Section 9: Sample Menus

These sample menus follow the SNP Nutrition Guidelines. You may choose to use the sample menus as shown or you may use them to create your own menus to meet your local needs. Meals and snacks should be nutritious, well-balanced and varied. The sample menus provide some food ideas from the foods to "Serve" lists and include:

• A Mix-and-Match Menu;
• Breakfast or Morning Meal Menu^{footnote I[I]}
• Snack Menu; and
• Lunch Menu.

The Mix-and-Match Menu gives you food options for SNPs run in sites that have limited food preparation space or equipment (e.g., no stove, toaster, and/or microwave). The menu can be changed depending on the equipment that you have (e.g., if a toaster oven is available, toasted bagels or melts may be offered). The Mix-and-Match Menu can be used for breakfast, morning meals, snacks, lunches and grab-and-go or bin programs.

Your local public health unit can help you develop the menu for your program. They can also provide more information, education and resources.

Seasonal foods

Seasonal refers to vegetables and fruits that are available at certain times of the year (e.g., asparagus and strawberries in the spring, beans and peaches in the summer, corn and grapes in the fall). Some Ontario grown vegetables and fruits (e.g., tomatoes and cucumbers) are available from greenhouses throughout most of the year and many vegetables and fruits are available (e.g., apples, carrots, potatoes, turnip and squash) from storage all winter.

Food guide servings

Use the Canada Food Guide serving sizes in Section 4: Nutrition Tips when planning your menus.

Mix and match sample menu

Vegetables

• Cucumber slices/mini cucumbers^*
• Baby carrots^*
• Celery or zucchini or carrot sticks
• Cherry tomatoes^*
• Salsa
• Sweet pepper strips (red, yellow, green, orange)
• Cauliflower/broccoli trees
• Radish
• Romaine lettuce, spinach
• Sugar snap peas, snow peas^*
• Bok choy

Fruits

• Apple^*
• Applesauce/fruit blend^*
• Banana^*
• Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)^*
• Cantaloupe or Honeydew
• Grapes^*
• Pineapple^*
• Pears^*
• Peaches^*
• Nectarines^*
• Oranges/tangerines^*
• Avocado/guacamole
• Fruit salad/fruit cocktail^*

Grains

• Whole grain or 100% whole wheat breads, buns, bagels, rolls, English muffins, pitas, tortillas, bannock, naan, roti, chapatti^*
• Whole grain or 100% whole wheat crackers, melba toast, breadsticks^*
• Whole grain or 100% whole wheat waffles or pancakes
• Whole grain or bran cereal
• Whole grain granola or cereal-type bar^*
• Plain popcorn^*
• Brown rice cakes^*
• Tortilla chips, low sodium or unsalted
• Whole grain muffins, scones, biscuits, cookies^*

Milk & alternatives

• Plain cow's milk, skim, 1%, 2%^*
• Plain yogurt, soy yogurt or kefir^*
• Flavoured yogurts and yogurt tubes^*
• Hard and soft non-processed cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack, havarti, gouda, swiss, feta, ricotta, cottage cheese
• Cheese strings, cheese curds^*

Meat & alternatives

• Pre-boiled egg^*
• Nut,^{footnote J[J]} legume and seed butters including peanut, walnut, almond, sesame, sunflower, soy and pea
• Seed medley^*
• Bean dip such as hummus, lentil, black bean, or edamame^*
• Beans and lentils
• Falafel balls
• Canned tuna/salmon, chicken
• Tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein

Grab and go/bin program sample menu

Breakfast or morning meal sample menu

Snack sample menu

Lunch sample menu

Meal planning checklist

After you have completed your menu, be sure that it meets each of the following requirements: