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Creating Meal Plans

This guide walks you through the complete process of creating meal plans in the F4E AppSheet system. Meal plans are the foundation of the kitchen operations workflow and drive all subsequent processes.

Overview​

Meal plans define what meals will be prepared across different kitchen types and dates. When a meal plan is created and activated, the system automatically:

  1. Creates individual plans for each kitchen of the specified type
  2. Allows for editing of future meal plans per kitchen incase of unforeseen changes
  3. Sets up the foundation for consumption tracking per Kitchen plan

Prerequisites​

Before creating a meal plan, ensure you have:

  • Kitchen type information (CENTRALIZED, DECENTRALIZED, or SEMI_CENTRALIZED)
  • Menu details (R&G, R&B-M, R&W, R&B-M(T), etc.)
  • Date range for the meal plan

Creating a Meal Plan​

Meal plans are created and managed from the Planning view. In short:

  1. From Home → Planning, tap + Add to open the plan entry form.
  2. Fill in the Date, Menu, Holiday flag, and Kitchen Model, then Save — the entry is added with status Open.
  3. Once the menu is finalized, Confirm the plan so kitchen managers can project against it. Use Reopen if a correction is needed after closing.

For the full walkthrough — including menu code reference, editing menus inline, and the plan status lifecycle — see Meal Plan Management.

What Happens Next​

Once you save and activate the meal plan, the system automatically:

1. Plan Creation​

  • Creates individual plans for each selected kitchen
  • Generates unique plan IDs: {kitchen_id}-{date}
  • Sets initial status to 'Planned'

2. Projection Generation​

  • Creates projections for all active schools under each kitchen
  • Generates projection IDs: {school_id}-{date}
  • Sets initial status to 'Planned'

3. System Notifications​

  • Sends notifications to relevant kitchen managers
  • Updates dashboard with new meal plan information
  • Triggers any configured alerts or workflows

Monitoring and Management​

Viewing Created Plans​

  1. Navigate to "Plans" in the main menu
  2. Filter by date to see plans for specific dates
  3. Filter by kitchen to see plans for specific kitchens
  4. Check status to monitor plan progress

Plan Status Tracking​

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Plan Status Overview                │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Kitchen A: Planned → Open → Active  │
│ Kitchen B: Planned → Open → Active  │
│ Kitchen C: Planned → Open → Active  │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Status Meanings:

  • Planned: Plan created, awaiting activation
  • Open: Plan activated, projections created
  • Active: Plan in execution, consumption tracking
  • Closed: Plan completed, final reporting

⚠️ Common Issues and Solutions​

Issue: Plan Not Created​

Symptoms: Meal plan saved but no individual plans created Solutions:

  • Check kitchen type selection
  • Verify kitchen is active and properly configured
  • Ensure date is not in the past
  • Check for system errors in notifications

Issue: Projections Not Generated​

Symptoms: Plans created but no projections for schools Solutions:

  • Verify schools are active (active = 'true')
  • Check school-kitchen mapping
  • Ensure school BOM is configured
  • Verify program type compatibility

Issue: Status Not Updating​

Symptoms: Plan status stuck at 'Planned' Solutions:

  • Check internet connectivity
  • Force sync the application
  • Verify user permissions
  • Contact support if issue persists

Advanced Configuration​

Bulk Meal Plan Creation​

For creating multiple meal plans:

  1. Use the bulk creation feature (if available)
  2. Upload CSV file with meal plan data
  3. Use template for consistent formatting
  4. Validate data before processing

Template Management​

Create and use templates for common meal plans:

  1. Save current meal plan as template
  2. Modify template for different dates/kitchens
  3. Apply template to new meal plans
  4. Update templates as needed

Best Practices​

Planning​

  • Plan ahead: Create meal plans at least one week in advance
  • Consider capacity: Ensure kitchens can handle the workload
  • Check conflicts: Avoid overlapping meal plans
  • Validate data: Double-check all information before saving

Management​

  • Monitor status: Regularly check plan status and progress
  • Update as needed: Modify plans if circumstances change
  • Communicate changes: Notify relevant staff of any changes
  • Document issues: Record any problems for future reference

Quality Control​

  • Review recipes: Ensure recipes are accurate and complete
  • Check ingredients: Verify all ingredients are available
  • Test portions: Validate portion sizes are appropriate
  • Monitor feedback: Collect and act on user feedback

Support​

If you encounter issues or need assistance:

  • In-App Help: Use the help feature within the app

  • Documentation: Refer to this guide and other documentation

  • Support Team: Contact appsheet@food4education.org

  • Training: Request additional training if needed

Next Steps: After creating meal plans, projections will be automatically created for all active schools when the plan status changes to 'Open'.