Healthy menu planning is a process of planning and scheduling the intake of meals for general or
specific individual requirements. According to World Health Organization health is defined as a
“state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease
and infirmity.” People’s eating habits vary enormously and dietitians must respect eating
freedom and diversity when making menu and recommendations. The best way to achieve
balanced diet is to plan meals in relation to other food for the whole day.

Principal of planning healthy balance menu – A good menu is one which will not only provide
adequate calories, fats and proteins but also minerals, vitamins essentials for the physical well-
being of each member of a family. Meal patterns vary with age, occupation and life- style of the
people.

Meal planning should save time and energy-Planning of meals should be done in such a way,
that the recipes should be simple and nutritious. Labor and time saving devices can be used.
Economic consideration –Planned meals that do not satisfy the needs of the family cannot be put
into practice. The cost of meals can be reduced by bulk purchasing and use of seasonal fruits
and vegetables.

Meal plan should give maximum nutrients – Loss of nutrients during processing and cooking
should be minimized. Sprouted grams, malted cereals, millets, fermented foods enhance the
nutritive value. Better quality of fats and proteind should be distributed in all meals.

Consideration for individual likes and dislikes – The meal planned should not only meet RDA
(Recommended Dietary Allowances) but also individual preferences, particularly vegetarian or
non- vegetarian preferences. If a person does not like particular greens, it can be tried in
different forms or substituted by some other equally nourishing food. Food habits and dietary
pattern should also be considered. Religion, tradition and customs of the individual should be
considered in planning the menu.

Planned meals should provide variety- If the meals are monotonous , one finds it difficult to
consume them. Varity can be introduced in color, texture and taste, by using different kinds of

food and cooking methods. Healthy cooking techniques should be implemented. Variety also
helps in meeting the nutritional requirements.
Availability of foods- Menus should include seasonally available foods. The wide variation in
eating habits, patterns throughout the continents depends largely upon the available food supply.
Meals should give satiety – Each meal should have some amount of fat, protein and fiber to get
satiety. Menu should be planned in such a way that a right interval between the meals is also
considered.

Moreover, A knowledge of good nutrition and diet is essential for chefs and health professionals
and hospitality students. Department of hotel management at Jagannath Institute of
Management Sciences Vasant kunj -II , is a pioneer Institute. The Hotel Maangement curriculum
is designed according to the modern hospitality trends where students learn about the
characteristics of ingredients. However, now-a-days everyone is health conscious and we know
that food is fuel to living organism so if you eat healthy and balance food its help to live a good
and happy life.

Chef Rajesh Kumar
Assistant Professor
Hotel Management Department
JIMS, Vasant Kunj-II