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SITHKOP004 Develop menus for special dietary requirements
ACTIVITY A – Practical demonstration
There are two tasks for SITHKOP004 Develop menus for special dietary requirements. Each task requires the learner to be directly observed by an assessor. This observation must take place in a hospitality industry business operation where special menus and meal plans are prepared.
sithkop004 assessment task 1 is a five-part project which requires the learner to demonstrate their ability to develop a menu for special dietary requirements from start to finish. The learner completes their project in an actual workplace or approved, simulated industry environment with the computers, printers, software and dietary guidelines outlined in the Assessment guidelines. The assessor should provide the learner with costs of food supply for a food service business.
To ensure that all of the critical aspects for assessment are covered, the assessor must receive and mark all five parts of the project.
Tables and checklists are provided in Activity A to ensure that all performance criteria and skills are covered as the learner identifies the dietary and cultural menu requirements of customers in order to develop, cost and document menus and meal plans for them.
sithkop004 assessment task 2 involves oral questions the assessor asks during or after assessing the learner’s skills in Task 1. These questions further assess the learner’s skills and knowledge. A list of suggested questions is provided for this task. However, the assessor can add or change where required, depending on the nature of the workplace/training environment.
Activity B – Research and Assess dietary trends
This assessment requires the learner to research and assess contemporary or emerging dietary trends or regimes. It consists of two tasks which must be submitted together.
Task 1 requires the learner to research a contemporary/emerging dietary trend or regime.
Task 2 requires the learner to assess the dietary trend or regime they researched.
Activity C – portfolio of information
This assessment requires the learner to collate a portfolio containing useful resources, contacts and information related to developing menus for special dietary requirements. The information learners collect should include, but is not limited to, the list provided in Activity C.
Learners should collect the information over the duration of the unit and submit it at the end, along with the answers to the provided supporting questions.
Activity D – Supervisor/manager report
The learner’s workplace supervisor or manager completes this report. They record the context in which they observed the learner and comment on their workplace performance.
A checklist verifying the candidate’s performance in the workplace is provided. This may be completed in the workplace by a supervisor/manager or in a simulated workplace by an assessor (third-party) within the training organization.
Observations must be conducted over a period of time. This ensures achievement of all performance criteria on multiple occasions.
Once the learner’s competence is deemed satisfactory in demonstrating their skills and knowledge, the supervisor/manager validates the report alongside each item. Each relates to the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge for this unit.
The learner is required to sign this document once it’s completed by the supervisor/manager.
Activities A to D are contained within this document.
activities with instructions for learners
Activity A – MENU DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Task 1: Develop a menu for special dietary requirements
- This five-part task requires you to develop a cyclic menu with a one-week cycle period from start to finish.
- Incorporate sufficient choice of dishes (at least two for each meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner).
- Access and sort all information required for menu design.
- Coordinate a timely and efficient development process.
Part 1: Identify the dietary and cultural requirements of customers
Answer the following questions.
Q 1: What customer group is your menu developed for?
Q 2: What are their dietary and/or cultural requirements?
Q 3: What sources of information did you use to determine these requirements? (Please supply them for portfolio of information in Activity C.)
Q 4: Whom did you liaise with to identify and confirm customer requirements? (Please provide contact details for portfolio of information in Activity C.)
Q 5: What would the health consequences (if any) be if you ignored the special dietary requirements of this customer group?
Part 2: Develop menus and meal plans for special diets
Complete all four tasks.
Refer to checklist at the end of Activity A of all required documentation.
- Brainstorm a range of ideas for your menu. Select a variety of suitable foods and meals for specific requirements.
- Sort them into a rough draft of your menu. Use Menu overview (on the next page) to help you.
- Make seven copies of Daily meal plan and menu item checklist (two pages down), one for each day of the week. Complete a meal plan for each day of the week as per your Menu overview. Complete the table for each menu item (breakfast options, morning tea, lunch options, afternoon tea and dinner options) for each day of the week. Use the checklist for each menu item to ensure your meal plans (and entire menu) are well developed.
- Discuss your Menu overview, Daily meal plan and menu item checklists with relevant personnel and/or your assessor to get approval before continuing with Part 3.
Menu overview
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Cyclic menu items week 1
| Meals | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Breakfast (1) | |||||||
| Breakfast (2) | |||||||
| Morning tea | |||||||
| Lunch (1) | |||||||
| Lunch (2) | |||||||
| Afternoon tea | |||||||
| Dinner (1) | |||||||
| Dinner (2) |
Daily meal plan and menu item checklist
Day: ___________________________
| Meals | Menu items | Main ingredients | Cooking methods | Colours | Flavours | Textures | Sizes/ shapes | Nutrients | Checklist |
| Breakfast (1) | £ Variety of suitable ingredients £ Prep/cooking methods which maximize nutritional value £ Variety of colour £ Variety of flavour £ Variety of texture £ Variety of size and shape £ Variety of nutrients £ Meets macro-/micro nutrient requirements £ Uses correct terminology £ Promotes good health £ Reduces diet-related health problems | ||||||||
| Breakfast (2) | £ Variety of suitable ingredients £ Prep/cooking methods which maximize nutritional value £ Variety of colour £ Variety of flavour £ Variety of texture £ Variety of size and shape £ Variety of nutrients £ Meets macro-/micro nutrient requirements £ Uses correct terminology £ Promotes good health £ Reduces diet-related health problems | ||||||||
| Morning tea | £ Variety of suitable ingredients £ Prep/cooking methods which maximize nutritional value £ Variety of colour £ Variety of flavour £ Variety of texture £ Variety of size and shape £ Variety of nutrients £ Meets macro-/micro nutrient requirements £ Uses correct terminology £ Promotes good health £ Reduces diet-related health problem | ||||||||
| Lunch (1) | £ Variety of suitable ingredients £ Prep/cooking methods which maximize nutritional value £ Variety of colour £ Variety of flavour £ Variety of texture £ Variety of size and shape £ Variety of nutrients £ Meets macro-/micro nutrient requirements £ Uses correct terminology £ Promotes good health £ Reduces diet-related health problems | ||||||||
| Lunch (2) | £ Variety of suitable ingredients £ Prep/cooking methods which maximize nutritional value £ Variety of colour £ Variety of flavour £ Variety of texture £ Variety of size and shape £ Variety of nutrients £ Meets macro-/micro nutrient requirements £ Uses correct terminology £ Promotes good health £ Reduces diet-related health problems | ||||||||
| Afternoon tea | £ Variety of suitable ingredients £ Prep/cooking methods which maximize nutritional value £ Variety of colour £ Variety of flavour £ Variety of texture £ Variety of size and shape £ Variety of nutrients £ Meets macro-/micro nutrient requirements £ Uses correct terminology £ Promotes good health £ Reduces diet-related health problems | ||||||||
| Dinner (1) | £ Variety of suitable ingredients £ Prep/cooking methods which maximize nutritional value £ Variety of colour £ Variety of flavour £ Variety of texture £ Variety of size and shape £ Variety of nutrients £ Meets macro-/micro nutrient requirements £ Uses correct terminology £ Promotes good health £ Reduces diet-related health problems | ||||||||
| Dinner (2) | £ Variety of suitable ingredients £ Prep/cooking methods which maximize nutritional value £ Variety of colour £ Variety of flavour £ Variety of texture £ Variety of size and shape £ Variety of nutrients £ Meets macro-/micro nutrient requirements £ Uses correct terminology £ Promotes good health £ Reduces diet-related health problems |
Part 3: Cost and document special menus and meal plans
Complete all five tasks.
Refer to checklist at the end of Activity A of all required documentation.
- Itemize all proposed expenditure items for each dish.
- Calculate portion yields and costs from raw ingredients for each dish both manually and using computer technology. (Provide formulas, calculations, spreadsheets, etc., for each dish.)
- Assess cost-effectiveness of proposed dishes against any budgetary constraints. (Provide formulas, calculations, spreadsheets, etc., for each dish.)
- Choose high-yield dishes and list them.
- If any menu items send your menu beyond budgetary constraints, you may need to do a second draft of menu items and rewrite your Menu overview and Daily meal plans accordingly.
Part 4: Monitor special menu performance
Complete all three tasks.
- Use customer satisfaction and sales data to assess your menu’s success. (Provide copies of customer survey results, popularity index and/or sales data in your portfolio of information in Activity C.)
- List unpopular menu items and/or those which didn’t meet customers’ dietary goals.
- State how you will adjust the menu, based on feedback and success.
Part 5: Complete portfolio of evidence
- It is your responsibility to go over the checklist at the end of Activity A to ensure your evidence is complete.
- It is your assessor’s responsibility to:
- read your portfolio and all parts of your project
- use the following table to confirm your ability to plan and cost basic menus for a commercial kitchen
- decide when you are competent.
| Observable skills/tasks the learner is required to demonstrate | Date Signature | Date Signature | Date Signature | Satisfactory | Comments |
| Identifies the dietary and cultural menu requirements of different customer groups. | Yes No | ||||
| Researches, assesses and seeks information on contemporary dietary trends and regimes. | Yes No | ||||
| Liaises with other professionals to identify and confirm customer requirements. | Yes No | ||||
| Considers the input of health and other professionals in the menu-planning process. | Yes No | ||||
| Confirms health consequences of ignoring special dietary requirements of customers. | Yes No | ||||
| Selects a variety of suitable foods and meals for specific requirements. | Yes No | ||||
| Can identify appropriate combinations of food to meet macro- and micro nutrient requirements. | Yes No | ||||
| Develops menus and meal plans that promote good health and reduce the incidence of diet-related health problems. | Yes No | ||||
| Prepares cyclic menus and balances nutritional requirements and variety. | Yes No | ||||
| Incorporates sufficient choice of dishes into the menus. | Yes No | ||||
| Recommends food preparation and cooking methods to maximize nutritional value of food. | Yes No | ||||
| Accurately calculates all expenditure items to determine production costs of menu items for menus and meal plans. | Yes No | ||||
| Calculates portion sizes, portion yields and costs from raw ingredients. | Yes No | ||||
| Assesses cost-effectiveness of proposed dishes against budgetary constraints and chooses products that provide high yield. | Yes No | ||||
| Uses correct terminology in menus and meal plans. | Yes No | ||||
| Seeks ongoing feedback from customers and others and uses it to improve menu performance. | Yes No | ||||
| Analyses the success of special menus against dietary goals and customer satisfaction. | Yes No | ||||
| Adjusts menus based on feedback and success. | Yes No | ||||
| Can read and interpret complex details of health-related problems and cultural meal requirements. Is able to evaluate diet-related health problems and design menus which provide variety. | Yes No | ||||
| Can write comprehensive menus and meal plans. | Yes No | ||||
| Is able to plan and organize well enough to access and sort all information required for menu design. Can coordinate a timely and efficient menu development process. | Yes No | ||||
| Takes responsibility for the design of menus and meal plans. | Yes No | ||||
| Demonstrates the technological skills necessary to use computers and software programs to cost and document menus and meal plans. | Yes No |
Task 2: Answer questions
Your assessor will:
- ask you a range of questions about developing menus for special dietary requirements
- ask you the questions during or after the skill is demonstrated
- assess your responses in the table below
- decide when you have answered all the questions competently.
| Observable skills/tasks the learner is required to demonstrate | Verbal questions | Correct / incorrect response ü X | Further questions added ü X | Satisfactory/ not satisfactory ü X |
| Identifies the dietary and cultural menu requirements of different customer groups. | Q: What different customer groups have you identified and developed menus for throughout this course? Which did you choose for your project? Why? | |||
| Q: What influences the food and beverage choices of this particular customer group? | ||||
| Q: What are some of the ways you identify the dietary and cultural menu requirements of different customer groups? | ||||
| Q: What are the main types and culinary characteristics of cultural diets that are part of contemporary Australian society? | ||||
| Q: What are the main types and culinary characteristics of special diets that are part of contemporary Australian society? | ||||
| Researches, assesses and seeks information on contemporary dietary trends and regimes. | Q: Tell me about some of the research you’ve done on contemporary dietary trends and regimes. | |||
| Q: What was the most interesting thing you learned? | ||||
| Q: Did you use this research when developing menus and meal plans? | ||||
| Liaises with other professionals to identify and confirm customer requirements. | Q: Who did you liaise with when developing the menu for your project? | |||
| Q: In discussing the customer’s requirements with this person, was there anything you were unsure about? | ||||
| Q: If so, what was it and how did you clarify it? | ||||
| Considers the input of health and other professionals in the menu-planning process. | Q: Why is it important to consider the input of health and other professionals in the menu-planning process? | |||
| Q: What could happen if you don’t do this? | ||||
| Q: How was the input of health and other professionals helpful when developing the menu for your project? | ||||
| Confirms health consequences of ignoring special dietary requirements of customers. | Q: What’s the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance? | |||
| Q: What ingredients commonly cause allergic reactions? | ||||
| Q: What could happen if you ignored or failed to address a customer’s allergy? Who could you confirm this with? | ||||
| Q: What’s anaphylaxis? What are its possible consequences? | ||||
| Q: What symptoms might a customer experience if you gave them a food they’re sensitive to or intolerant of? How could you confirm this? | ||||
| Selects a variety of suitable foods and meals for specific requirements. | Q: Describe the differences between the different kinds of vegetarians. What ingredients would you have to exclude for each one? | |||
| Q: Describe a time you had to change a standard menu item to meet a customer’s special dietary requirements. | ||||
| Q: What ingredients did you need to exclude? What substitute ingredients did you use (provide culinary terms and trade names)? | ||||
| Q: Were the substitutions of equivalent nutritional value? Why? Why not? | ||||
| Can identify appropriate combinations of food to meet macro- and micro nutrient requirements. | Q: What foods/ingredients do we need to meet our macro- and micro nutrient requirements? | |||
| Q: What nutrients are in these foods? | ||||
| Q: Read through this packaging label. How well does it meet basic nutrient requirements? | ||||
| Q: What additives or preservatives are in the food? Why? | ||||
| Q: What other additives or preservatives do you know about? What are the implications of using them in food? | ||||
| Develops menus and meal plans that promote good health and reduce the incidence of diet-related health problems. | Q: What role does good nutrition play in people’s lives? | |||
| Q: What are the health implications of poor food choices? | ||||
| Q: When developing the menu for your project, how did you ensure that it promoted good health and reduced the incidence of diet-related health problems? | ||||
| Prepares cyclic menus and balances nutritional requirements and variety. | Q: When preparing the cyclic menu for your project, how did you ensure it was varied? | |||
| Q: How did you ensure it balanced nutritional requirements? | ||||
| Incorporates sufficient choice of dishes into the menus. | Q: How did you ensure it incorporated sufficient choice of dishes? | |||
| Recommends food preparation and cooking methods to maximize nutritional value of food. | Q: What food preparation methods would you recommend to maximize the nutritional value of food? | |||
| Q: What food cooking methods would you recommend to maximize the nutritional value of food? Why? What happens to the food if you use other cooking methods? | ||||
| Q: What food storage methods would you recommend to maximize the nutritional value of food? What happens to food if you don’t store it correctly? | ||||
| Accurately calculates all expenditure items to determine production costs of menu items for menus and meal plans. | Q: What items in addition to ingredients should you accurately calculate when costing menus? | |||
| Q: Why? | ||||
| Calculates portion sizes, portion yields and costs from raw ingredients. | Q: What should you keep in mind regarding standard measures when calculating portion yields and calculating costs? | |||
| Q: What’s the difference between a standard yield test and a butcher’s yield test? | ||||
| Assesses cost-effectiveness of proposed dishes against budgetary constraints and chooses products that provide high yield. | Q: What’s the standard food cost percentage across the hospitality and catering industry? Why is this percentage important? | |||
| Q: Describe how you can price menu items to make sure they meet your organizations desired profit margins. | ||||
| Q: What budgetary constraints do you need to keep in mind? | ||||
| Q: What are some ways you can maximize profitability? | ||||
| Uses correct terminology in menus and meal plans. | Q: What are key elements of descriptive yet accurate menu content? | |||
| Q: Give some examples of how you could creatively use terminology to describe three different styles of cuisine. | ||||
| Seeks ongoing feedback from customers and others and uses it to improve menu performance. | Q: Describe some ways you can get feedback on your menus. | |||
| Q: Who are some people you could ask for menu suggestions? | ||||
| Q: How would you use these suggestions to improve menu performance? | ||||
| Analyses the success of special menus against dietary goals and customer satisfaction. | Q: Describe how you can use customer satisfaction surveys, popularity indices and sales data to analyze the success of menu items. | |||
| Q: How would you analyze the success of special menus against dietary goals? | ||||
| Q: How can you spot an unprofitable or unpopular menu item? | ||||
| Adjusts menus based on feedback and success. | Q: What are some actions you could take if you identified an unpopular or unprofitable dish on your menu? | |||
| Q: How could you adjust a menu that’s not meeting a customer’s dietary goals? | ||||
| Can read and interpret complex details of health-related problems and cultural meal requirements. Is able to evaluate diet-related health problems and design menus which provide variety. | Q: Imagine you’re a chef in a hospital or hospital-catering organization. Read this case study of a patient who has a diet-related health problem. Describe how you would meet their meal requirements on a typical day in hospital. | |||
| Q: Let’s say this patient needed to stay in hospital for a more extended period of time. How would you design a menu for them which provides sufficient variety? | ||||
| Q: How would you ensure that the food you’re providing doesn’t interact with any medications the patient is taking? | ||||
| Q: Imagine you work in the kitchen of a large hotel. Read this information on the cultural meal requirement of a tour group that’s about to arrive. How would you ensure their needs are met? | ||||
| Can write comprehensive menus and meal plans. | Q: What problems did you have when writing the cyclical menu for your project? | |||
| Q: How did you resolve them? | ||||
| Q: Is there anything you could have done better? | ||||
| Q: How would you do it differently next time? | ||||
| Is able to plan and organize well enough to access and sort all information required for menu design. Can coordinate a timely and efficient menu development process. | Q: When developing your own menu in your project, how did you manage to sort all the information required and keep track of it? | |||
| Q: Briefly describe the steps you took to plan, develop, cost, write and evaluate the menu for your project. | ||||
| Q: Did you manage to do this in a timely and efficient way? | ||||
| Q: If so, how? If not, how could you improve the process next time? | ||||
| Takes responsibility for the design of menus and meal plans. | Q: What are your responsibilities when it comes to designing menus and meal plans? | |||
| Q: What are the primary components of the Dietary Guidelines for Australians? | ||||
| Q: How do you ensure the needs of older Australians, children and adolescents are catered for in your menu planning? | ||||
| Demonstrates the technological skills necessary to use computers and software programs to cost and document menus and meal plans. | Q: Describe the technological skills you needed to cost and document the menu for your project. | |||
| Q: Were there any new skills that you had to learn? | ||||
| Q: How did you do this? |
Activity B – Research and Assess dietary trends
Complete Tasks 1 and 2 in Activity B.
Task 1 – Research
- Research a contemporary/emerging dietary trend or regime.
- Provide at least five sources you used to seek this information in your portfolio in Activity C.
Task 2 – Assessment
- Assess the dietary trend or regime you researched.
- Make sure you answer all questions.
Q 1: What are the strengths of this dietary trend or regime?
Q 2: What are its weaknesses?
Q 3: Liaise with other professionals. Would this dietary trend or regime be suitable for a child? Why? Why not?
Q 4: Liaise with other professionals. Would this dietary trend or regime be suitable for a pregnant or lactating woman? Why? Why not?
Q 5: Liaise with other professionals. Would this dietary trend or regime be suitable for an older Australian? Why? Why not?
Q 6: Liaise with other professionals. Would this dietary trend or regime be suitable for an athlete?
Q 7: Liaise with other professionals. Would this dietary trend or regime be suitable for an obese person? Why? Why not?
Activity C – portfolio of information
Gather a range of information
- Put together a portfolio of useful resources, contacts and information related to developing menus for special dietary requirements.
- Information should be collected over the duration of the unit and submitted nearing the end of study for this unit, as directed by your assessor.
- Your portfolio will be viewed by your assessor, but you should retain it for future reference.
Types of information you should include
- Samples of special recipes from your workplace or training environment.
- Samples of recipes used to prepare dishes in Activity A.
- Photographs of a range of nutritionally-balanced dishes you have prepared and presented within commercial time constraints.
- List of useful dietary and cultural websites.
- A copy of your establishment’s menu with written suggestions on it or attached to it including:
- modifications or adjustments
- exclusions
- substitutions
- specialized ingredients
- cooking method changes
- what your organization could implement to better serve customers with special dietary needs while at the same time maintaining (or improving) nutritional value.
- Relevant newspaper or magazine articles related to:
- nutrition
- modern influences on our food and beverage choices
- health implications of making poor food choices
- the role of good nutrition in avoiding dietary disease
- the role and implications of using additives and preservatives
- modern food presentation methods.
- A copy of the Dietary Guidelines for Australians.
- Any other useful resources related to preparing food to meet special dietary requirements.
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