PLANNING MEALS

                      PLANNING MEALS

The food we eat can be divided into three main groups:

1.       Body-building or flesh-forming foods e.g. proteins.

2.       Energy-giving foods, e.g. carbohydrate and fats.

3.       Protective foods, e.g. minerals and vitamins.

When planning meals, foods from each one of these groups must be provided. The foods selected should supply the required daily nutrient in the most digestible form.

At least three meals should be eaten every day; two big meals and one small one. It is essential that a meal be eaten in the morning in order to starts the days work well.

Fruit should be eaten every day, especially in the morning. It stimulates bowel action.

Green vegetable supply vitamins and mineral salts. They may be eaten either raw, in salads, or in stews or as an accompaniment to the main dish.

Daily consumption of first –class protein should be encourage d. vary the menu alternating fish with meat.

Beans, peas, and groundnuts are valuable second class protein foods. If possible one of them should be included in the diet daily.

The body makes better use of protein foods if they are mixed; therefore mix animal and vegetable proteins in the meal.

Cereals and root vegetables supply carbohydrate. But they may be alternated in the menu.

Some fat or oil should be eaten every day. Unbleached palm oil is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D. groundnut oil provides vitamin E.

Plenty of protective foods should be provided, e.g. milk and eggs’ plenty of fresh foods is very important. Stale and tinned foods lack some of then vital food substances.

Choose foods which are in season, because they are then the cheapest and the best.

Variety is essential. It promotes the appetite and you are more likely to supply the necessary nutrients in the correct proportions.

Plan ahead because this saves time, material, energy and money.

Consider the number of people in the family, the age of the people eating the meal, their occupation, their state of health, the times of the meal, the money to be spent, and the cooking time allowed.

Plan to use up left over’s, as this saves time and money.

Serve simple but well-cooked and nourishing food and introduce new ways of serving.

Plan and serve foods attractively so that the family will learn to eat a large variety of foods. 

                Breakfast

This being the first meal of the day, it should be nourishing and digestible. The quantity depends on the requirement of the individual. For most people it should be substantial, because the interval between breakfast and the next meal is usually long and and during this time is considerable amount of energy is used up, especially by student of school-going age,and by manual workers.

Suggestions for breakfast

                Fruit: to supply vitamin c and acids to stimulate the digestive juices and bowel movement, e.g. pawpaw, oranges, pineapples, fruit juices.

                Cereals: porridge, corn dough, millet meal, guinea corn meal, oats, rice water, cassava meal, ground rice.

                Fish: fried fish, e.g. herrings, sardines, kippers, fish stew, fish cakes.

                Meat: fried liver, kidney, bacon, sausage, meat stew, meat balls.

                Eggs: boiled, poached, scrambled, fried, omelette.

                Vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, okra.

                Carbohydrate foods: bread, root vegetables, {e.g. yam, cassava,}, plantains, ken key, rice, beans, gari.

                Fat: butter, margarine, and oil in stews.

                Drink: coffee, tea, cocoa, milk, water.

                Midday and evening meals

The size and character will vary with the individual and family.

                Carbohydrate: root vegetables, cereals, plantains.  These may be prepared in various form, e.g. gari, ken key meals, etc.

                Protein: meat, fish beans, peas, groundnuts.

                Fats: palm nuts, palm oil, nut oils, vegetable oils.

                Vegetables: salads, vegetable stews, boiled green vegetables, okras, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, pumpkins.

                Fruit: bananas, oranges, mangoes, pawpaw.

                Sweets: custards, puddings, fruit salad, stewed fruit.

                Meals for children

                Children require more bodybuilding foods than adults for the daily upkeep and growth of their bodies: eggs, meats, beans, peas are valuable.

Infants and young, pr-school children

                Young children can eat only small amounts at each meal; therefore the food value must be high. The protective foods are important, e.g. fruit, vegetables, milk. Fruit juice should be given everyday, e.g. orange, tomato juice. Cod - liver oil and palm oil containing vitamins A and D should also be given.

                    Milk is a very important food and should be served in as many different ways as possible; it should be supplemented with vitamins A, C, and D and with iron if it is the main food for every young children.

                    Carbohydrate and fats are required to give energy; young children should be given good, nourishing, and easily digested foods.

        School children

 School children are growing fast; therefore they have a great need for protein, calcium, vitamins A, C, and D. They have large appetites. The size of the stomach is small, but the nutrient needs are large, therefore foods should not be too bulky. Milky is an important source of protein and calcium, meat, eggs, fruit, green vegetables are important. Cereals and their products are excellent sources of calories.

     Adolescents

                Adolescents have nutritional needs that are higher in many ways than those of other groups of people. They have large appetites which should be satisfied with foods of high nutritional value. They need a good supply of protein and also fat. They should eat raw fruit and flesh vegetables daily.

                Meals for adults

Pregnant and lactating women

                A pregnant or nursing mother needs a food mixed diet to provide for the healthy development of her infant. A lot of protein-milk, eggs, cheese, meat, fish-is necessary, also a good supply o f vitamins and minerals from fresh fruit and vegetables. Iron is particularly important-liver is one good source also lentils, haricot beans, sardines, dried fish, dried fish, dried figs, soya flour.

Manual workers

                Manual labor requires energy, so carbohydrates and fats are important in the diet of people doing manual work. Extra vitamin B is needed to assist the digestion of the carbohydrate, and salt, water, and vitamin C is needed in extra quantities.

Overweight adults

                The balance of carbohydrate and fat intake to energy output can be a delicate one. Generally people who are overweight eat too much carbohydrate and fat-cereals, root vegetables, and a modest amount of dairy foods, weight is usually slowly lost. Provided the diet remains balanced, and fats and carbohydrates are avoided, a healthy average weight can be maintained.

Underweight adults

                Often people who are underweight are not getting enough fatty and carbohydrate food. Underweight people generally need to eat more fats and carbohydrates while maintaining a balanced diet of proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

                Packed meals

A packed meal should be just as well-balanced as an ordinary meal. It must contain energy food, protein food, some fat, and starch. Avocado pear has a high protein ,fat vitamin, and energy value.

                The food should be easy to carry. Containers should be as light as possible. Breakable and light weight bowls are the most suitable.

                The food should be easy to eat with the fingers. Foods which cause thirst should be avoided. Plenty of water and fresh juicy fruit should be provided.

Packing the meals

1.       Wrap sandwiches, cakes, pastries etc. in cellophane or wax wrappers and put in plastic food packs.

2.       Put food packs in a basket or any other container with a lid.

3.       Put drinks in well corked bottles.

4.       Carry soups and beverages in vacuum flasks. These may either be iced or hot according to the season.

5.       Milk should be opened only when required. Avoid adding a beverage in flask.

6.       Fresh fruits and vegetables such as lettuce should be washed, dried and packed in cellophane's bags.

Paper napkins, lightweight breakable cups, plates, spoons, and knives should be packed neatly in the basket or food box.

        The effect of traditional beliefs on the choice and preparation of meals

         Traditional foods and method of cookery are well adapted to the circumstances in which they were developed, but sometimes they can be lass appropriate than they were formerly.

In cooking for a large family or group of people, it is essential for their health that a balanced diet will include the basic carbohydrates and fats, a reasonable quantity of proteins-meat, milk, fish, eggs, cheese, pulse- and a quantity of fresh fruit and vegetables.

           In cooking foods, some nutrient tends to be reduced by over-cooking. This is particularly true of vitamins B and C, and should be borne in mind when calculating cooking times.

           People who have less time for cooking now than formerly often find it convenient to use pr-packed, ready-prepared frozen or canned foods, even if they are more expensive or less familiar.

          A scientific knowledge of nutrition can be applied to modify traditional methods of cooking to make them both more nutritious and more appropriate to present conditions of living.

          Choice and cost of foods in season

         A balance diet should include a variety of foods, for only by eating a wide range of meats, dairy products, starches, vegetables, and fruit can a person acquire all the nutrients necessary for health.

        When planning a weeks menus, therefore, variety is an important consideration, while each menu needs to contain the full range of nutrients-proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and traces of vitamins and minerals.

         When planning menus it is also necessary to consider the relative prices of the foodstuffs available and to adjust your plans accordingly. It is best to use that are in season and has had to be preserved, stored and transported.

         Try never to buy more than you need. As food loses its freshness, it tends to lose its nutrient value too, and food that has begun to decay can be dangerous and is wasted.

                                                                           Thanks.