What is a Menu?
A menu is a listing of all food items or recipes to be prepared and served for a day, a week, a month or even longer. It will serve as a guide to the homemaker on what dishes to prepare for the 3 full meals in a day.
How Do I Plan a Menu?
Basically, there are 3 factors to consider: the family, the person who will prepare the meals and the kitchen. Before on deciding on what dishes to serve, one has to consider the size and composition of the family, the ages of its members, their individual likes and dislikes, the nutritional requirement of each member, regional and religious dictates and of course the socio-economic standing of the family which will determine the food budget.
One must also consider the skills of the cook in food preparation as well as her knowledge in purchasing and budgeting. The cook's familiarity with the dishes should also be known. The kitchen is another important factor because food preparation also depends on the availability of equipment and materials. The presence or absence of sufficient storage is important with regards to how much goods can be brought and stored.
How Should I Start?
- After having considered the family requirements and the limitations of the cook and the kitchen, one can start the actual menu planning.
- First, decide on the main dish for lunch of the most important day of the week. e.g. Sunday, when the whole family will be present.
- Choose the main dish for dinner of the same day.
- Decide on the main dishes for lunch and dinner for the rest of the week.
- Choose the accompaniments for the main dishes whether a salad, cooked vegetable dish or a relish.
- Plan the breakfast menu for the whole week.
- Choose desserts for dinner and lunch for the week.
- Choose soups to go with dry main dishes.
