Menu Modification Summary

I modified nothing from the first day of my 6-day cycle menu because it was adequate in providing proper nutrition to the residents of Cougar Cove assisted living center. The second day is where I made the majority of my modifications. All of the modifications I made where in relation to portion sizes of foods offered in each meal. I started by reducing the pancake portion to 1 instead of 2 pancakes. I also reduced the butter and syrup portions for the pancakes to half of their original size. This helped me lower the overall caloric intake for the day and allowed me to increase the amount of more nutrient dense foods served during the day. After reducing the pancake syrup I felt it was wise to increase the strawberry portion to compensate for the sweetness of the pancake meal while adding more servings of fruit at the same time. I also added 1 cup of cereal to replace some of the meals volume with the loss of the second pancake and to increase the residents intake of folate for that day. I was very surprised to see how much 1 cup of cereal boosted the total amount of micronutrients for that day. For the lunch time meal on the second day I reduced the amount of potatoes served by 1 ounce and the amount of cheesecake served by 2 ounces. My intent was to reduce the total calories consumed during this meal so as not to overshoot the residents daily calorie recommendations. For dinner during that same day I reduced the amount of key lime pie served by 2 ounces and increased the salsa served with the enchilada by 0.25 cups. The third day I reduced the oatmeal portion by 1 ounce during the breakfast meal. For the lunch meal I reduced the avocado portion by 1 ounce and the cobbler portion by 2 ounces. To compensate for the meals small volume loss I increased the tomato portion on the salad by 0.25 cups.This also increased the amount of vegetable consumed. For the dinner meal on the third day I increased the amount of red bell pepper and tomato that went into each serving of chili by 0.25 cups for both the pepper and the tomato. I also increased the amount of beef served with the chili to increase protein and iron intake for that day. The bulk of the changes made to my menu were portion size changes. Many of my originally suggested portion sizes, especially those for the desserts, were too large. I believe that the portion size changes now reflect what an older individual would be inclined to eat and finish during an average meal. My original menu incorporated many whole grain choices so I did not make any changes in foods offered during each meal with the exception of the cereal for breakfast on the second day. I also adjusted to increase the amount of fruit and vegetable servings offered in each meal.While doing this assignment I realized how much small portions can contribute to reduced caloric intake and a healthier more balanced diet.