Food Service & Management
Food Production
Management
MENU PROJECT & MODIFICATIONS
As part of a group project, we were instructed to create a six-day cycle menu. Our assigned location was a children's hospital, with care specialized for ages 9-13. This was an interesting and challenging assignment because it allowed for creativity but the intended recipients also gave me purpose and the perspective that providing a balanced, varied menu has the power to improve quality of life and patient outcomes. The nutritional information includes portions sizes and food group equivalents. Also provided are two different menus: a professional menu (intended for display), and another menu for the patient use (intended for circulation). The calorie requirements and Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA's) for this project were verified using ESHA (Food Processor Nutrition Analysis Software).
Management in Dietetics
READING JOURNALS
As part of our class curriculum, we kept up with the assigned material by processing the information into "reading journals". Essentially, this was an opportunity to synthesize the information effectively and efficiently, but also gave me the opportunity to create something both useful and aesthetically pleasing. Linked below are two journals I used to better study and understand management principles. Each showcases different formatting techniques.
MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP HANDBOOK
Contributing to the creation of this handbook gave me real-life experience of the exact principles we were studying as part of the project itself. This project required us to understand and apply principle of management and leadership in both understanding how individuals and groups operate, and how to manage and lead effectively. I enjoyed learning from each of my group members, and I felt like my contribution was valued. While we were responsible for knowing all the information, my specific emphasis on the project was Maslow's theories, and my main contributions included providing figures, pictures, and information about motivational theory that tied the other concepts together.
EDUCATIONAL GAME
Another project I had the opportunity to be a part of was the design and creation of an educational game. The objective of this project was to design, create, and pitch the sale of an educational game that would be used to train employees in dietetic-related settings. I really enjoyed working with a group to incorporate and refine all of our ideas into a working model that could potential serve as an education tool. My special emphasis during this project was the creation of the instructions. Both the brochure (which includes a photo of the game) as well as the game instructions are linked below.
Food Service Systems
KITCHEN LAYOUT & EQUIPMENT PROJECT
This assignment allowed for us to evaluate and improve the foodservice aspects of a real life facility. My group had the opportunity to visit a local hospital, meet the dietitian and staff, and take notes about the design and function of the facility. As part of a group, I helped re-design the kitchen and equipment in order to increase productivity and improve the flow of the space in a way that would ultimately benefit the hospital patients and improve their nutritional options. As a group, we gained experience with navigating computer design programs, problem solving, and presenting collaborative work.
PROMOTION PROJECT
Based on the facility we toured as part of the "Kitchen Layout & Equipment Project" (see above), I was asked to create a theme day promotion. This project was originally designed to be done with my group, but due to an extenuating circumstance concerning my health, my professors tailored the project slightly to fit my needs (I've included their instructions in the link below as a reference). I choose the theme of "Spring Break in Hawaii" and planned a corresponding menu, production schedule, procurement list, decorations, and pre-event advertising. Due to our assigned facility being a hospital, as well as personally being in and out of the hospital while completing this assignment, this project proved meaningful and instilled the power and importance of "monotony breakers" to me in giving patients and their families some much needed relief from their day to day reality.
SYSTEMS PAPER
The object of this paper was to choose a topic within the food service system and write a summary (including a bibliography) regarding the research or other materials we discovered. The topic I choose was food service waste management, and during the process of writing I learned more about is currently being done as well as possible solutions to increase efficiency in the future.