Meaning of menu planning
A menu is a list of the dishes served at a meal. Menu planning means deciding these dishes in advance for a day, a week or an event.
Why plan? A plan gives balanced food, saves money and time, reduces food waste, and avoids eating the same thing every day.
What to think about when you plan
- Who is eating: age, work, health (a child, a farmer and a grandmother need different food).
- Balance: use all five food groups every day.
- Money: the budget for the family or the group.
- Season and local food: it is cheaper, fresher and tastier.
- Time and tools: how long you have, and whether you have a stove, cooker or oven.
- Taste and variety: change colours, tastes, textures and cooking methods.
- Culture and belief: festivals, fasts and food habits.
The five food groups and the plate
Put these on the plate: a staple (rice, roti, millet) for energy; pulses, eggs, fish or meat for building the body; vegetables and fruit for vitamins, minerals and fibre; and milk or curd for calcium. Use a little oil, ghee or nuts for fat. Plan so that every meal has at least three groups and the whole day has all five.
Nutrition calculation
A food composition table lists the energy and nutrients in 100 g of each food. To find the value in your portion:
Value in portion = grams eaten ÷ 100 × value per 100 g
Example: cooked dal gives about 110 kcal and 7 g protein per 100 g. For 200 g: energy = 200 ÷ 100 × 110 = 220 kcal; protein = 200 ÷ 100 × 7 = 14 g.
Steps
- Write each food and its grams.
- Find the value per 100 g in the table.
- Multiply and divide as above for each food.
- Add up for the meal, then for the day.
- Compare with the need of that person (about 2000 kcal for a teenager; it changes with age, size and activity).
Energy from nutrients
1 g carbohydrate gives 4 kcal, 1 g protein gives 4 kcal and 1 g fat gives 9 kcal. A healthy mix is about 55% of energy from carbohydrate, 30% from fat and 15% from protein. Values in tables are averages, so your answer is a good estimate, not an exact number.
Check, then improve the menu
After calculating, ask: is the energy near the need? Is protein enough? Is any group missing? Too costly? Too long to cook? If yes, change a portion or swap a food (for example, add a pulse if protein is low, add a fruit if vitamins are low). Then calculate again. Good menu planners repeat this loop until the plan fits.
Key formulas and definitions
- Value in portion = grams ÷ 100 × value per 100 g
- Energy: carbohydrate 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g
- Energy from a nutrient = grams × kcal per gram
- Share of energy (%) = energy from nutrient ÷ total energy × 100
- Healthy mix: about 55% carbohydrate, 30% fat, 15% protein
- Amount to cook = number of people × portion per person
Worked examples
1. Find the energy in 200 g of cooked rice (130 kcal per 100 g).
200 ÷ 100 × 130 = 2 × 130 = 260 kcal.
2. A lunch has 150 g rice (130 kcal/100 g), 100 g dal (110 kcal/100 g) and 100 g vegetables (50 kcal/100 g). Find the total energy.
Rice: 1.5 × 130 = 195. Dal: 1 × 110 = 110. Vegetables: 1 × 50 = 50. Total = 195 + 110 + 50 = 355 kcal.
3. Find the protein in 250 ml of milk (3.3 g per 100 ml).
250 ÷ 100 × 3.3 = 2.5 × 3.3 = 8.25 g.
4. A day has 450, 700, 250 and 600 kcal in four meals. The need is 2200 kcal. How far is the plan from the need?
Total = 450 + 700 + 250 + 600 = 2000 kcal. Need − plan = 2200 − 2000 = 200 kcal short. Add a snack of about 200 kcal.
5. A meal has 60 g carbohydrate, 20 g protein and 15 g fat. Find the energy and the % from fat.
Carbohydrate: 60 × 4 = 240. Protein: 20 × 4 = 80. Fat: 15 × 9 = 135. Total = 455 kcal. Fat share = 135 ÷ 455 × 100 ≈ 29.7%, about 30%.
6. A school feeds 120 children. Each gets 80 g cooked dal. How many kg of cooked dal are needed, with 10% extra?
120 × 80 = 9600 g = 9.6 kg. 10% extra = 0.96 kg. Total = 9.6 + 0.96 = 10.56 kg.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to divide by 100: the table value is for 100 g, not for your portion.
- Using raw weight with the cooked value (or the other way round). Match the table row to the food state.
- Planning only for energy and forgetting protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre.
- Copying one fixed menu for everyone: a child, an adult and an older person need different amounts.