Name: ______________________ Date: __________ Team: ______ Family card: ______
Part 1: The six jobs of a family meal
Copy the six jobs from the board. A dinner is a good dinner only when it does all six.
- ____________________ (the MyPlate groups)
- ____________________ (what they like and will not eat)
- ____________________ (allergies and food rules; safety first)
- ____________________ (how long there is to cook)
- ____________________ (how much money there is)
- ____________________ (what is already in the house)
Part 2: The Meal Planning Grid
Directions: Read your family card. Underline every rule. Then plan one dinner for this family. Fill one row per dish. Check the MyPlate box for each dish. Put a check in the pantry column if the family already has it. The cost column is a guess today: write under $10, $10 to $20, or over $20 for the whole dinner at the bottom.
| Dish | Fruits | Vegetables | Grains | Protein | Dairy | Who on the card eats it? | Time to make | In the pantry? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main: | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||
| Vegetable or fruit: | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||
| Grain (if the main has none): | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||
| Second vegetable or fruit: | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||
| Drink (water is free): | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
How many MyPlate groups did the dinner cover? ______ (goal: at least 4)
Does any dish break a rule on the card? Circle: yes / no. If yes, which dish and which rule? ____________________
Total cooking time: ______ minutes. Does it fit the card? Circle: yes / no.
My cost guess for the whole dinner: under $10 / $10 to $20 / over $20
Sentence starters:
- This family cannot eat ____________ because ____________.
- Our dinner fits this family because ____________.
Part 3: Compare (after the share)
The other team planned ____________________ for the same family.
The dinner that fits this family better is ______ (ours / theirs) because of job number ______ (____________________). One sentence why:
Page 2: The family cards (cut apart; one per team)
Family A
Two adults, a 13-year-old, and a 6-year-old.
- The 13-year-old plays soccer four nights a week and comes home hungry at 6:30.
- The 6-year-old will not eat foods that are mixed together. Everything has to be in its own spot on the plate.
- No allergies. No food rules.
- Time: 30 minutes to cook on a weeknight.
- Budget: $40 for dinner for four.
- Already in the pantry: rice, cooking oil, salt, pepper, ketchup.
Family B
One parent, a grandmother, an 8-year-old, and a 12-year-old.
- The grandmother's doctor says less salt. No added salt at the table, and watch canned and packaged foods.
- The 8-year-old has a peanut allergy. Nothing with peanuts or made in a place with peanuts. Read every label.
- The 12-year-old will eat almost anything and likes spicy food.
- Time: 45 minutes to cook.
- Budget: $40 for dinner for four.
- Already in the pantry: pasta, canned tomatoes, onions, garlic powder.
Family C
Two adults and 11-year-old twins.
- The family does not eat pork (a religious food rule). Check sausage, pepperoni, and bacon bits.
- One adult works until 6:00. The twins start dinner at 5:45 and the adult finishes it at 6:00. The twins cannot use the stove alone, so the first 15 minutes have to be no-stove prep.
- One twin does not like tomatoes but will eat tomato sauce.
- Time: 25 minutes of cooking after 6:00.
- Budget: $40 for dinner for four.
- Already in the pantry: flour tortillas, canned black beans, shredded cheese, hot sauce.
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