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Factors to consider in planning menus sheet
10-mark answer frame

Discuss the factors to be considered in planning menus for a food service institution.

How to lay out the answer. Follow the frame, then write it in your own words.

  1. 1 · Open in two lines. Menu planning is choosing dishes that satisfy the guests, meet their nutritional needs and fit the resources of the institution. Many factors must be balanced.
  2. 2 · Draw a factor chart. [Chart: Menu planning in the centre; four arms: guests, management, food, aesthetics, each with three or four factors]
  3. 3 · Guest factors. Type of institution and clientele: age, sex, activity, health, religion, region and food habits; nutritional needs.
  4. 4 · Management factors. Budget per head, equipment and space, number and skill of staff, type of service, meal timings.
  5. 5 · Food factors. Season and availability, market forms, storage life of foods.
  6. 6 · Aesthetic factors. Variety in colour, texture, flavour, shape, consistency and temperature; no repeated ingredient or method in one meal.
  7. 7 · In food service. A girls' hostel menu with ragi, greens and a daily pulse meets iron and protein needs within the budget.
  8. 8 · Close in one line. A well-planned menu is nutritious, acceptable, affordable and practical for the kitchen.

Scoring tip: Grouping the factors under four heads makes the answer look organised. Give one institutional example for each factor.