Simply Delicious: New Approaches |
return to Archives index
Home | Return to Simply Delicious
New Approaches to the Church Meal: Some Menus
The church can set an example for its own members and the larger community by making constructive changes in its food service. The preceding account shows this is not always easy. A new approach to the church meal will call for a gradual change in the kinds of food served and in the amounts of food served. The end product of such changes will be reflected in different menus.Kinds of Food Served
There is a striking consensus among various authorities as to the kinds of food we should serve for the sake of our own health. Two key studies often cited are those by the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Summarized and combined, these studies suggest that we should:
1) Consume only as many calories as are expended and maintain ideal weight.
2) Eat a variety of foods, including more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
3) Eat less sugar and salt, and highly processed foods.
4) Eat less fat. especially saturated fats (butter, red meat, hard cheese) and cholesterol (animal products, egg yolks, ice cream).
Note the substantial agreement of the following recommendations made by Doris Longacre in the More-with-Less Cookbook: eat more whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds; use carefully eggs, milk, cheeses, yogurt, seafoods, poultry and meats; avoid over-processed foods, convenience foods, and super-packaged foods, avoid foods that have been shipped long distances, foods heavy in refined sugar and saturated fats.
An arresting point made by Doris Longacre is that a more healthful diet is also a more responsible diet. By eating foods that are better for us, we also demonstrate the church's concern about North American eating habits that tend to increase malnutrition in other parts of the world!
For example, when we serve "alternate proteins," such as whole grains, legumes, and milk products in various combinations, we not only give ourselves a more healthy diet, higher in bulk and lower in cholesterol, but we break a pattern that tends to put North Americans in unfair competition with other countries for the world's limited grain supply. When grain is used to produce beef, it can take anywhere from four to eight pounds of grain to make one pound of beef, depending on how long the animal is grass-fed before going to the feed-lot. At least four persons, eating grain direct, could survive a whole day on what we use to produce four "quarter-pounder" hamburgers.
So for our sake and the world's sake, at church meals we should:
Serve more
dishes made "from scratch"
vegetables - fresh or frozen
salads made with fresh produce
main dishes featuring proteins from non-meat sources
simple desserts (fruit with yogurt, homemade cookies with small amount of sugar)
homemade breads made with unbleached and whole wheat flour
Serve less
ready-mixed and ready-prepared dishes
canned vegetables (high salt content)
flavored gelatin and other sweet salads
main dishes featuring meat
desserts heavy in refined sugar and saturated fats (chocolate cake with Cool-whip)
store-bought breads made with bleached flour
Amounts of Food Served
Churches should also consider making changes in the amounts of food served, as well as in the kinds of food served. Food should not be wasted in church kitchens, nor should food be served in a way that encourages people to overeat.
Complementary Proteins
If we decide to plan some of our meals around protein sources other than meats, we should learn about 11 "complementary proteins." Some foods which are not whole protein sources in themselves provide whole protein when combined with other foods. These are called "complementary proteins." Diet for a Small Planet by Francis Moore Lappe, the More-with-Less Cookbook by Doris Longacre, and Nutrition 1985 Cookbook by the students at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, all provide good discussions of complementary proteins. There are two important combinations to remember:
1. Serve milk products with grains, for example: cereal and milk, cheese sandwiches, lasagna (pasta and cheese) pizza (crust and cheese).
2. Serve legumes (dried beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts) with grains, for example: peanut butter sandwiches, lentil soup and muffins, rice and black-eyed peas, Boston baked beans and brown bread. Complementary proteins must be eaten at the same time, either in one dish or separately at the same meal.
The meatless menus suggested are based on complementary proteins. Also, many of the recipes in the Main Dishes section of this cookbook include complementary proteins in the recipe or suggest foods to serve with the recipe to provide the complementary protein.
Trying New Menus
Menus for Meatless Meals
(1) Chili
Tossed Salad
Cornbread
Fruit Cup
(2) Tacos with Bean Filling
Carrot Raisin Slaw
Scalloped Tomatoes
Pumpkin Pie
(3) Spanish Rice
Garden Cottage Cheese Salad
Bread Sticks or French Bread
Banana Cheese Pie
(4) Broccoli Noodle Parmesan
Kidney Bean Salad
Oatmeal Apple Squares
(5) Tomato Baked Eggs
Green Beans
Cole Slaw
Fruit Sherbet
(6) Tofu Stroganoff
Spinach
Tossed Salad
Whole Wheat Biscuits
Dried Fruit Compote
(7) Layered Spinach Supreme
Skillet Eggplant
Lentil Salad
Fresh Fruit with Fresh Fruit Dressing
(8) Chinese Sweet and Sour Beans
Fried Brown Rice
Waldorf Salad
Quick and Easy Cobbler
Meat-Stretching Menus
(1) Turkey Pita Pockets
Tossed Salad
Applesauce Cake with Lemon Sauce
(2) Sausage-Sweet Potato Bake
Fresh Spinach Salad
No Knead Whole Wheat Bread
Quick and Easy Cobbler
(3) Stir Fried Green Beans (with Beef)
Coleslaw with Raisins
French Bread
Everyday Fruitcake
(4) Chicken Pilau
Yellow Summer Squash
Frozen Fruit Salad
Angel Biscuits
(5) Crescent Hill Pizza
Broccoli
Tossed Salad with Oil and Vinegar Dressing
Never Fail Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce
(6) San Francisco Fish Stew
Green Beans
Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with Zero Dressing
Corn Bread
Cinnamon Crisps
(7) Gazpacho
Chicken Tetrazzini
Spinach Noodles
Pickled Beets
Carob Brownies
Soup Meals
(1) Choice of Yankee Bean Chowder, Split Pea or Navy Bean Soup
Corn Muffins
Fruit Cup with No Sugar Cookies
(2) Turkey Barley Vegetable Soup
Apple Muffins
Tossed Salad with Thousand Island Dressing
(3) A choice of Soups: Cheese and Corn Chowder, Cream of Peanut or Spinach Soup
Pineapple-Orange Congealed Salad
Wheat Crackers
Date Cookies
(Nearly all of these recipes are included in Simply Delicious).
Some Fun Ideas That Will Help to Change Church Meals
Create-Your-Own-Soup Night
Four large pots of steaming, seasoned broth: chicken, beef, ham, tomato, or others, seasoned with garlic, basil, salt, oregano, thyme. Have available 3 or 4 items from each of the following categories:
1) cooked grains and pasta: barley, bulgar wheat, brown rice, noodles, millet
2) meat or alternate protein: small bits of chicken, turkey, roast, ham, kidney beans, pinto beans, soybeans, lentils, dried peas
3) chopped vegetables: tomatoes, cooked celery, carrots, onions, okra, potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms, corn, butter beans, beans, or peas
4) garnishes; chopped parsley or dill, paprika, Parmesan cheese
Accompaniments to the soup: a variety of whole grain breads (homemade, if possible), chopped or sliced fresh fruit, and Date-Nut Bars
Make-Your-Own-Sandwich Meal
Have available a variety of breads (homemade, if possible) such as: whole wheat, pita, sour dough, zucchini, banana, date nut, raisin.
Offer several choices from the following groups:
1) greens: red-tipped lettuce, romaine, watercress, spinach
2) meats or other protein sources: slices of chicken, turkey, ham, cheese, soybean spread, refried beans, pimento cheese
3) spreads: cooked mayonnaise, creamed cheese, garlic butter, mustard
4) garnishes: sliced tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, green pepper strips, dill pickle slices, sunflower seeds, bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts
Accompaniments to the sandwiches: deviled eggs, carrot and celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, olives, fresh fruit with Fresh Fruit Dressing
Mix-Your-Own-Salad Meal
Provide two bowls (on a tray, if possible) for each person for mixing both a vegetable and a fruit salad, if desired.
Have available several items from each of the following categories:
1) vegetables: a variety of lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, carrots, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, radishes
2) fruits: chopped or sliced apples, pears, bananas, avocados, grapefruit, melon
3) garnishes: peanuts, grated cheese, raisins, sunflower seeds, chopped eggs, croutons, granola
4) dressings: yogurt, French, oil and vinegar
Accompaniments to the salad: pickled beets, dill pickles, raisin bran muffins, wheat thins, cheese cake
Potato Bar
Bake one large Idaho for each person. Have available toppings from each group:
1) creamed chicken, shrimp or spinach; hamburger stroganoff; sautéed or fresh vegetables
2) shredded Cheddar cheese, toasted almonds or peanuts, yogurt with green onions or avocado dressing
Accompaniments for potatoes, tomato aspic, apple pie a la mode
Remember that changes in church menus can be a joyous experiment that brings many unexpected benefits. Such changes take time and patience, but the rewards are well worth the effort.
Suggestions for Introducing New Menus
1) Dare to try some new recipes! Why? For better health, lower food costs, more awareness of the world's hungry, and for less monotony in our meals.
2) Strive to make a few changes in shopping and cooking: Use less fat, less sugar, and less pre-packaged, pre-prepared foods. Use more whole grains, more fresh fruits and vegetables, and more alternate proteins in place of "red" meat.
3) Involve a group in the beginning to make changes: Give out recipes for covered-dish suppers; suggest new dishes to bring; plan short educational programs at group meals.
4) Publicize menus which promise to be new and exciting.
5) Plan a series of meals which feature Make-Your-Own dishes -- salads, sandwiches, soups, etc. -- using a wide variety of ingredients, some new and some familiar
6) For drinks, add milk and fruit juice to the usual tea and coffee. Eliminate kool-aid!
7) Limit the number of items on a menu. Having many choices leads to over-consumption. Serve an attractive plate with eye appeal. Vary textures and colors.
8) Stop using disposables for church meals. Work toward having empty garbage cans when the meat is over.
9) Use money ordinarily spent for costly meals for a world hunger offering.
10) Relax about planning and preparing meals. Simplify, share the work, save money and time.
--Cherry Clements
Return to Simply Delicious
# # # # #
© Creative Commons
(originally ©Alternatives)
A free copy of the popular "Ten Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Christmas" and many other resources are available on the website, click on Archives, scroll down to Ten Tips.
return to Archives index
Home To Celebrate (excerpts)
Simple Living Works! * SimpleLivingWorks@Yahoo.com
BLOG: SimpleLivingWorks.WordPress.com
| Blog INDEX
PODCAST |
Podcast INDEX
VIDEOS: YouTube.com/SimpleLivingWorks
MISSION: Equipping people of faith to challenge consumerism, live justly and celebrate responsibly // An all volunteer educational organization.