Menu Ideas 

Food for Fun And Family Involvement 
Participants in this menu planning activity will compare the advantages and disadvantages of choosing to create a one week menu, choosing fast food or creating meals at home, and involving the whole family in creating meals with family involvement. The target group is consumers, parents, and caregivers. This module is designed to be presented by using facilitation methods for audience involvement. 

Upon completing the program, participants will be able to perform the following:

1.	State three advantages to using a one week menu.
2.	State three reasons to use leftover foods.
3.	Create a list of the pros and cons of preparing convenience foods to foods that include family involvement.
4.	State the pros and cons of choosing fast food meals to creating meals at home.
5.	Describe one action they will take after experiencing the session.

Starting Discussion 

1.	In the past month or two, what messages have you heard related to healthy eating or saving money? Did you try what was suggested? Why or why not? What happened?
2.	Have you ever planned your menu for a whole week? If so, what was it like for you? What was good about having the menu planned for one week? In what way was planning a one week menu helpful to you? If not, what do you think would be an advantage of having a week’s menu already planned at the beginning of the week?
3.	What would it take for you to plan a one week menu? (time, ideas from the family on what they would like, a recipe book with ideas)
4.	How would creating a weeks’ menu help with saving time and money? (know what to buy, fewer trips to the grocery store, use leftovers)
5.	What menu items are cost saving? (homemade biscuits, cornbread, and pizza crust; soups; pot pies; items using beans, rice, noodles, and less meat)
6.	Looking at this one week menu. Can you see some ideas that might be useful in your menu planning? Which ideas might you try?
7.	Do you use a shopping list?
8.	What meals appeal to you and your family?
9.	How often do you use convenience foods at home? (frozen pizza, cornbread mix, stew or soup from a can)
10.	How do you involve each person in your family in making a meal?
11.	Have you ever considered how much money you could save by preparing foods from scratch instead of using convenience foods a year?
12.	Lets look at a one day’s menu comparison of preparing food with family involvement as compared to using convenience foods. What are some ideas you have on preparing more items from scratch?
13.	What would it take for you to prepare more items from scratch? (recipe, time, help from others)
14.	How often do you eat at a fast food restaurant?
15.	What time of day do you usually eat at a fast food restaurant?
16.	What do you order when you go to a fast food restaurant?
17.	How much money do you think you would save if you made the food at home instead of eating in a fast food restaurant?
18.	What healthy foods are usually missing in fast food meals? (fruits, vegetables, whole grain)
19.	What are your reasons for choosing to eat in a fast food restaurant? (when shopping or traveling, the kids like to)

Copyright © 1999 Michigan State University Extension.  For information about Hunger Resources and Programming, contact <wrublec@msue.msu.edu>. 

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