- About Replacing a Menu Item
- Replacing a Menu Item
- Ensure New Menu Item is Assigned to a Production Area
- Undoing/Reversing a Temporary Replacement
- FAQs
About Replacing a Menu Item
For the menu items of regular diet type and texture type, there is the ability to replace the menu item for a single instance of its use (i.e., the meal service, day, week, and menu category), or all instances of its use (i.e., all meal services, days, weeks, and menu categories).
Temporarily Replacing a Menu Item (i.e., One-Day Substitutions)
For a currently-active menu or a future-scheduled menu, there is also the ability to temporarily replace a regular diet type and regular texture type item on a specific service date (explained as part of steps below). When the service date passes, the original item will return for the future service dates. This is a useful function if you quickly have to alter your menu, such as what can occur if you were short-shipped, or you want to create a different menu for a specific meal service (breakfast, lunch, dinner) on an upcoming day.
Therapeutic Substitutes Extended for Replacement Item
Replacing a menu item will also replace the therapeutic substitutes that are extended for the replaced item. Therefore, it is highly recommended to review the therapeutic substitutes extended for the new item after it has been added. See Working in a Menu Item Extension Grid.
Replacing a Menu Item
An item can be replaced when on the week-at-a-glance (WaaG) view or menu day view. Refer to the appropriate set of instructions below.
Replacing Item when on the WaaG View
To replace a menu item (including temporarily replacing a menu item) when on week-at-glance (WaaG) view, complete the following steps:
-
Open the menu to the week-at-glance view.
- For the item to be replaced, hover over it and click its Edit icon (
). The Edit Menu item pop-up appears (second screenshot below).
- Click the Replace icon (
). The Replace [menu item] slide-out panel appears.
-
Select a search option and utilize its associated filters as needed:
-
Food Type - filter by recipe, prepared food, and non-food item.
-
Categories - filter by recipe categories (if searching for recipes) and food categories (if searching for prepared foods). Note that if searching for both recipes and prepared foods, recipe categories are listed first in the drop-down, followed by food categories.
-
Portion Cost Range - enter the cost range of the item (recipe cost, prepared food cost, non-food item cost) you are searching for. Note that this filter applies to items within your selections in the Categories field, the Recipe Box field, or at least three characters entered in the Search field (in step 5 below you are instructed to enter a description of the item in the Search field).
-
Tags - filter by tags applied to recipes and prepared foods.
-
Owner - this field lists your account and all parent accounts. Select one or more accounts whose recipes you want to select from.
-
Recipe Box (available only if Recipe is selected from Food Type) - a recipe box label identifies the recipe (e.g., Entrees Poultry, Entrees Vegetarian, etc.), including a recipe that is a therapeutic substitute for a regular recipe (e.g., Gluten Free, LoCal, Low Salt, etc.) and/or IDDSI-compliant (e.g., SB6, MM5, etc.). Note that for therapeutic recipes identified as such by their Recipe Box label, you must select the Therapeutic Recipes check box to return the recipes in the search results. The reason is that recipes assigned with therapeutic labels are typically therapeutic substitutes that are added to a regular recipe's diet order extension grid, and as such are not typically added directly to the menu.
-
Therapeutic Recipes - recipes with therapeutic and/or IDDSI-compliant Recipe Box labels will only be returned in the search results if the Therapeutic Recipes check box is selected. The reason is that recipes assigned with therapeutic labels are typically therapeutic substitutes that are added to a regular recipe's diet order extension grid, and as such are not typically added directly to the menu.
-
My Recipes Only - searches for only recipes owned by your account (recipes owned by your account have the My Recipes label in the Recipe Box; see What is a "My Recipes" Recipe? for more information). Note that selecting the My Recipes Only checkbox also automatically selects your account, and only your account, in the Owner field.
-
Food Type - filter by recipe, prepared food, and non-food item.
-
As another search option, the Vendor Products option is a means to select a prepared food associated with a vendor product. From the vendor products that are returned from the search results, you then select one, which in turns adds the prepared food item the vendor product is linked with (i.e., vendor product is verified for the prepared food item). In other words, the prepared food item the vendor product is linked with is added, and not the vendor product itself. For more information, click here.
- In the Search field, enter the description or ID of the item or product you are searching for and click Go. The search results are returned.
- By clicking the eye icon (
) of an item, the Item Preview window appears with the following tabs:
-
Details - displays the recipe details.
-
Nutrient Value - displays the nutrient values.
-
Details - displays the recipe details.
- For the item you want to add, click its + icon. The Replace section refreshes with the added item.
- Adjust the portion size if needed.
- Depending if there is more than one instance (i.e., only one meal service, day, week) or multiple instances (i.e., more than one meal service, day, week combination) of the menu item to be replaced, proceed accordingly:
- If you want to replace the item for the single instance from which it was opened (meal, day, week), select the first option: Replace on [Meal] [Day] [Week] option.
- If you want to replace the menu item for all its instances, select the second option: Replace all [#] instances on the menu.
- If the menu is currently-active or future-scheduled, then you can create a temporary replacement of the menu item for the meal service and date from which it was opened (i.e. one-day substitution). To do so, select the third option: Replace for [Meal] [Service Date] only option. When the meal service of the service date passes, the original item will return for the future service dates. When creating a temporary replacement, enter a reason in the Reason for temporary substitution text box.
- Click the Save button. The menu is replaced. If the menu item is a temporary replacement, then the replacement item features an orange replace icon (
) to indicate it is a temporary substitution. Placing your cursor over the icon displays texts of what item is being replaced and when that temporarily replacement ends.
Note: Replacing a menu item will also replace the therapeutic substitutes that are extended for the replaced item. Therefore, it is highly recommended to review the therapeutic substitutes extended for the new item after it has been added. See Working in a Menu Item Extension Grid.
Replacing Item when on the Menu Day View
To replace a menu item (including temporarily replacing a menu item) when on menu day view, complete the following steps:
-
Open the menu to the menu day view.
- For the item to be removed, click its Settings icon (...), and select Replace Item. The Replace [menu item] slide-out panel appears.
- Select a search option and utilize its associated filters as needed:
-
Food Type - filter by recipe, prepared food, and non-food item.
-
Categories - filter by recipe categories (if searching for recipes) and food categories (if searching for prepared foods). Note that if searching for both recipes and prepared foods, recipe categories are listed first in the drop-down, followed by food categories.
-
Portion Cost Range - enter the cost range of the item (recipe cost, prepared food cost, non-food item cost) you are searching for. Note that this filter applies to items within your selections in the Categories field, the Recipe Box field, or at least three characters entered in the Search field (in step 5 below you are instructed to enter a description of the item in the Search field).
-
Tags - filter by tags applied to recipes and prepared foods.
-
Owner - this field lists your account and all parent accounts. Select one or more accounts whose recipes you want to select from.
-
Recipe Box (available only if Recipe is selected from Food Type) - a recipe box label identifies the recipe (e.g., Entrees Poultry, Entrees Vegetarian, etc.), including a recipe that is a therapeutic substitute for a regular recipe (e.g., Gluten Free, LoCal, Low Salt, etc.) and/or IDDSI-compliant (e.g., SB6, MM5, etc.). Note that for therapeutic recipes identified as such by their Recipe Box label, you must select the Therapeutic Recipes check box to return the recipes in the search results. The reason is that recipes assigned with therapeutic labels are typically therapeutic substitutes that are added to a regular recipe's diet order extension grid, and as such are not typically added directly to the menu.
-
Therapeutic Recipes - recipes with therapeutic and/or IDDSI-compliant Recipe Box labels will only be returned in the search results if the Therapeutic Recipes check box is selected. The reason is that recipes assigned with therapeutic labels are typically therapeutic substitutes that are added to a regular recipe's diet order extension grid, and as such are not typically added directly to the menu.
-
My Recipes Only - searches for only recipes owned by your account (recipes owned by your account have the My Recipes label in the Recipe Box; see What is a "My Recipes" Recipe? for more information). Note that selecting the My Recipes Only checkbox also automatically selects your account, and only your account, in the Owner field.
-
Food Type - filter by recipe, prepared food, and non-food item.
-
As another search option, the Vendor Products option is a means to select a prepared food associated with a vendor product. From the vendor products that are returned from the search results, you then select one, which in turns adds the prepared food item the vendor product is linked with (i.e., vendor product is verified for the prepared food item). In other words, the prepared food item the vendor product is linked with is added, and not the vendor product itself. For more information, click here.
- In the Search field, enter the description or ID of the item or product you are searching for and click Go. The search results are returned.
- By clicking the eye icon (
) of an item, the Item Preview window appears with the following tabs:
-
Details - displays the recipe details.
-
Nutrient Value - displays the nutrient values.
-
Details - displays the recipe details.
- For the item you want to add, click its + icon. The Replace section refreshes with the added item.
- Adjust the portion size if needed.
- Depending if there is more than one instance (i.e., only one meal service, day, week) or multiple instances (i.e., more than one meal service, day, week combination) of the menu item to be replaced, proceed accordingly:
- If you want to replace the item for the single instance from which it was opened (meal, day, week), select the first option: Replace on [Meal] [Day] [Week] option.
- If you want to replace the menu item for all its instances, select the second option: Replace all [#] instances on the menu.
- If the menu is currently-active or future-scheduled, then you can create a temporary replacement of the menu item for the meal service and date from which it was opened. To do so, select the third option: Replace for [Meal] [Service Date] only option. When the meal service of the service date passes, the original item will return for the future service dates. When creating a temporary replacement, enter a reason in the Reason for temporary substitution text box.
- Click the Save button. The menu is replaced. If the menu item is a temporary replacement, then the replacement item features an orange replace icon (
) to indicate it is a temporary substitution. Placing your cursor over the icon displays texts of what item is being replaced and when that temporarily replacement ends.
Note: Replacing a menu item will also replace the therapeutic substitutes that are extended for the replaced item. Therefore, it is highly recommended to review the therapeutic substitutes extended for the new item after it has been added. See Working in a Menu Item Extension Grid.
Ensure New Menu Item is Assigned to a Production Area
For the menu item now on the menu, ensure it is assigned to a production area for your kitchen staff. For example, a “hot” production area to prepare cooked items and a “cold” production area to prepare non-cooked items.
- For more information on why production areas are important, see About Production Areas.
- To assign a recipe to a production area, see Assigning Menu Items to a Production Area.
Undoing/Reversing a Temporary Replacement
If you made a temporary replacement that you want to undo/reverse, then just go through the replace steps again and add the original item.
FAQs
Being that the FAQs for replacing a menu item align with the steps to add a menu item, please refer to the FAQs section of the "Adding Items to a Menu" article: Adding Items to a Menu > FAQs.