HELE 5 Meal Prep

Preparing Meals for the
Day
HELE 5
Meal Preparation
•In spite of the advantages of convenience cooking and
ready-to-eat food and instant meals, the preference of
many Filipino families is still home-cooked meals.
•Many kids love to cook. Are you one of them? Probably, up
to now, you have been acting as your parents’ assistant in
setting the table, serving meals, or washing the dishes.
•By being an assistant cook you can learn more by
observation and practice. Help prepare family meals. You
will surely learn a lot from the experience and have fun.
Meal Preparation
•Well-chosen and well-prepared meals give the body the
necessary nutrients and elements for good health and well-being.
•Food preparation and cooking improve its flavor and appearance.
Food is also cooked so that it can be easily chewed or eaten, then,
digested by the body.
•Many beginner cooks make use of a recipe. A recipe is a guide
that contains the list of ingredients, amount or quantity needed,
and the procedure or sequence of combining or cooking the
ingredients. It is a detailed set of instructions for preparing a
dish.
Measuring Tools
• The following are the utensils commonly
used for measuring ingredients.
•The dry measuring cup - is used
to measure dry ingredients and
hydrogenated shortening.
•The liquid measuring cup - is used
for measuring liquid ingredients.
•The standard measuring spoons -
are used for measuring small amounts of
dry or liquid ingredients.
Example
Measurement Symbols
• Consider the following measurement symbols and common
food measurement equivalent that are helpful in meal
preparation.
Utensils, Tools, and Materials for Food Preparation
Cooking Utensils, Materials, Appliances
Handwork in Preparing Food
• When doing handwork in preparing food,
have all the ingredients, the right tools, and
utensils ready on your working table. You
use up extra time and effort if you have to
buy or look for missing ingredients or
utensils once you have started working.
• Here are some handwork techniques or
terms in food preparation that you may
read in recipe books or cookbooks.
1. Chopping – cutting big food pieces into
small pieces with a heavy sharp knife and a
chopping board. You chop beef or chicken
pieces, tomatoes, celery, or ginger.
2. Grinding – “running” or 3. Grating – rubbing food over
putting food through a grinder to the rough, sharp surface of a
make small pieces. Grind meat grater to make very small
and cereals, such as a variety pieces. Grate coconut, cheese,
of rice called malagkit. green papaya or carrots.
4. Shredding – cutting or 5. Beating – mixing ingredients
tearing apart food into strips or in very rapid circular motions
curls with the use of a shredder. with a fork or a mechanical
Shred green papaya, cabbage, beater, like an eggbeater. Beat
melon, or buko. eggs alone or mixed with other
ingredients.
6. Blending – combining 7. Mixing– stirring several
several ingredients and flavors ingredients in a bowl or mixing
thoroughly, such as salt, ware with a spoon. Mix sugar
vinegar, sugar, and pepper for with fruit juices.
salad dressings.
Cooking Processes
1. Blanching – to dip or 2. Steaming – to cook by
immerse food for a few minutes (1 means of steam rising from
to 5 minutes) in boiling water to boiling water without the food
loosen the skin. Blanch vegetables, touching the water itself. Fish,
such as garbanzos, green peas, or vegetables, and puto may be
kadyos. steamed.
Cooking Processes
3. Stewing – to cook food 4. Baking – cooking food in
slowly in a small amount of an oven in a covered or
water over low heat for a long uncovered pan. Bake bread,
time. Stew beef pata or cakes, cookies, fish, or
kenchi. macaroni.
Cooking
5. Roasting – toProcesses
cook by
dry heat over “live”
charcoal or in an oven.
Roast big cuts of beef or
chicken pieces. You can
also roast a whole chicken
(lechon manok) or even a
whole cow (roasted calf).
Practical Cooking Tips
• In many Filipino households, particularly in the rural areas, children
learn cooking skills at an early age. They start with peeling onions,
boiling rice, and sautéing simple vegetable dishes. Then, little by little
with practice and patience, the young cook gains confidence at
cooking. He/She becomes an experienced and creative cook.
• Here are some time-tested cooking tips gathered from
grandmothers, experienced cooks, and culinary experts.
1. Prepare and gather all ingredients (chopped, pared, diced,
etc.) and cooking utensils before starting to cook.
2. Sauté ingredients this way. First, sauté the garlic till brown. Then,
add the sliced onions. Wait till the sliced onions wilt and become
translucent before adding the sliced tomatoes. Add the rest of the
ingredients after the tomatoes are cooked well.
3.To test if the cooking oil in the frying pan is hot enough for
frying, drop a small amount of salt in it. If the oil sizzles, start
frying.
4.In cooking a dish with vinegar, do not stir the dish
immediately after the vinegar is added. Wait until the
mixture has boiled for at least three minutes before stirring
the dish to remove the “raw” taste of the vinegar.
5.Have you placed too much salt on your soup or broth? Add
some diced potatoes to the soup. The potatoes will absorb
6. In cooking vegetables, do the following:
•Wash the vegetables whole before cutting or dicing them.
•Peel or pare vegetables just before cooking in order to prevent
the loss of nutrients.
•Cook vegetables in just the right amount of water. Vitamins,
minerals, and other food nutrients in vegetables are lost in
too much cooking water.
•Cook vegetables at the shortest time possible.
•Avoid frequent stirring of vegetables while cooking.
•Cook the food just right; avoid overcooking.
•Serve vegetables as soon as they are cooked.
•Dip boiled egg in cold water immediately after it is cooked.
This will make peeling the egg shell easier.
•In cooking pasta, such as spaghetti, add a small amount of
salt and oil to prevent the pasta from sticking and becoming
mushy.
•To preserve the crispiness of leafy vegetables, such as
lettuce or cabbage for salad, sprinkle water on them
lightly and chill in the refrigerator before you use them.
Work Habits and Safety Tips in the Kitchen
•A work habit is the way you do a particular task or

activity regularly. A work habit may help you spend
less time or spend more time and effort in working. It
can make a task pleasant or enjoyable or it can make
you tired and irritable.
•Plan the steps you do in cooking meals. You spend
your time and energy wisely and comfortably this way.
•As a beginner cook, train yourself in good safety habits
in the kitchen. You protect yourself, your family, the
utensils, and gadgets you use.
Learn and practice these work habits and safety rules.
1. Always work with clean hands and clothing. Wear an
apron to protect your clothes.
2. When you are cooking, keep your hair pinned back
or tied with a ribbon if it is long.
3. Read the recipe and its directions carefully
beforehand. Follow the step-by-step procedure.
4. Wash and gather all ingredients and cooking utensils
on the working table.
5. Use comfortable motions in standing, sitting, or
walking. Observe good posture to prevent fatigue.
Learn and practice these work habits and safety rules.
6.Have a dry, clean hand towel near you while preparing
the ingredients and while cooking.
7.As you work, clean up. Have a ready paper or native
bag (bayong) for peelings, seeds, and wrappers.
8.Ask your parents, or someone older to guide you in using
sharp knives, electric blender, mixer or other gadgets,
especially when you will use them for the first time.
9.Turn the sharp edge of a knife or peeler away from you
while paring or peeling the ingredients.
10. Use a chopping board for cutting or chopping the

ingredients.
11.Use separate spoons or laddles for stirring and tasting
food that is cooked.
12.Use dry and thick pot holders to handle hot pans and
hot cooking utensils.
13.Handle electrical appliances and gadgets with dry
hands. Unplug electric mixers, blenders, rice cooker,
electric stove, or range before washing or cleaning
them.
14.After using each utensil or gadget (except teflon-coated
15.Wipe up food or water spills immediately. Keep the

kitchen floor clean and dry.
16.Use two waste cans in the kitchen area: one for dry
wastes and the other for wet wastes, such as fish
entrails and fruit or vegetable peelings. Keep the waste
cans covered.
17. After cooking, do the following:
•Unplug the electric stove if you are using one.
•Turn off the gas regulator if you are using a gas stove or
range.

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Preparing Meals for the

•A work habit is the way you do a particular task or

10. Use a chopping board for cutting or chopping the

15.Wipe up food or water spills immediately. Keep the

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