Cooking Merit Badge MENU PLANNING (Requirements 5,

Menu Planning - TOPICS Review Cooking Merit Badge Requirements for menu planning
Planning meals
Preparing and serving selected meals

MyPlate Food Guide

Ideas for meals

Additional tips for planning a menu<br>

Menu Planning - requirements Plan complete menus for:

HOME
Meals for you and at least one adult

CAMPING TRIP
Meals for you and your patrol (up to 8 people)

BACKPACKING
Backpacking meals for you and a small group (2 to 4 others)<br>

Menu Planning - requirements Meals for HOME

3 breakfasts
3 lunches
3 dinners
1 dessert<br>

Menu Planning - requirements MEALS TO PREPARE
For meals at home, you must prepare and serve one each of your planned meals using five of the different cooking methods
Breakfasts
Lunches
Dinners
Desserts<br>

Menu Planning - requirements Meals for a camping trip

5 meals
1 snack (or dessert)<br>

Menu Planning - requirements MEALS TO PREPARE

For meals on a camping trip, prepare and serve
2 of your planned camping trip meals:
Use either a stove or ‘low impact’ fire
Use a different cooking method for each meal<br>

Menu Planning - requirements MEALS TO PREPARE
In addition,
for meals on a camping trip, prepare and serve:

1 of your planned camping trip meals using either a dutch oven, foil pack, or kabobs

Your snack (or dessert)<br>

Menu Planning Meals for a backpacking trip (on the trail)

1 breakfast
1 lunch
1 dinner
1 snack<br>

Menu Planning - requirements MEALS TO PREPARE

For meals on a backpacking trip, prepare/ serve:

2 of your planned backpacking meals
At least one must be cooked over a fire or trail stove

Your snack (or dessert)<br>

Menu Planning - requirements For all meals, you will need to
Follow the MyPlate food guide

Show your shopping list and quantities
1x lb box of pasta
1x 32 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
1x 12 oz bag of salad mix

Show the cost to purchase ingredients for the meal

List equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve your meals<br>

Menu Planning Use The “MyPlate” Chart as a GUIDE:

Half your plate
Fruits
Vegetables

Other half of your plate
Grains
Protein

Side of Dairy<br>

Menu Planning - “MyPlate” Chart Fruits
Canned
Fruit cocktail
Sliced peaches, pineapples, etc
Dried
Raisins
Mixed dried fruit
Frozen
Fresh (available in-season, usually summer and fall)
Apples , pears, peaches, cherries
Oranges, clementines
Grapes, cherries, strawberries, blueberries
Melons (ie- watermelon, cantaloupe, etc)
Juices
Orange, apple, grape<br>

Menu Planning - “MyPlate” Chart Vegetables
Green beans
Brocoli
Peas
Squash
Corn
Potatoes
Salads
Lettuce, spinach, cucumber, carrots , celery, etc<br>

Menu Planning - “MyPlate” Chart Grains - whole and refined
Bread
Pasta
Oatmeal
Breakfast cereals
Tortillas
Rice (brown or white)<br>

Menu Planning - “MyPlate” Chart Protein
Meats
beef, pork
Poultry
chicken, turkey
Seafood
Shellfish (shrimp, clams, scallops)
Finfish (cod, haddock, flounder)
Canned fish (tuna, sardines)
Beans and peas
Chick peas, lentils, black beans, split peas
Eggs
Nuts and seeds
Processed soy products
Tofu, tempeh, veggie burgers<br>

Menu Planning - “MyPlate” Chart Dairy
Milk (fat-free skim, 1% low fat, 2% reduced fat, whole)
Milk-based desserts
Pudding
Frozen yogurt
Ice cream
Cheese
Hard cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella)
Soft cheeses (Ricotta, cottage cheese)
Processed cheeses (American)
Yogurt<br>

Menu Planning - requirements After you have prepared and served each meal:

For All Meals
Those you served then evaluate your meal
You also evaluate your meal !
What you learned
Adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals
How planning and preparation help ensure successful meals<br>

Menu Planning - requirements After you have prepared and served each meal:

For meals cooked at Home and on a Camping Trip
Explain how you kept perishable foods safe and free from cross-contamination

For meals cooked on a Backpacking Trip
Explain how you used safe food-handling practices
Clean up utensils and campsite
Dispose of dishwater and pack out garbage<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for BREAKFAST menus for Home or Camp:

French Toast
Bread slices
Eggs
Milk
Cinnamon
Toppings such as pineapple, strawberries, whipped cream, margarine<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for BREAKFAST menus for Home or Camp:

Eggs & English Muffin Sandwich
Eggs
Sliced ham
Toasted English muffins

Include a serving of fruit (fresh apple / orange, or canned peach or fruit cocktail)<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for BREAKFAST menus for Home or Camp:

Cold cereal


Top a bowl of dry cereal with a can of fruit
Add milk
Accompany with orange juice<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for BREAKFAST menus for Backpacking:

Instant hot cereals
Breakfast bars
Granola
Powdered milk
Dried fruits<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for LUNCH menus for home or camp:

Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Sliced ham
Sliced mozzarella or swiss cheese
Put ham and cheese between two slices bread
Butter the outside of the bread, fry, and eat
Accompany with a noodle soup and a dish of fresh carrots<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for LUNCH menus for Backpacking:

Bagels
Hard crackers
Peanut butter and jelly
Summer sausage or beef jerky
Cheese
Dried fruit
Fig bars or other cookies
Granola, cereal, or energy bars
Nuts
Trail mixes<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for DINNER menus for home or camp:

Tacos


Cook ground beef, adding taco sauce to spice
Put into taco shells and top with shredded lettuce, grated cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, more taco sauce, and sour cream<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for DINNER menus for Home or Camp:

Shish Kebob

Skewer
Cubes of beef
Green peppers
Onions
Cherry tomatoes
Pineapple rings
Serve the meal with instant rice or baked potatoes<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for DINNER menus for Home or Camp:

Steak & Potatoes

Grilled steak with steak sauce
Bake potatoes
Roast corn-on-the-cob or boil-in-the-bag precooked veggies
Salad
lettuce
tomatoes
cucumbers
dressing<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for DINNER menus for Home or Camp:

Foil Dinners

Hamburger patty
Butter or margerine
Carrots
Potatoes (thinly sliced so they will cook fast)
Onions

The fire should not be a high flaming fire, but more like coals - charcoal works nicely too<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for DINNER menus for the Trail:

Packaged meals
Pasta
Instant rice
Ramen noodles
Instant soups and sauces
Instant stuffing
Instant potatoes
Foil packs of tuna or chicken
Spices such as onion, garlic powder, basil, oregano<br>

Menu Planning Ideas for DESSERTS and SNACKS:

Note – use your judgment as to which are best for home, camp, or backpacking !

Pudding
Jello
Ice cream sundaes
Cookies baked from frozen cookie dough
“No-bake” cookies and cake mixes
Brownies
Graham cracker pie crust / pie filling
Cold fruit (ie- watermelon, pineapple)
Baked apples
Popcorn
S’mores
Trail mix<br>

Menu Planning “NO BAKE” COOKIE SNACK
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 stick butter
4 Tbsp cocoa

Put ingredients in a saucepan & boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat / add:
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal (‘quick’ oats only)
Optional ingredients include
raisins or nuts
1 cup coconut

Drop heaping spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool !<br>

Menu Planning Remember,
It’s one thing to plan a menu…

It’s another thing to actually prepare, serve, and then clean up from the meal !!!<br>

Menu Planning Considerations for Trail (Backpacking) meals:

With no refrigeration, fresh foods are only good for 1-2 days. Carrots can sometimes last longer. Consider using freeze-dried or dehydrated foods (pasta, noodles, instant rice, soup mixes, drink mixes) which are light and take up minimal space inside a pack.

Smaller cans of food (ie- less than 15 oz) can be brought along if the trip is short. Tins of fish or other canned meat products can be a nice toss-in item with a pot of rice or noodles. The weight and bulk of larger canned foods just isn’t worth it, and don't even think about carrying glass bottles.

Bring a spice kit, which could include pepper, garlic powder or salt, basil, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, cumin, crushed red pepper, cinnamon or whatever else you like to use.

Powdered drink mixes are a nice treat. Take note that the caffeine in coffee and tea is a ‘diuretic’, which counteracts your efforts to keep yourself hydrated.

For winter camping, bring extra food to rebuff any chance of hypothermia. Carry your ready-to-eat items close to your body during the day so they are not frozen solid when you want to eat them.<br>

Menu Planning And, finally, a few more things to think about when planning menus:

How much time will you have to prepare the meal ?
How much help will you have for prepping, cooking, and cleaning up ?

What time of year is it ? What kinds of fresh foods are available to you ?
What kind of weather are you expecting ? When is sunset ?
Summer heat and winter cold each present their own limitations

What kind of cooking equipment will you have ?
Will drinking water be available, or will you have to treat your water ?
What kind of facilities are there for cleaning up ?

What’s your food budget ?
Any allergies or food ‘dis-likes’ in the group ?<br>

Thank You,
It’s been a pleasure…

Best of Luck with your
Cooking Merit Badge

BON APPETIT !!!<br>

Appendix Menu Planning – Rqm’t 5 (HOME) 5. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan a menu for three full days of meals (three breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners) plus one dessert. Your menu should include enough to feed yourself and at least one adult, keeping in mind any special needs (such as food allergies) of those to be served. List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals. Then do the following:

Create a shopping list for your meals showing the amount of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each meal.
Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor.
Using at least five of the seven cooking methods from requirement 4, prepare and serve yourself and at least one adult (parent, family member, guardian, or other responsible adult) one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one dessert from the meals you planned.*
Time your cooking to have each meal ready to serve at the proper time. Have an adult verify the preparation of the meal to your counselor.
After each meal, ask a person you served to evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how better planning and preparation help ensure a successful meal.
Explain how you kept perishable foods safe and free from cross-contamination.

* The meals for requirement 5 may be prepared on different days, and they need not be prepared consecutively. The requirement calls for Scouts to plan, prepare, and serve one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner to at least one adult; those served need not be the same for all meals.<br>

Appendix Menu Planning – Rqm’t 6 (CAMP) 6. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan a menu for your patrol or a similar size group of up to eight youth, including you) for a camping trip. Include five meals AND at least one snack OR one dessert. List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals. Then do the following:

Create a shopping list for your meals showing the amount of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each meal.
Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor.
In the outdoors, cook two of the meals you planned in requirement 6 using either a lightweight stove or a low-impact fire. Use a different cooking method for each meal.** The same fireplace may be used for both meals. Serve this meal to your patrol or a group of youth.
In the outdoors, cook one of the meals you planned in requirement 6.Use either a Dutch oven, OR a foil pack, OR kabobs. Serve this meal to your patrol or a group of youth.**
In the outdoors, prepare a dessert OR a snack and serve it to your patrol or a group of youth.**
After each meal, have those you served evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, and then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how better planning and preparation help ensure successful outdoor cooking.
Explain how you kept perishable foods safe and free from cross-contamination.

**Where local regulations do not allow you to build a fire, the counselor may adjust the requirement to meet the law. The meals in requirements 6 and 7 may be prepared for different trips and need not be prepared consecutively. Scouts working on this badge in summer camp should take into consideration foods that can be obtained at the camp commissary.<br>

AppendixMenu Planning – Rqm’t 7 (TRAIL) 7. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan a menu for trail hiking or backpacking that includes one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one snack. These meals must not require refrigeration and are to be consumed by three to five people (including you). List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals. Then do the following:

Create a shopping list for your meals, showing the amount of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each meal.
Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor. Your plan must include how to repackage foods for your hike or backpacking trip to eliminate as much bulk, weight, and garbage as possible.
While on a trail hike or backpacking trip, prepare and serve two meals and a snack from the menu planned for requirement 7. At least one of those meals must be cooked over a fire, or an approved trail stove (with proper supervision).**
For each meal prepared in requirement 7c, use safe food-handling practices. Clean up equipment, utensils, and the site thoroughly after each meal. Properly dispose of dishwater, and pack out all garbage.
After each meal, have those you served evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how better planning and preparation help ensure successful trail hiking or backpacking meals.

**Where local regulations do not allow you to build a fire, the counselor may adjust the requirement to meet the law. The meals in requirements 6 and 7 may be prepared for different trips and need not be prepared consecutively. Scouts working on this badge in summer camp should take into consideration foods that can be obtained at the camp commissary.<br>