What the difference between food and meal?

the difference is a plan for a menu is a planr for a whole menu and one you just plan for a meal

Or planning a meal tends to be one dish, maybe two. When I plan a menu, it is usually for other people to come over for dinner. I take into account the time of year, cold or hot, if I have a theme I want to stick to, BBQ or Christmas, that kind of thing. See www topyour cooking.com