Planning your menus ahead of time and shopping for what you need can save you both money and time, while helping to stretch your food dollar.

Table of Contents for Menu Planning Introduction What is food? Why do we need it? Menu planning with the Food Guide Pyramid Menu planning tips Use what you've learned! Website Activities How much is a serving? Summary Menu Recipes Review questions Back to Nutrition Curriculum Lessons

Click here for the printable (Word) version of the lesson

Use What You've Learned!

1. Practice planning a three-day menu for your family that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. Make sure that the menu for each whole day includes at least two servings of meat, two servings of dairy foods, two servings of fruit, three servings of vegetables and six servings of breads and grains.

Make a shopping list, purchase the foods on your list and actually use the menus for three days in a row. Is it easier to prepare meals when you know what you'll serve and have all the ingredients on hand?

2. Practice using correct serving sizes when you eat. Measure your portions using measuring cups or weighing food if you have a scale so that you will know what a portion should look like. Are these the portion sizes you normally eat?

If you are trying to lose or maintain your weight, this might help you!

3. Explain how the Food Guide Pyramid works to someone else. This will help you understand it even better.

4. Use the Thrifty Food Plan to plan nutritious meals within a modest budget. The lesson "Managing Your Food Dollar" includes more information on the Thrifty Food Plan, 1999.

Web Site Activities

www.familyfoodzone.com

www.got-milk.com

www.mealsforyou.com/mfy/ Allows you to plan a menu, provides all the recipes and even gives you a shopping list that corresponds to a store near you.   Also do a nutrient analysis of the meal, so you'll know how much fat, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals you're getting.

How Much is a Serving?

Breads and Grains

• One slice of bread
• One-half hamburger or hot dog bun, bagel, English muffin
• One roll, muffin or biscuit
• Four to six crackers
• One-half cup cooked cereal
• One ounce (three-fourths to one cup) ready–to–eat cereal

Vegetables

• One-half cup cooked vegetables
• One cup green leafy vegetables
• One-half cup raw chopped vegetables
• Three-fourths cup vegetable juice

Fruits

• One medium piece of fruit (apple, banana, orange)
• One-half cup berries
• One-half cup canned, chopped or cooked fruit
• Three-fourths cup fruit juice
• One-fourth cup dry fruit (raisins)

Dairy

• One cup milk
• Eight ounces yogurt
• One and one-half ounces cheese

Meats or Meat Alternates

• Two to three ounces meat, poultry or fish (without skin)
• One egg
• One-half cup cooked dry beans
• Two tablespoons peanut butter

Summary

Food is made of six different nutrients. Carbohydrate, protein and fat are called macronutrients. Vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients. Water is also a nutrient, in a class by itself. The Food Guide Pyramid can help you plan healthy meals for you and your family. The Pyramid is made up of six food groups. You should eat foods from each group every day.

The key to healthy eating is balance, variety and moderation: Eat a balanced meal with a variety of foods, but remember to eat in moderation (not too much fat and sugar!).

Planning your menus ahead of time and shopping for what you need can save you both money and time, while helping to stretch your food dollar.