Making Meals in Minutes! UH-CTAHR-CES, Nutrition Education for Wellness,

Hawaii Child Care Nutrition Program

Agenda

Let’s STREAMLINE!

“Munch on this…” activity

Menu & Recipe Checklists

Resources

Fill in the chart to identify strategies you can adopt to streamline your meal planning process.

Let’s STREAMLINE!

PLAN!

ORGANIZE!

SAVE TIME!

Why PLAN menus? Helps ensure that meal patterns are followed

& balanced meals are offered

Plan for recommended portions

Helps you plan your shopping trips, saving lengthy & last minute stops to the store

Helps you take advantage of sales, buying in bulk & seasonal foods

With practice, you SAVE TIME & ENERGY!

www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/new/hccnp/preschools.htm

PLAN those portions:

Why use a *CYCLING menu?

ADVANTAGES: Save a lot of time in: planning costing food establishing purchasing

procedures making grocery lists training staff on

making recipes

*Cycle menus are planned to run for a standard length of time, repeating on a regular basis, like every 3 weeks.

Control food costs: can buy ingredients in

bulk buy seasonal foods know how much to

purchase, which helps to prevent excess food and subsequent waste

“Building Blocks for Fun & Healthy Meals – A Menu Planner for the CACFP”, Team Nutrition - USDA

3) Add other foods to complement your main dish, and to help meet the meal pattern.

4) Consider planning a different cycle menu for each quarter / season of the year, to reap the benefits of seasonal flavors.

1) Determine the length of your cycling menu.

About 3 weeks is a good length of time as it allows for a variety of foods to be offered.

2) Select the main dish items first.

Try to plan for a different meat/meat alternate each day of the week.

How to PLAN a CYCLING menu for meals…

www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/new/hccnp/preschools.htm

Why use *STANDARDIZED recipes & service?

*Standardized recipes have been tried, adapted

& retried several times—& have been found to produce the

same good results & yields every time as long as:

the exact procedures are followed

the same type of equipment is used and

the ingredients are of the same quality and quantity

“Building Blocks for Fun & Healthy Meals – A Menu Planner for the CACFP”, Team Nutrition - USDA

Why use *STANDARDIZED recipes & service?

ADVANTAGES:

Where can I find standardized recipes?

Help ensure quality & consistency of your meals Simplify menu planning Control costs

USDA Team Nutrition recipes for child care http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/recipes/recipes-child-care-providers Recipe Finder Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook USDA Recipes for Child Care

www.nfsmi.org/Templates/TemplateDefault.aspx?qs=cElEPTYzJmlzTWdyPXRydWU=

ORGANIZING your recipes

Storage system “Keepers” vs. “Try soon”

Cookbooks / notebooks Photo album with

self-adhesive pages Recipe box with cards Pocket protectors in

binder Accordion file Sort by categories

Tag your favorite recipes for easy access OR

Separate your favorite recipes from those you’ll “try soon”

Date the “try soon” recipes and toss if you haven’t used it in a year

ORGANIZING your INVENTORY

Rotate ‘first in, first out’

Saves time: Ordering

Preparing shopping list

Cooking

Helps avoid ‘running out’ of necessities

Keep staples in stock

A well-stocked supply helps when ‘last-minute’ substitutions are needed

Use a SHOPPING LIST

First check your: Then go shopping!

inventory menu sales, coupons

Stick to your list

Grab shelf-stable items first, perishables last

Plan to shop during non-peak hours

Pack a cooler / coolants in car for perishables

SAVE TIME: Make Meals in Minutes!

Foods Cooking

Offer “whole” foods Pre-prep (measure, chop,

cook) ingredients Use convenience

products (frozen / canned produce, canned soups, dry mixes)

Have breakfast for lunch / dinner

Stir-fry One-pot meals Slow cooker Oven Double recipe Freeze Flexible substitutions

MUNCH on this…

Milk Fruits & Veggies Grains Meats & Meat alternates Seasonings Cooking methods

Cooking methods

Bake Boil Braise *Limit Frying Microwave Poach

Roast Saute Steam Stew Stir-fry

Putting the PIECES together

MENUS

Fill in the MENU CHECKLIST and identify positive

changes you can incorporate into your menus:

--- streamlining strategies --- --- more healthful options ---

Putting the PIECES together…

RECIPES

Fill in the RECIPE CHECKLIST and identify

positive changes you can incorporate

into your recipes:

--- streamlining strategies --- --- more healthful options ---

Recipe Resources Team Nutrition – Recipes for Child Care Providers http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/recipes/recipes-child-

care-providers

Fruits & Veggies More Matters Recipes www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/main-recipes

Nutrition Education for Wellness – Resources www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/new/resources.htm

eXtension – Families, Food and Fitness Recipes www.quickhealthyrecipes.msstate.edu/

Menu Planning Resources Hawaii Child Care Nutrition Program www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/new/hccnp/

USDA Team Nutrition - MENU PLANNING http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/menu-planning-0

Child & Adult Care Food Program – Nutrition Education www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/nutrition-and-nutrition-education

SNAP-Ed Connection – Food Preparation & Cooking https://snap.nal.usda.gov/resource-library/manage-your-food-

resources-wisely/food-preparation-and-cooking

? ?? Any Questions? ??

Contact Information: Hawaii Child Care Nutrition Program

1955 East-West Road, #306 Honolulu, HI 96822

Phone: (808) 956-4124 Email: hccnp@hawaii.edu