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Description

Plan a menu for a Guide weekend using the healthy food plate/pyramid.

Resources

• Copy of the Irish Food Pyramid (Dept of Health, 2016) per Patrol — from gov.ie/en/healthy-ireland/publications/the-food-pyramid/
• Scenario cards (ideas listed in activity)
• Paper and pens

Instructions

Guidance for Leaders
The food pyramid is used here as a practical reference tool for variety, not as a set of rules about "good" or "bad" foods. Do not label any food as healthy or unhealthy. Focus on feeding a group well within real-world constraints: cooking facilities, dietary needs, taste, inclusion and budget.

Part 1: The Food Pyramid as a Planning Tool (5 mins)
Give each Patrol a copy of the food pyramid. Explain that it gives a general picture of the variety of foods that make up a balanced diet. Frame it as: "When you're feeding a group for a whole weekend, the pyramid helps you check you've got a good mix across your meals. It's not about making every meal perfect — it's about having variety over the weekend."

Part 2: Weekend Scenario Challenge (20 mins)
Give each Patrol a scenario card. Each describes a Guide weekend with specific constraints.

Scenario A: Camping. 8 Guides, 2 Leaders. Two gas rings, cool boxes (no fridge), budget of €60. Friday evening to Sunday lunch. One Guide is coeliac, one is vegetarian.

Scenario B: Guide hall with full kitchen. 12 Guides, 3 Leaders. Budget of €80. Friday supper through Sunday lunch. Two Guides don't eat pork for religious reasons. One Leader is lactose intolerant.

Scenario C: Guide hall, but Saturday is a day hike needing a packed lunch that travels well. 10 Guides, 2 Leaders. Budget of €70. One Guide has a nut allergy.

Each Patrol plans their full weekend menu considering: Is there a good variety of foods from across the pyramid over the weekend?
• Has everyone's dietary needs been covered?
• Can you actually cook this with the facilities available?
• Is it within budget?
• Will people enjoy it?

Part 3: Share Back (5 mins)
Each Patrol presents their menu. Others ask questions or suggest improvements. The Leader can prompt with questions like:

• How did you make sure the Guide with the allergy/dietary need was included?
• What would you cook first on Friday evening when everyone arrives starving?
• How would you keep food cold if you only have cool boxes?
• What happens if you forget the tin opener?
• Is there anything on your menu you'd need to practise cooking before the weekend?
• Did you think about washing up — have you planned meals that use every pot you own at once?
• What would you swap in if you couldn't get one of your ingredients on the day?
• Could a Guide who's never cooked before help with any of your meals?

Debrief
Ask: What was the hardest part — the dietary needs, the cooking facilities, or just agreeing as a Patrol? Did the food pyramid help you think about variety? Is there anything you'd do differently if you were planning this for a real weekend?

Remind them that feeding a group well, while making sure everyone at the table is included, is a genuine life skill — whether for Guiding or for life.

Adaptation ideas: Patrols could cook one of their planned meals at a later meeting. Older Guides could price a real shopping list online. Pairs well with Lifeskills Choice Challenge 8 (cookout using a Trangia/portable gas cooker).

Source: Irish Food Pyramid: gov.ie/en/healthy-ireland/publications/the-food-pyramid/

Tags

• Budget
• food pyramid
• Healthy Eating
• Healthy Food plate
• IGG
• menu
• SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
• Trangia

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