Mental flexibility in food management

Mental flexibility determines ways of thinking and is thus directly connected with a person’s attitudes and philosophy of life. Mental flexibility, the attitude of readiness and willingness to face possible change, helps a person to see and plan ahead, and, what is more important, to adjust and control the plan as action takes place. This saves time. .

Flexibility in planning is called for in many areas of food management. Situations are constantly arising that makes it necessary to change menu patterns and homemakers must be prepared to make substitutions when the need arises. This involves knowing what foods can be satisfactorily substituted from the standpoint of nutrition and cost as well as combining well with the rest of the menu.
Sometimes flexibility is needed in adjusting the method of food preparation to lower time costs. Within all homes, constant adjustments are being made as plans are being evolved or carried out. The flexible-minded and adaptable homemaker is able to reduce time and conserve energy through her ability to reshape or adjust plans as the work of the day goes forward.
Dovetailing is fitting together parts of an operation in such a way that the results will be unified and easy-moving whole. In solving problems in home-making, dovetailing parts of or whole operations as plans are made or work goes forward tends to reduce time and energy input and at the same time produces a smoother running home.
It may be used both in the purchasing and the preparation of foods. Dovetailing is purchasing means planning and buying in quantities that will be adequate for more than one or two meals; Dovetailing in preparation means getting larger quantities of certain foods ready, a portion of which will be used in one form one day and in a different form on a later day. Dovetailed meal-planning or menu-making can be used without sacrificing adequate variety to satisfy individual taste.