How does a National 5 cook plan and cost a menu that meets the needs of a particular consumer, using current dietary advice?
Understanding how to plan and cost a menu that meets the needs of a consumer, including current dietary advice, special dietary needs, suitability of dishes, and working out the cost of a dish.
An SQA National 5 Practical Cookery answer on planning and costing menus for a consumer, covering meeting consumer needs, current dietary advice, special dietary needs such as vegetarian and allergies, balance and variety in a menu, and working out the cost of a dish.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to plan and cost a menu that meets the needs of a particular consumer, using current dietary advice and taking account of any special dietary needs. This knowledge is tested in the question paper and is the thinking behind planning the practical activity to a brief.
Planning a menu for the consumer
A good menu starts from who is eating and why.
Variety matters because a meal that repeats the same colour, texture or method is dull and often unbalanced. Planning a light starter, a substantial main and a contrasting dessert gives a satisfying meal.
Following current dietary advice
Menus should reflect the healthy-eating advice candidates are expected to know.
Meeting special dietary needs
Many briefs ask for a dish that suits a particular need.
- Vegetarian. Leave out meat, fish and poultry (and check hidden ingredients such as gelatine), and replace the protein with beans, lentils, eggs, cheese or a meat substitute so the dish is still balanced.
- Food allergy or intolerance. Leave out the allergen completely and avoid cross-contact, for example using a gluten-free flour for someone with coeliac disease, or leaving out nuts for a nut allergy.
- Other needs. Consider age (smaller, softer portions for a young child), activity level (more energy for an athlete), health goals (lower fat or salt), religious or cultural requirements, and budget.
Costing a dish
Knowing the cost keeps a menu realistic.
A dish is costed by working out how much the ingredients used actually cost. List each ingredient and its quantity, work out the cost of that quantity from the pack price, add them up for the total cost of the dish, and divide by the number of portions for the cost per portion. This lets a cook stay within a budget, compare dishes, and price food sensibly if it is being sold.
Common mistakes
Examples in context
Example 1. A meal for an older person. A candidate plans a soft, easy-to-eat, nourishing meal with smaller portions and reduced salt, suiting an older consumer while following dietary advice.
Example 2. An allergy-aware dessert. A candidate planning a dessert for someone with a nut allergy leaves out all nuts, checks that no ingredient contains them, and avoids any contact with nuts during preparation.
Try this
Q1. Give two things a cook should consider when planning a menu for a particular consumer. [1 mark]
- Cue. Any two of: who the consumer is and the occasion, balance and variety, current dietary advice, special dietary needs, and the budget.
Q2. How do you work out the cost per portion of a dish? [1 mark]
- Cue. Cost each ingredient for the quantity used, add them up for the total cost of the dish, and divide by the number of portions.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA N5 style4 marksA cook is planning a main course for a vegetarian. Describe two points the cook must consider, and explain why each one matters.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark answer needs two considerations, each with a clear reason (up to 2 marks each).
Point 1. Leave out meat, fish and poultry, and check hidden animal ingredients such as gelatine or some cheeses made with animal rennet. This matters because a vegetarian does not eat meat or fish, so a dish containing them, even hidden, would not meet their needs.
Point 2. Replace the meat with a suitable protein alternative, such as beans, lentils, eggs, cheese or a meat substitute. This matters because protein is needed in the diet, so the dish must still provide it for the meal to be balanced and satisfying.
Other points that would score include offering variety so the meal is interesting, following current dietary advice (plenty of vegetables, not too much salt or fat), and checking the dish is balanced and suitable.
Markers reward two sensible considerations with a correct reason for each, such as removing animal products because the consumer is vegetarian, and replacing the protein because it is still needed.
SQA N5 style3 marksExplain how a cook would work out the cost of a dish, and why knowing the cost is useful.Show worked answer →
This question tests costing, so the answer must describe the method and give a reason.
To work out the cost, list every ingredient in the recipe with the quantity used. For each ingredient, work out the cost of that quantity from the price of the pack (for example, if 500 grams of flour costs 60 pence, then 250 grams costs 30 pence). Add up the cost of all the ingredients to get the total cost of the dish, and divide by the number of portions to get the cost per portion.
Knowing the cost is useful because it lets the cook keep within a budget set by the brief, compare dishes to choose an affordable option, and set a sensible selling price if the food is being sold, so the dish makes sense for the consumer and the situation.
Markers reward describing the method (cost each ingredient for the quantity used and add them up, then per portion), and a sensible reason such as staying within budget or pricing the dish.
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Sources & how we know this
- SQA National 5 Practical Cookery Course Specification — SQA (2026)
- Food Standards Scotland - The Eatwell Guide and dietary advice — Food Standards Scotland (2024)