a characteristic of food to consider when meal planning. Can make a meal more appetizing.

a meal traditionally eaten in the evening.

foods already prepared and used as part of a meal. Some convenience foods have all the ingredients included to prepare a dish but must be made at home.

a characteristic of foods that should be pleasing to the taste and a consideration used when planning meals.

a time a meal is typically served based on personal or family needs.

a list of foods, usually in order of being served, served at a meal.

time taken to decide on number of meals necessary for a period of time, usually a week at a time, and how and when the foods needed will be purchased. Amount of time needed for food preparation is also considered.

1dishes that use no pre-prepared or prepackaged convenience foods. Considered “home-cooked.”

dishes that may use some pre-prepared foods or convenience foods as part of the ingredients to speed up the meal preparation process.

a meal traditionally served in the middle of the day and non-traditionally at other times of the day.

characteristic of foods considered when planning meals. A variety of shapes in a meal is more appetizing.

foods eaten between meals as a way to minimize hunger or keep up energy levels.

a characteristic of foods considered when planning meals. A variety of temperatures in a meal is more appetizing.

a characteristic of foods considered when planning meals. A variety of textures in a meal make it more appealing and interesting.

method used for food preparation that makes preparation time shorter.

traditional times-breakfast in the a.m., lunch around noon, dinner (supper) in the early evening. Non-traditional mealtimes may revolve around work schedules, social schedules or school schedules. For example-a person working second shift (4 p.m. to midnight) may have a meal considered dinner at 10 p.m. or lunch at 3 p.m.

using several foods in the food guidance system to create a meal to add appeal and meet nutritional goals.