What four factors do you need to consider when planning a meal?

By Ralph A. Miller | Submitted On January 20, 2011

Table of Contents Show

What is considered when planning a meal?
What are the factors that affect meal planning?
What is the most important consideration in meal planning?
What are factors to consider when planning a meal for children?

Meal planning is a technique that every household should utilize. It is a very comprehensive plan of what to eat and the products or ingredients necessary in cooking. It is an organized system of identifying recipes and for a certain period of time. It requires a skill to identify needs of a person of his entire family and taking into consideration of several factors that would affect planning activity.
Factors would include: health needs, economic factors, religious practices, dietary concerns, environmental factors and time and ability to cook.

Health needs.
It is necessary to include all the food groups to ensure optimum nutrition. It is very important that we include in our meals the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that our bodies require.

Economic factors.
We have to consider our budget and the prices of the ingredients. Budget is foremost the principal factor because you cannot cook what you cannot afford.

Religious practices.
Some religion or faith has restrictions on what they are allowed to eat. Muslims cannot eat pork and Jews are obliged to observe Kashrut practices. Hindus do not eat beef because of the view of the that cows are sacred.

Dietary concerns.

Certain diseases such as diabetes and hypertension restricts or limits an individual's food intake. They are not allowed to eat fatty foods and even sweets. Another consideration would be allergies that would yield unwanted reactions when trigger foods are consumed.

Environmental factors.
This would include the kitchen materials and equipments that would give you the capacity to cook certain food.

Time
If you have ample time to prepare food then you can go ahead and cook extravagant dishes, however when you have limited time you can opt for easy to do recipes than relying on fast food or instant products.

Ability to cook.
The most modifiable factor. They say you cannot cook if you don't know what you are doing. However you can research videos or follow cook books to help you prepare the dish that you want.

When you have considered all the factors of course you make sure that your cooking in variety while also acknowledging your family's preference. Play with texture and color as well as temperature. Add fun to the activity by making it a recreational hobby which involves family members.

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When planning meals for children, consider the children’s nutritional needs; preferences and allergies; the appearance and cost of foods; and the time and skill of the meal preparer, recommends Thomas Williams for SFGate. Balancing these factors can ensure meals that are healthy, appealing and affordable.

To give a child a nutritious meal, MedlinePlus recommends filling half of the child’s plate with fruits and vegetables, a little more than one-quarter of the plate with whole grains and a little less than one-quarter of the plate with healthy sources of protein, such as lean meat, nuts or eggs. Within these guidelines, the meal preparer can select food that appeals to the child in terms of taste and texture. A variety of colors and shapes also makes the meal more inviting.

Another factor to consider is the cost of the food. Families with a tight food budget can buy grains in bulk, shop at farmer’s markets for fruits and vegetables and choose less expensive sources of protein such as tuna and ground beef, notes Williams. Because children are more likely to develop healthy eating habits if their meals are made well and served at the same time every day, meal preparers need to plan recipes that suit their cooking skills and available time.

What is considered when planning a meal?

While planning the meals, you should consider the resources like time, energy and skill available to the family. Meals can be elaborate with different dishes but you can simplify them by cooking a simple but nutritious dish.