising bought-in food).
Worked example
Plan a school lunch: rice 100 g, dal 40 g, seasonal vegetable 80 g, curd 50 g, guava one. Reasoning: cereal, pulse, vegetable, milk and fruit each appear once; cereal plus pulse gives complementary amino acids, so protein quality improves without buying meat.
Traps
Do not confuse à la carte with table d'hôte, or a cycle menu with a static one; overboiling and discarding cooking water destroys water-soluble vitamins; a menu repeating fried snacks is adequate in energy but poor in quality.