Basically, there are many factors that you must consider when planning your daily food menu. First of all, make sure the menu you choose is delicious, nutritious, doesn't make your budget swell, and is able to accommodate everyone's dietary needs. After understanding all the factors in question, surely planning a food menu in a limited time is no longer as difficult as moving mountains. Plus, you can save time and money, and improve your physical health at the same time.
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Method 1 of 4: Meeting Consumer Nutritional Needs
Step 1. Use a variety of foods from the main food groups
A healthy and balanced diet should include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and low-fat protein (such as nuts and seeds). Most of the foods you eat every day should fall into one of the following categories:
- Make sure plant-based foods such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits always dominate your plate.
- After filling most of the plate with plant-based foods, add protein and low-fat dairy products in reasonable portions.
Step 2. Use ingredients with varying flavors and textures
Remember, the levels of calories, nutrients, and fiber in the types of foods in the same group can be completely different. Therefore, the nutritional content of the food you serve is very dependent on the variety of food ingredients you use.
- Combine food ingredients with different colors, shapes, tastes, and textures.
- The diversity of your choices will also make dishes look more tempting and attractive in the eyes of consumers.
Step 3. Determine the right serving portion
Be careful, humans tend to eat too much when faced with large servings. Observe the serving information listed on the packaging of the ingredients and follow the instructions. If you don't plan on making large meals, always follow the serving portion instructions listed.
- One serving of beef or fish is equivalent to 85 grams.
- One serving of dairy is equivalent to 250 ml. or grams of dairy products.
- One serving of vegetables is equivalent to 150 grams of raw vegetables and 90 grams of cooked vegetables.
- One serving of whole grains is equivalent to 1 slice of bread, 90 grams of dry cereal, and 90 grams of rice, cooked cereals, and cooked pasta.
- One serving of fruit is equivalent to one fresh fruit the size of a baseball and 40 grams of dried fruit.
Step 4. Avoid foods rich in saturated fat, sugar, calories, and sodium
You probably won't be able to avoid these types of foods completely; but at least, make sure you only eat it in very small portions. Remember, the human body does need fat intake; however, you should choose foods that contain healthy fats.
Some food choices that are rich in healthy fats are avocados, salmon, albacore tuna, nuts, and peanut butter
Step 5. Meet the nutritional needs of consumers in different age groups
Teenagers and people over the age of 50 need a lot of calcium in their diet. Meanwhile, children, teenage girls who are going through puberty, and adult women who are pregnant need a lot of iron intake that can be obtained from low-fat meats and cereals (with added other nutrients).
- Women who are trying to get pregnant need lots of folic acid intake.
- Elderly people need a lot of vitamin D intake.
Method 2 of 4: Accommodating Consumer Lifestyle and Allergies
Step 1. Find out if any consumers are vegetarian or vegan
Vegetarians do not eat meat, poultry, or marine animals; some vegetarians don't even eat milk and dairy products. Therefore, make sure you record the dietary needs of vegetarian consumers in detail. Meanwhile, vegans do not eat meat, poultry, marine animals, or any products of animal origin (including milk and eggs).
- Because the diet rules of vegan and vegetarian consumers are very strict, you need to be clever in making a variety of food choices so that they are nutritionally fulfilled.
- Some food choices that are popular among vegetarians and vegans are kale, whole grains, beans, and legumes.
Step 2. Find out which consumer and food allergens they can't tolerate
Some people show negative or even life-threatening reactions when interacting with certain foods. To properly accommodate consumer needs, make sure you ask them for details. According to The Mayo Clinic, some of the types of foods that are most prone to triggering allergies are eggs, milk, nuts, shellfish, fruit geluk, soy, and fish. Some people can't even eat wheat in any form.
Some common food intolerances are lactose (found in milk and dairy products), MSG, and gluten (found in bread, pasta, and other wheat-based products)
Step 3. Find out if there are consumers who have special dietary rules for health reasons
People who have heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure should avoid certain types of foods such as processed meats, refined carbohydrates (carbohydrates that have been through a lot of processing until the nutrients are depleted), soft drinks, and other sugary drinks.
Diabetics should also avoid certain types of foods that have the potential to increase their insulin levels; make sure you understand it too
Step 4. Understand religious prohibitions on eating certain foods
Some people do not eat certain foods because they are forbidden by their religion. Basically, some religions have varying prohibitions. For that, make sure you also understand it.
In some religions, the prohibition only applies at certain times. To understand it, make sure you ask the adherents of that religion for details
Method 3 of 4: Managing the Budget
Step 1. Plan ahead
The best way to manage your budget is to plan your food menu a week in advance. Determine your food menu for the week ahead and make a list of the ingredients you need right away.
Carry the list with you when shopping to prevent you from buying things you don't need
Step 2. Know the promotions offered by the supermarket
When planning the menu, also consider the product promotions offered by various supermarkets; after knowing the location of supermarkets that carry discount prices, shop there. Trust me, your budget will be well managed if you buy only what you need and shop at locations that offer discounts.
Don't forget to check local newsletters or tabloids for promotional ads or even discount coupons at supermarkets
Step 3. Use in-season fruits and vegetables
Besides being easier to find, fruits and vegetables that are in season are usually sold at much cheaper prices than usual. After all, the taste of fruits and vegetables that are in season tend to be more delicious so they are very suitable to be processed in your kitchen.
- If you want to use fruits and vegetables that are not in season, try buying canned fruit or vegetables, which are generally cheaper and still provide nutrients.
- In addition to shopping at the market, try browsing the major supermarkets for more options and cheaper organic produce.
Step 4. Cook the ingredients you already have; if necessary, buy groceries that are cheap
Try checking the contents of your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator; do you have canned food that hasn't been processed for a long time? If so, try to process them before they go stale.
- According to the USDA, vegetables that sell for cheap are eggplant, lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes.
- Fruits that are generally sold at low prices are apples, peaches, pineapples, pears, bananas, and watermelons.
- Some sources of protein that are inexpensive are canned tuna, ground beef, and eggs.
Method 4 of 4: Checking Availability of Materials and Facilities
Step 1. Make a plan based on the cooking time you have
Consider the time you have each day for cooking. For example, if you work 8 hours or more each day, you don't have much time to prepare meals. Therefore, plan a food menu that the preparation and processing process is fast and easy.
- Try buying a crock pot (a type of slow cooker). If you have a crock pot, you can prepare all the ingredients the night before and put them in the crock pot. The next morning, turn on the crock pot and go to work or go about your normal activities. In the evening, a delicious dinner is ready and ready to eat!
- Cook in large quantities; You can freeze leftovers in the freezer and thaw again whenever needed.
- To shorten preparation time, use canned food. For example, you can use beans stored in cans to avoid soaking them for hours until they are soft.
- If your time is limited, use frozen vegetables instead of fresh ones. Do not worry; Frozen vegetables still contain various nutrients needed by the body. After all, it doesn't take long to prepare.
- Explore new recipes that combine baking, grilling and sauteing processes. For example, it doesn't take too long to prepare a casserole; once it's in the oven, you don't even have to keep an eye on it and can do other things while waiting for the casserole to cook.
Step 2. Make sure you have the necessary cooking tools
Before buying all the ingredients, make sure you have all the cooking tools you need. If you plan to cook a large amount of food (and know that it won't go away in one meal), prepare an airtight container such as Tupperware to store all leftovers.
Step 3. Make sure the ingredients used are easy to get
Avoid recipes that call for out of season fruit or vegetables; Also avoid recipes that require imported ingredients or are difficult to find in supermarkets.
If you want to cook a large amount of food, make sure the ingredients you use can be purchased in bulk as well
Step 4. Don't cook too complicated food
If you have to cook everything yourself, don't plan meals that are too complicated and require a lot of preparation. Instead, plan a menu of meals that you can easily cook without anyone else's help.
