- About Recipe Variations (i.e., Swapping a Similar Food for an Ingredient in a Master Recipe)
- Who Can Use the Recipe Variations Function?
- Parent Account that Owns a Recipe: Selecting the Allowed Foods in a Food Variation Group
- Child Account: Swapping a Food Item for an Ingredient in a Master Recipe
- Tutorial Video - Recipe Variations (3:11)
- FAQs
About Recipe Variations (i.e., Swapping a Similar Food for an Ingredient in a Master Recipe)
A recipe variation gives an account the ability to select the right food item for an ingredient in a master recipe (i.e., a recipe owned by a parent account).
A food item used as an ingredient in a master recipe may belong to a group of similar food items, known as a food variation group. If so, then the food item can be swapped out with another food item from the group to be used as the ingredient.*
For example, assume Carrot Stick, RTS is listed an an ingredient in a recipe. Carrot Sticks RTS can be swapped out for another food, such as Carrots, Sliced FRZ, to be the new food for the ingredient.
The benefit of food variations is that you can use the same recipe and just change a food rather than having to create two separate recipes with slightly different foods (e.g., one recipe with Carrot Sticks, RTS, and another recipe with Carrots, Sliced FRZ).
Who Can Use the Recipe Variations Function?
At this time the recipe variations function (i.e., the ability to swap a similar food for an ingredient in a master recipe) is available to US accounts only.
If you are a US account and you do not have the ability to swap a food for an ingredient in a master recipe (explained below), please reach out to MealSuite Support to request this function.
If you are a CDN account, or a US account that does not have or want the ability to swap food items for an ingredient in a master recipe, then you will have to make a copy of the master recipe for your account, and then edit the ingredients as needed. See Making a Copy of a Master Recipe.
Parent Account that Owns a Recipe: Selecting the Allowed Foods in a Food Variation Group
As a parent account (i.e., corporate or system account) that owns a recipe, you can select what food items are allowed in a food variation group. The allowed foods will be available to your child accounts to swap out for the associated ingredient as needed. To select the allowed foods in a food variation group for a recipe you own, complete the following steps:
- Open the desired recipe owned by your account.
- Open the Ingredients and Preparation section to display the ingredients. A food that belongs to a food variation group is identified with the swap icon (
) in the Actions column.
- Click the swap icon (
) to open the Food Variations group window (screenshot below).
- For a food item to be allowed in the food variation group, select its Allowed checkbox.
- For a food item to not be allowed in the food variation group, clear its Allowed checkbox.
- For an allowed food, adjust its amount if needed in the Amount field. For example, if using fresh fruit as opposed to frozen fruit, then the amount will be higher.
- Of the allowed foods, select the food that will appear as the default food for the ingredient by selecting its Preferred option.
- Click the Save button to apply your changes.
Child Account: Swapping a Food Item for an Ingredient in a Master Recipe
As a child account using a master recipe, you can swap a food item for an ingredient to a similar food item. For example, assume Carrot Stick, RTS is listed an an ingredient in a recipe. Carrot Sticks RTS can be swapped out for another food, such as Carrots, Sliced FRZ, to be the new food for the ingredient.
Note: If a child account is a parent account itself to other child accounts, then swapping a food item will make the new food item the default food item for its child accounts. See Child Account that is Also a Parent Account: Swapping a Food Item below for more information.
To swap a food for an ingredient, complete the following steps:
- Open the desired master recipe.
- Open the Ingredients and Preparation section to display the ingredients. A food that belongs to a food variation group is identified with the swap icon (
) in the Actions column.
- Click the swap icon (
) to open the Food Variations group window.
- From the Preferred Variation drop-down, select the food to be used for the ingredient.
- You have the ability to do the swap immediately or schedule it for a later date. To swap it immediately, select the Effective Immediately check box. To schedule it for a future date, select the date from the Effective from drop-down.
- You have the ability to apply the swap to other recipes in which the food item is used. To do so, select the This preference applies to all other recipes with [food item] check box.
- Click Save to apply your changes.
Child Account that is Also a Parent Account: Swapping a Food Item
If a child account is a parent account itself to other child accounts, then swapping a food item (as per above steps) will make the new food item the default food item for its child accounts.
- From the parent account's perspective, the food item it selects is the preferred food item it wants its child accounts to use.
- From the child account's perspective, that food item is the default food item set by its parent account. If needed, a child account can swap that food item, as per the above steps.
The table below illustrates the above logic using blueberries as an ingredient for a blueberry pie recipe.
Blueberries Ingredient - Scenario A | Blueberries Ingredient - Scenario B | Blueberries Ingredient - Scenario C | |
Parent Corporate Account (owns Blueberry Pie recipe) |
Fresh Blueberries (Preferred) Frozen Blueberries Canned Blueberries |
Fresh Blueberries (Preferred) Frozen Blueberries Canned Blueberries |
Fresh Blueberries Frozen Blueberries (Preferred) Canned Blueberries |
Child Corporate Account |
Fresh Blueberries (Default; can be swapped) Frozen Blueberries Canned Blueberries |
Fresh Blueberries (Default; can be swapped) Frozen Blueberries Canned Blueberries |
Fresh Blueberries Frozen Blueberries (Default; can be swapped) Canned Blueberries |
Does not swap |
Swaps to Frozen Blueberries |
Swaps to Canned Blueberries |
|
Child Facility Account |
Fresh Blueberries (Default; can be swapped) Frozen Blueberries Canned Blueberries |
Fresh Blueberries Frozen Blueberries (Default; can be swapped) Canned Blueberries |
Fresh Blueberries Frozen Blueberries Canned Blueberries (Default; can be swapped) |
Tutorial Video - Recipe Variations (3:11)
FAQs
When you copy a master recipe, do the food variations copy over to the copied recipe?
Yes. The food variations copy over to the copied recipe. As the owner of the recipe, the account can then select the allowed foods to be in the food variation group and select the preferred (i.e., default) food.