Fundraiser Lunch for 120
The Year 10 home economics class must serve a healthy lunch for 120 students and teachers. The class has $150 and these supplier prices: rice, 10 kg for $22; chicken, 8 kg for $48; tinned fish, 12 tins for $30; mixed vegetables, $25; fruit, $20; oil and spices, $10. A parent has offered dried beans, 4 kg for $12, but that is not in the original budget. One student has a severe nut allergy. There is no refrigerator available until 11 a.m., serving starts at 12:30, and the outdoor serving area is 30°C. The class wants a vegetarian option and a profit of at least $60. Another student argues that selling soft drinks and chips would make more profit. The principal has asked for a written menu, budget and safety plan.
1. Produce a menu and budget for 120 servings that includes a vegetarian option and stays within $150. Show the portion reasoning.
Read the worked answer
A workable menu is rice with chicken and vegetables, rice with bean and vegetable stew for the vegetarian option, tinned fish as a small side, and fruit. Buy: rice 10 kg ($22), dried beans 4 kg ($12), chicken 6 kg at the same $6/kg rate ($36), 8 tins of fish at $2.50 each ($20), vegetables ($25), fruit ($20), oil and spices ($10). Total $145. Ten kilograms of dry rice gives about 120 portions at 80 g dry each. Four kilograms of dry beans expands to roughly 10 kg cooked, enough for about 120 small servings or 60 larger vegetarian servings alongside rice. Six kilograms of raw chicken gives 50 g per serving if used as flavour in rice rather than as a large piece; the fish adds protein. At $2 per meal, 120 meals bring $240, leaving about $95 profit after $145 costs. Check the bean and fish labels for nut warnings.
2. Write a food-safety plan for the period from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., given the heat and lack of early refrigeration.
Read the worked answer
Keep raw chicken cold until 11 a.m. using an insulated box and ice, and keep it separate from ready-to-eat food. Cook chicken thoroughly until the thickest part reaches 75°C and juices run clear. Cook the bean stew and rice close to serving time. Cool hot food quickly in shallow trays, then hold it either above 60°C in insulated containers or below 5°C with ice; do not leave it in the 30°C serving area for more than two hours. Wash hands, use clean utensils and separate boards for raw chicken and vegetables. Cover all food, label vegetarian and fish dishes clearly, and keep the nut-allergic student's portion away from shared serving spoons. Check labels for “may contain nuts”. Discard leftovers rather than storing them without refrigeration. Serve vegetarian dishes first or on a separate table to reduce cross-contact.
3. A classmate says soft drinks and chips would make more profit. Evaluate that proposal using consumer and health reasoning, not just arithmetic.
Read the worked answer
The proposal may raise cash, but it conflicts with the stated aim of a healthy lunch and with the school's health message. Chips and soft drinks are low in nutrients and high in salt or sugar, and selling them beside a healthy meal teaches younger students that profit outranks health. Calculate the margin honestly: a drink and chip pack might add $40, but it could also reduce demand for the healthier items and create litter and disposal costs. A better response is to sell water, fruit or a healthy snack, or to keep any treat small and placed away from the main serving table. If the class still wants to test demand, survey 30 students first and set a limit. The decision should be recorded in the written plan so the principal can see the reasoning.