Template: plan a nutritious daily menu
How to think when food must both taste and nourish
Making food for many is much more than recipes. You need to hit the right nutrition for a specific target group, keep to budget and at the same time make something people actually want to eat. This template helps you think it through in the right order.
§1. Know your target group
- 01Who is to eat — the elderly, patients, children, employees in a canteen?
- 02Are there special needs: energy-dense food, soft food, diets or allergies?
- 03How large is the appetite, and what appeals to them?
§2. Frame nutrition
- 01Distribute the meal sensibly between energy protein and vegetables.
- 02Adapt energy content to whether the group should be built up or maintain weight.
- 03Think about consistency if someone has difficulty chewing or swallowing.
§3. Think through the whole day
A daily menu brings together breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Ensure variation throughout the day so it is not the same protein or the same vegetable again and again.
§4. Keep budget and sustainability
- 01Use seasonal raw materials — they are often cheapest and best.
- 02Plan how leftovers can be used so food waste is reduced.
- 03Consider more plant-based and organic where it makes sense.