Introduction
When going to a food service, we have heard or read on cards or blackboards many times the menu of the day or the foods a la carte, these expressions or wording indicate the foods offered by the food service to which we go. A menu is a set of preparations or foods that is offered to the customer to satisfy their appetite. After the appearance of the list of foods that make it up, there are a series of stages or processes that have to go through to obtain it.
For the elaboration of the menus, factors such as the age of the diners, available foods, most popular foods, budget, type of food service, among others, must be taken into account to choose the most appropriate dishes. A very important factor is the customer since after having gone through selection processes to have the menus, this will be the one who will choose the dish that he likes the most, therefore the establishment will have to adjust to the demand of the diners, creating strategies such as diversity and creativity in their dishes.
The following work will explain the steps to carry out menu planning, the dishes that make it up, some recommendations and important points to take into account.
Procedure for planning the menu program
Menu elaboration
The menu that a food service uses will depend on the characteristics of each service. The procedure for planning the menu program is explained below, this being a process of selecting preparations that users like.
1. Preparation of the repertoire of recipes
To carry out menu planning, it is necessary to start with the collection of dishes that are appropriate for the food service that is being provided, the collection of recipes can be from cookbooks, television, newspapers and people who do it. To refine the list that is formed when collecting the possible recipes to be made, it is important that first all those that are difficult to add to the menu are eliminated. Because they are complicated to prepare, or that their preparation requires a high economic investment. The ingredients are not available in the region or because it is not of interest to the diner. After a classification of the recipes in groups will be made to file them using colored cards, this grouping will be able to separate the food into soups, salads, desserts, etc.
2. Preparation of the general menu program
After having chosen the preparations to be made, the food service menu program will be carried out. To do so, the first step is to choose the main foods in each dish for each meal time. To later determine which preparation will accompany the main food, seeking to have a balance between flavor, design and price of the dish. Accompanying foods are usually beans, potatoes, carrots, bananas, cereals such as bread, rice, and pasta. These foods must be elaborated in a creative way so as not only to be companions to the main food but to complement both in taste and presentation, the accompanying foods must be served in multiple presentations, seeking to combine them with other foods, to turn them into something different and striking,In other words, you can add vegetables, sauces or spices to rice or pasta.
Examples of foods that accompany the main dish (side dishes)
Illustration 1. Examples of foods that accompany the main dish (side dishes)
After choosing the main food and with which it will be accompanied, we will continue with the choice of vegetables either cooked or in salads, the use of these foods seeks to provide color to the dish, it is recommended that the cuts for the presentation of the food are creative, It can also be combined with some fruits or another ingredient. It is worth mentioning that it is of utmost importance that a balance be sought between the foods used to prepare the dishes offered to the diner to promote healthy eating habits such as; increase in the consumption of vegetables and fruits, prefer cooked or roasted foods, avoid consuming excess salt and sugar, etc.1,2
Examples of salads or vegetables that should be served frequently
Illustration 2. Examples of salads or vegetables that should be served frequently
Subsequently, the soup that is going to be served as part of the dish or as an entrance will be chosen, this food can be optional, that is, it can be served or not, if it is chosen that it will be part of the menu it is important that it is prepared properly in an attractive way, ensuring that taste good.
At the end, the dessert is chosen, it may be fruit, ice cream, jellies, puddings, cookies, cakes, etc. Its presentation must be attractive to the client, the portion will be for one person avoiding that it is very small or very large, it is recommended to choose desserts that do not contain much sugar and that provide nutrients to the body. It should be noted that a food service can also offer the sale of cakes or breakfasts, which must also be planned looking for a balance between nutrition, creativity and flavor.
Examples of desserts
Illustration 3. Examples of desserts
3. Checking the general menu program
The menu program should be reviewed carefully preferably every day, taking into account the following aspects:
- It has nutritional quality The foods offered are seasonal and affordable The dishes have a pleasant taste, presentation, texture and preparation There is frequent repetition of dishes.
Menu types
The development of programs should be according to the type of food service, whether it is a restaurant, a cafe, a hospital, a university, etc.
Modified or therapeutic diets
The planning of menus will be different, in hospitals and in some establishments modified or therapeutic diets are handled, these are prepared according to the needs of each guest or patient, their preparation must be supervised and prescribed by a nutritionist, based on a diagnosis or indication by the doctor.
The food care provided by a hospital to a patient, in addition to providing food, recommendations are made to follow a correct diet, guiding on the inclusion of food groups in adequate portions, and the food preparations provided by the hospital are also briefly discussed. In other words, they will be provided with information on the reduction of sodium, calories, sugar and fat in their diet. To prepare a food plan, it is necessary to take into account the pathology (s) the patient is experiencing, their body measurements, their lifestyle and diet, in order to later know the kilocalories that they should consume in their diet, the knowledge of these kilocalories will allow a menu to be prepared with the appropriate foods to cover the intake of these kilocalories,resorting to correct preparations, foods that the patient can consume and the reduction of elements that harm or aggravate the patient's health.
Menus for special events
In most food services, special events of a different nature arise, which warrants the preparation of something different in the menu of that day, this must be planned in advance to avoid improvisation of its preparation. The planning of special events includes the decoration of the place, the activities to be carried out, the food to be served and the clothing of the employees, this will be done with the aim of attracting the attention of the diners. That is, something special will be done that will break the routine on dates such as birthdays, national holidays, religious holidays, etc.
Menus for contingencies
On many occasions, people who were not expected either in a restaurant or hospital will appear, which is why these types of menus recommend the preparation of dishes which are not difficult to prepare and above all that the ingredients are available, so it will be food to anyone who requests it.
Snack Menus
They are made only by some establishments dedicated to this type of service, the type of food that will be provided should be with simple foods appropriate to the type and schedule of food. The establishments that use these versatile, simple and easy to prepare menus are mainly coffee shops.
Recommendations for the food offer in the menus
- Offer adequate portions Offer dishes that contain all three major food groups (cereals, animal foods, and fruits and vegetables) Prefer to cook food with methods that include little processing and avoid the addition of fat, such as boiled, roasted, grilled, etc. Avoid adding too much salt Offer cereals such as oatmeal, rice, etc. Offer elaborate preparations without excess of industrialized products.
Menu program control
It is carried out with the performance of the following techniques:
- Serving and recipe standardization: it consists of specifying the size, number and quality of the ingredients used for the preparation of the dish.) Charts of meals served Levels or popularity index of dishes Price of food
conclusion
At present obesity is a major health problem, its etiology is attributed to multiple factors, one of them is the diet and lifestyle that one leads, most of the people eat in the food services that are nearby. Therefore, these establishments must offer food with an adequate presentation and especially healthy dishes, to achieve this they must prepare their menus correctly, starting with a recipe selection stage to form the dishes and then the menu, they will keep track of these by taking take into account the customer's demand for each of the preparations offered.
Each food service will adjust to its possibilities, trying to provide a good service, being able to provide healthy food with nutritional quality should be one of the main goals of these establishments, especially those such as school canteens, hospitals, nursing homes and restaurants. To ensure that a dish reaches the table, a series of procedures must be passed which must be periodically updated to satisfy the perspectives of the guests and to be able to obtain prestige as an establishment.
References
- Tejada B. Food Services Administration. 2nd ed. Colombia; 2007.Gonzáles J. Preparation and exhibition of food in the bar-cafeteria. 1st ed. Innova Editions; 2011. Preparation and display of food in the bar-cafeteria. Simple and attractive gastronomic offer. 1st ed. Spain: Vigo publishing house; 2012.
