Menu Planning Assignment
NFSC 430: Food Service Procurement and Management
Skill Area: Food Service
Assignment Title: Menu Planning Assignment
What I learned: In this assignment, I learned how to take a menu from a school and how to adjust it to help meet the needs of the USDA. I had to make changes to the menu and I learned how difficult it is to fix foods to meet requirements. I learned how to make adjustments and improve a menu already given to me.
Reflection to the assignment: This assignment opened my eyes to the difficulties of being a foodservice manager. There is a lot of information that needs to be taken into consideration when developing a menu. First and foremost, I have to consider the preferences of children and try to accommodate them. I also have to ensure that the nutrition is adequate to meet the needs of the USDA.
Relevance to the profession: As a dietitian, it is important to understand all aspects of nutrition, including foodservice. A big task that foodservice dietitians face is developing menus for various populations such as children. If I worked as a nutrition director at a hospital, I would need to have knowledge in all aspects of nutrition including how to develop a menu in foodservice operations.