Question

Explain the importance of meal planning.

Answer 1

1. Caters to the nutritional needs of the family.
2. Attractive meals can be prepared if prior planning is done.
3. Prior meal planning saves money, time, energy and fuel.
4. It helps the homemaker record and improve the meals they serve.
5. It also enables the homemaker to enhance the nutritive value by:
   1. Combining foods. For example, rice and pulses together improve protein quality, as does idli-sambhar.
   2. Sprouting (e.g., mung sprouts for salad) and fermentation (e.g., dhokla).
6. Leftovers from previous meals can be used instead of being wasted. For example, leftover rice at lunch can be used to make biryani for dinner.