Nutrition for Foodservice and
Culinary Professionals
Chapter 10
Balanced Menus
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
Explain what a balanced meal is in terms of
nutrient content and eight ways to evaluate
balanced menu items.
 Describe appropriate ingredients,
preparation/cooking methods, and several menu
items including presentation ideas for each section
of the menu: appetizers, soups, salads and
dressings, entrées, sauces, side dishes, desserts,
and breakfast.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives (cont’d)
Describe five balanced menu items for morning or
afternoon breaks and how you would present
them.
 List five basic principles of presentation and five
sample garnishes.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction
Balanced, nutritional, healthy and wholesome
cooking begins with the fundamentals of proper
techniques and cooking methodology.
 Creating balance in menu options takes an
understanding of portion control, fat content,
kcalories, added sugars, fiber, cholesterol, and
sodium levels.
 It also requires an understanding of the three
most important components to any dish:
presentation, taste, and value.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
One way to look at a balanced
meal:
800 kcalories or less
 20 to 35 percent of
kcalories from fat
 Emphasize oils high in
monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fats
 10 percent or less
kcalories from
saturated fat






No trans fat
100 mg or less of
cholesterol
10 grams of more of
fiber
10 percent or fewer
kcalories from added
sugars
15 to 25 percent of
kcalories from protein
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Considerations for deciding on
which balanced menu items to use:
1
2
3
4
5
6
Taste
Execution by
cooking staff
Complement rest of
menu
Customer
preferences
Price point
Preparation
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Color
Texture
Presentation
Flavor profile
Sensible
combination
Varied and
interesting
Concept –
sustainable
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Appetizers

Moderate the use of
ingredients such as:
◦ Bacon
◦ Cream
◦ Cheeses
◦ Salt
◦ Butter
◦ Cured meats
◦ Sugar

Consider:
◦ Crab cakes
◦ Pizza
◦ Confit
◦ Slaw
◦ Strudel
◦ Napoleons
◦ Dips and chips
◦ Quesadillas
◦ Wrappers with fillings
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Appetizers (cont’d)
Garnishes are important—dehydrated vegetable
chips are a great way to add color, texture, and
dimension to an appetizer.
 Creative sauces, mojos, salsas, dressings,
compotes, and relishes are perfect
accompaniments.
 Be in tune with the needs of your guests.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Appetizer Ideas


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Scallop and Shrimp Rolls in Rice Paper
Napoleon of Grilled Vegetables, Wild
Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese
Spicy Chicken and Jack Cheese Quesadillas
with Tomatillo Salsa
Hummus with Roasted Cauliflower, Crisp and
Dried Vegetables
Red Lentil Chili with Baked Spiced WholeWheat Tortilla Chips
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Soups
Soups can spotlight vegetables, beans, lentils,
split peas, and whole grains. Some of these
ingredients (rice, potatoes) can act as thickeners.
 Rice is an excellent thickener—use about 6
ounces of rice to 1 gallon of stock.
 Stocks are a low-kcalorie way to support flavor
in soup recipes—can be thickened with
arrowroot or cornstarch.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Cream Soups
To make a cream soup, such as cream of
broccoli, without using cream or roux, start by
dry-sautéing fresh broccoli, onion, garlic,
shallots, and/or leeks in chicken or vegetable
stock and white wine.
 Let it reduce by half, then add potatoes or rice,
fresh herbs, and bay leaf. Cover with stock.
 Once the potato is done, purée to a proper
consistency. Garnish with small, steamed
broccoli florets and drizzle with seasoned nonfat
yogurt.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Convenience Bases


If using concentrated bases, pick those listing beef,
chicken, or fish extract as the first ingredient—not
salt.
If you must use a base as a stock, fortify it by
following these steps:
1. Dry-sauté a white or regular mirepoix (small
dice) until translucent for white stock or
caramelized for brown stock.
2. Add base, water, and sachet with fresh herbs,
garlic, shallots, bay leaf, thyme, and
peppercorns.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Strain and reserve for use.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Presentation
Strain soups such as broccoli, celery, and
cauliflower through a large-holed china cap to
remove fibrous strands.
 Purée beans soups to get a homogeneous
product. Then strain in a large-holed china cap
to remove the skins.
 Add vinegar or another acid such as lime juice
to finish bean soups.
 Garnish soups with an ingredient to accompany
the soup when possible.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Salads and Dressings

To formulate a simple salad:
1. Use fresh lettuces—leaf lettuce, cos or
romaine, crisphead such as iceberg,
butterhead, or stem (Chinese) lettuce.
2. Add sprouts.
3. Experiment with microgreens (first true
leaves that develop after a seed sprouts).
4. Provide appealing combinations.
5. Use high–quality vinegars and oils.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Four categories of complex salads:
Complex side salads that accompany
sandwiches or entrées
 Bound protein salads—such as fresh tuna
 Complete entrée salads, either with meat, starch,
and vegetable or vegetarian style with legumes,
grains, vegetables, and possibly dairy
 Fruit salads consisting of various fresh and dried
fruits and their juices with fresh mint for
example

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Salad Dressings

Ingredients in salads,
entrées, appetizers,
relishes, vegetables, and
marinades

Basic vinaigrette:
◦ Good-quality vinegars
◦ First pressed olive oil,
infused oil, nut oils
◦ Fresh herbs
◦ Possibly: Dijon
mustard, shallots,
garlic, honey, capers,
hot sauces, reduced
vinegars, fruit or
vegetable juices
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Salad Dressings (cont’d)

The recipe for Basic
Herb Vinaigrette is
based on one part oil,
one part vinegar, and
about two parts
thickened chicken or
vegetable stock.

Creamy dressings—use
tofu, nonfat, or low-fat
yogurt, sour cream or
ricotta. Puréed fruits add
a creamy texture and
can be used as
emulsifiers.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Salad Dressings (cont’d)


Pureed dressings—such
as potato vinaigrette,
hummus, and tomato
tarragon coulis. Some of
these dressings work
well thick as a dip or
sandwich spread.
Reduction dressings—
involve reducing fruit
juices such as in orange
vinaigrette.

To make oil with
vegetable and fruit juices,
first reduce the juice to a
syrup, then blend in a
food processor with a
little oil, Dijon mustard, a
touch of honey, and some
fresh thyme. It can also be
used as an attractive
drizzle on the plate for a
salad, appetizer, or entrée.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Entrées
For meat, poultry, and fish, about a 5-ounce raw
portion is adequate.
 Select a lean cut, such as:
◦ Beef: bottom round steak or roast, flank steak,
eye round roast, top sirloin steak, tenderloin
filet, top round roast or steak, 90/10 or 95/5
ground beef
◦ Lamb or veal: loin or rib chop, top round
◦ Pork: pork tenderloin, top loin chops, whole
loin
◦ Poultry: breast or thigh (skinless or skin
removed after cooking)

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Entrée Tips
Smaller entrée portions can be just as
satisfying when accompanied by grains,
beans, potatoes, colorful seasonal vegetables,
and lighter-style sauces.
 It is essential to develop flavor in your protein
without adding salt. Using rubs and marinades
helps, as well as cooking techniques such as
grilling, searing, or poaching in flavorful
liquids.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Entrée Tips
When using cheese in an entrée, use a small
amount of a strong cheese and grate on top so
the first taste will include the flavorful cheese.
 Create new fillings for pasta that don’t rely
totally on cheese. For example, sweat
butternut squash and potato with fresh thyme,
roasted shallots, and perhaps a little roasted
duck for flavor.
 Use bulgur wheat or quinoa to extend ground
meat.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Balanced Sauces
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
Puréeing of vegetables
or starchy foods is
commonly done to
thicken soups, etc.
Before pureeing,
vegetables should be
cooked until just tender.
Herbs and spices add
flavor. Sauces made
with vegetable purees
are low in fat and
kcalories.


Coulis: thick puree or
sauce made from
vegetables or fruits.
A typical coulis is about
the consistency and
texture of a thin tomato
sauce.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Balanced Sauces (cont’d)
Salsas are versatile, low-fat, high-flavor sauces.
They are mixtures of vegetables and/or fruits
and seasoning ingredients. Salsas are staples of
Mexican cuisine.
 Relishes are cooked, pickled foods, typically
served as a cold condiment, and are popular
sauce choices for meat, poultry, and seafood.
 Chutney is a strongly spiced sauce from India.
Either hot or sweet, it is made with fruits,
vegetables, herbs, and spices.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Balanced Sauces (cont’d)
A compote is a preparation of fruit, fresh or
dried, cooked in syrup flavored with spices such
as vanilla or citrus peel. It is often served as a
dessert or as an accompaniment to a savory
item.
 A mojo is a spicy sauce from the Caribbean and
South American. It is traditionally a mixture of
sour oranges and their juice, garlic, oil, and
fresh herbs.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Balanced Sauces (cont’d)
Glazes (stock reduced to a thick, gelatinous
consistency with flavoring and seasonings) can
be used to enhance sauces and other items.
 Reduced juices also make excellent sauces and
flavorings.
 Wines, liqueurs, brandy, cognac, and other
spirits are often added as flavorings at the end of
cooking. In preparations such as sauces, wines
and spirits may be added during cooking to
become part of the total flavor.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Side Dishes

Consider techniques such as:
◦ Puréeing
◦ Roasting—To oven roast, season the veggies
in a pan, then add stock and a few sprays of a
good flavorful oil. Vegetables can be roasted
in the oven at 375°F, which results in
wonderful texture and flavor due largely to
caramelization of the natural sugars.
◦ Grilling
◦ Steaming
◦ Sautéing
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
To sauté vegetables:
Simmer vegetables with a liquid such as stock or
juice in a nonstick pan, and add seasonings.
 Cook over moderately high heat. As the
vegetables cook, add more liquid and deglaze
the pan.
 Once the vegetables are ready and the stock has
reduced to a syrup consistency, add a little bit of
butter or flavorful oil (about 1 teaspoon for 4
servings) to create a slightly thickened glaze and
give the product a rich flavor and appearance.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Tips for Side Dishes

Grains and legumes are also excellent side dishes
and add protein, which is important for vegetarian
diets. Add grains and legumes to vegetable dishes.

When using vegetables, plan your menu selection
by what is in season for maximum appearance and
overall taste. Consider flavor, color, and whether the
combination makes good culinary sense.

Blanched vegetables should be reheated in a small
amount of seasoned stock and then finished with an
oil such as extra virgin olive oil.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Desserts
Creativity and precise visual execution are the
keys to your client’s perception of balanced
desserts.
 There are many ways to modify sugar, fat, and
cholesterol in your dessert selections. Your focus
needs to identify what will sell in your
establishment, keeping in mind traditional,
simple, approachable selections.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Dessert Ideas
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You can make a wide variety of desserts with fruits,
either fresh cut or as a key ingredient in quick
breads, cobblers, puddings, phyllo strudels, and
even some cakes and cookies.
To make sorbet without sugar, purée and strain the
fruits. Churn in an ice cream machine or place in a
freezer and hand stir every 10 minutes until frozen.
Use angel food cake as a base to build a dessert.
Serve with fresh fruit sorbet or warmed sautéed
apples and cranberries.
Phyllo dough is versatile—you can stuff with fruits
and other fillings.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Breakfast Tips and Ideas
Hot and cold cereals, with fresh fruits, nonfat
milk and yogurt are balanced menu selections.
 To use fewer eggs, oil, and sugar in pancakes,
use steel-cut oats or other ingredient to create a
hearty texture, and use fruits and spices for
flavor.
 Stuff French toast with light cream cheese and
sliced bananas.
 Use egg whites instead of whole eggs to make
omelets adding a touch of white wine, Dijon
mustard, and chives and flavor.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Breakfast Tips and Ideas (cont’d)
Low-fat spreads include flavored nonfat ricotta
cheese, tofu spreads, and flavored low-fat cream
cheese.
 For color and flavor, serve an omelet with spicy
vegetable relish.
 Serve dried cherry scones with wild flower
honey and yogurt sauce.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Morning and Afternoon Breaks
Breaks are avenues for additional revenue.
 Break foods should be similar to hors d’oeuvres
in size—cut or make your items into about two
bite-sized pieces.
 Make sure you pay attention to providing some
high-protein foods as well as a variety of
beverages.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Afternoon Break Ideas
Cheese platter, stone-ground wafers
 Apple and pear chips or toasted seven-grain
breads with grapes or green apple slices (skin on
for extra fiber and phytochemicals)
 Chile-spiced popcorn
 Crudités (raw and blanched vegetables) with
creative dips such as tofu green goddess,
hummus, baba ganoush, and a simple spicy
tomato salsa

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Presentation
1.
2.
3.
Height gives a plate
interest and
importance.
Color is very
important but don’t
overdo it.
Shape is important
too—vary the shapes
on a plate
4.
5.
6.
Match the layout of
the menu item with
the shape of the plate.
Pick combinations that
work together.
The most effective
garnish is something
bright, eye-catching,
contrasting in color,
pleasing in shape, and
simple in design.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
To make less look like more:
Consider slicing meat or poultry thin and
fanning out the slices on a plate, or arrange the
protein on a bed of grains, vegetables, and/or
fruits or drape it two-thirds with sautéed
vegetables.
 To overcome the problem of foods getting cold,
place foods close together on the plate, putting
the densest food in the center to keep the other
foods warm, or slice just part of the meat.

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Hot Topic: Sustainable Food
Purchasing
Each foodservice needs to develop its own
vision of sustainable food purchasing, ideally
tied to the overall mission of the foodservice.
 The next step is to set up appropriate foodpurchasing guidelines and specifications to
match your goals.
 You need to be familiar with the definitions of
terms such as organic or certified humane (Table
10-1).

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.