NUSC 4272 Exam 2/ Study Guide Exam Questions with
Correct Verified Answers – Latest Update 2024.
Aesthetic factors in menu planning - ANSWER - flavor, texture, color, shape, method of preparation
Management decisions - ANSWER - - Food cost is a major determinant of budget
- Production capabilities (employee skills, equipment)
- Type of service (holding of food, delivery system)
- Availability of food
- What do your clients want?
Food cost - ANSWER - - 35-40% rule of thumb commercial operations
- Cost of food/selling price (sales) ($3/$10 = 30%)
Business perspective - ANSWER - - Restaurants are for profit, providing customers with what they want
(niche?)
- Education is not why they're eating out
Onsite (hospitals) - ANSWER - Food service is not the primary purpose of the business! (for profit or not-
for-profit)
- Providing a service
Nutrition education/counseling - ANSWER - Consider what state of change client is in, and then move to
educating/teaching
Consumer trends - ANSWER - Eating out not necessarily leisurely, essential for our daily lifestyle (fast
food is trending up)
pg. 1
,- Activity-rich (may spend more time)
- Time-poor (getting food on the table)
National Restaurant Association Trends - ANSWER - Experiences, local culture, charcuterie boards, fried
chicken sandwiches, sriracha, globally inspired salads, sustainability, Southeast Asian, different milks,
alternative sweeteners, etc.
Implications of food consumption - ANSWER - - Food is cultural (more than food, celebrate, entertain)
- Food is valuable (both function and value)
- Quality matters
- Real - fresh, simple & unadulterated (doesn't need to be healthy to be authentic)
- Personalization
- Food discovery/new flavor profiles
- Flexible solutions
Flexible solutions - ANSWER - - 72% of millennials are eating more plant-based meats
- Flexitarian diets
- Eating less sugar + red meat
- Energy drinks, matcha
Sustainability - ANSWER - - Food production is responsible for about ¼ of the world's greenhouse gas
emissions
- Supply chain, crops, land use, livestock, processing/distribution
- Beef has highest emissions (also lamb, cheese, coffee, chocolate)
- Half of the nation doesn't follow any nutrition rules, 18% low carb, also lactose free, gluten free,
flexitarian, vegetarian, vegan, etc.
- Younger generations following vegetarian trends (Lower income, liberal)
Plant Forward - ANSWER - Focus on plant foods, no rules (impacts on menu planning)
- Focus on meal as a whole, showcasing plants rather than meat
pg. 2
,Current issues - ANSWER - Global hunger/malnutrition, unequal economic access to nutritious foods,
equity for food system workers, water shortages
Shape & Delivery Dietary Guidelines - ANSWER - - Population level (Food based dietary guidelines)
- Institution level (Food procurement, Menu planning)
- Individual level (Nutrition education, MNT)
Menu planning process - ANSWER - - Team Approach
- Done in advance for purchasing & printing
- Look at past production sheets for planning and forecasting
- Standardized recipes with portion sizes
Menu planning steps - ANSWER - 1. Dinner entrees 1st for entire cycle
- balance between low & high cost items
2. Plan lunch entrees
- don't duplicate
3. Decide on starch for each item
4. Select salads, accompaniments, & appetizers
5. Plan desserts
6. Add breakfast after lunch & dinner are complete
7. Review completed menu for duplication and flow of menu
Purchasing - ANSWER - Acquiring goods or services to accomplish the goal of its enterprise
- Number of different people may do
- Number of things buyer needs to be aware of
Challenges with food - ANSWER - Seasonality, volume, quantity, specification & packaging consistency,
competitive cost
pg. 3
, What kind of food product selection? - ANSWER - Fresh, frozen, canned, convenience
Fresh - ANSWER - - Good quality if in season (taste, nutrition)
- Good price if in season
- More storage, more labor
- Increased spoilage
Frozen - ANSWER - Convenient (available), low labor cost, less storage, less spoilage, lower food cost,
good nutritive value
Canned - ANSWER - Quality (nutrient, taste, higher sodium levels in veggies), lower food cost, lower
labor cost, no spoilage, easy storage
Convenience - ANSWER - Higher food cost, lower labor cost, look at facility, decreased storage, uniform
product, questionable quality/nutritive value, variety
Value Analysis - ANSWER - Methodical analysis of all components of an existing product/service with the
goal and discovering & eliminating unnecessary costs without interfering with the effectiveness of the
product/service
- Looking for best buy
- Make or Buy decisions (quality, quantity, service, and cost)
Forecasting - ANSWER - - Estimate future needs; menu tell you what you need and forecast tell you how
much you need
- Historical records base
- Need production records (including leftover amounts, totals served, day of week, time of day, weather)
Forecasting Model - ANSWER - Cost of model, accuracy, relevance of past data, lead time (short,
medium, long), pattern of behavior
pg. 4