--- title: New Way to Enable Meals description: Changes to Meals and Meal Report --- [![retreat_guru_logo_250px](https://changes.retreat.guru/hubfs/retreat_guru_logo_250px.webp) ](https://retreat.guru/) [Contact Support](https://share.hsforms.com/1z0JqNLfcRzinqY7DcpIyNA4kmtv) ## New Way to Enable Meals *Posted 2025-Mar-13* We have enhanced the Meals feature to ensure consistency and offer more configuration flexibility. See the knowledge base article, [Meals and Meal Reporting](https://help.retreat.guru/knowledge/meals-and-meal-reporting). - **Meals checkbox** now triggers the Meal Report and the Meals Summary.  - **Meal Report** is no longer tied to the Diet (slug = *diet*) field. - **Kitchen Report** will change on March 27, 2025, in another update. ### **Per program meals** As part of this update, we auto-checked the new *Meals* checkbox for programs configured with the *Diet* field selected. Those programs should continue to display on the Meal Report as they have. And the *Diet* and *Diet Notes* fields should still appear in the Meal Report. Go to *Programs > (select a program to edit) > Registration > Advanced Options > Meals*. To enable *Meals* on a program, check the *Enable meals* box. To disable, uncheck the box. ![](https://changes.retreat.guru/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-13-2025-07-28-53-2896-PM.png?width=600&height=266&name=image-png-Mar-13-2025-07-28-53-2896-PM.png) If *Meals* are enabled for a program, but the Diet question is *not* selected on the registration form, registrations will appear on the Meal Report as *Not Specified*. ### **Enabling meals** The name of the global setting has changed from *Meal Report* to *Meals*. The Meal Report is now auto-enabled when the new *Meals* setting is enabled. You can enable/disable Meals in Settings as a global default for new programs. This new *Meals* setting triggers meal reporting. Enabling *Meals* automatically enables the *Meal Report*. Go to *Settings > Operations > Meals*. If your menu is the same for everyone, you can enable *Meals* without selecting the *Diet* question at the program level. The *Diet* and *Diet Notes* questions are now optional - they are available if you need them but are no longer required for meal reporting. ![](https://changes.retreat.guru/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-13-2025-07-27-57-4039-PM.png?width=700&height=397&name=image-png-Mar-13-2025-07-27-57-4039-PM.png)   For a specific program, you can override the global setting. Go to *Programs > (select a program to edit) > Registration > Advanced Options > Meals*. To enable meals, check the box. To disable, uncheck the box. For a specific registration, you can override the Meals setting. Go to *(Edit registration) > Reporting Options > Exclude from meal reports*. ![](https://changes.retreat.guru/hs-fs/hubfs/CleanShot%202025-03-13%20at%2015-18-36@2x-png.png?width=500&height=106&name=CleanShot%202025-03-13%20at%2015-18-36@2x-png.png) If you check the *Exclude from meal reports* box, the registration will NOT be included on the Meal Report, the Meals Summary, or the Kitchen Report. ### **Meal Report** Go to *Reports > Meal Report*, specify a date range. Programs with Meals enabled will appear on the Meal Report. Enabling *Meals* in Settings automatically enables the *Meal Report*. Read more about [Meals and Meal Reporting](https://help.retreat.guru/knowledge/meals-and-meal-reporting). ### **Meal Summary** Go to *Registrations > (specify stay date range) > check the Show Meal Summary filter.* Registrations for programs with Meals enabled will be included in the Meal Summary totals. Registrations for programs with Meals *disabled* will *not* be included in the Meal Summary totals. This will be true even if that program has the Diet question enabled. The Meals setting is the only trigger - enabling/disabling the Diet question will not affect the Meal Summary. ### **Kitchen Report** Go to *Reports > Standard Reports > Kitchen*, specify a single date. For now, no change to the previous behavior. The Kitchen Report will include all registrations regardless of whether the Diet question was selected, or not. However, this is about to change. >> ACTION REQUIRED: The Kitchen Report will change on March 27, 2025 << On March 27, 2025, we will release another update to make the Kitchen Report respect the Meals setting. When that happens, only registrations for programs that have *Meals* enabled will appear in the Kitchen Report.  If you are using the Kitchen Report, before March 27, 2025, you must manually update any program that does *not* have the *Diet* question selected by enabling *Meals* if you want the program included in the Kitchen Report. To enable Meals for a program, go to *Programs > (select a program to edit) > Registration > Advanced Options > Meals*. Check the *Enable meals* box. ![](https://changes.retreat.guru/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-13-2025-07-28-53-2896-PM.png?width=600&height=266&name=image-png-Mar-13-2025-07-28-53-2896-PM.png)     Posted by [Dennis](https://changes.retreat.guru/author/dennis) ![](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/b0649d00fcb5df44dafbc094354e351d) ![Footer-logo](https://changes.retreat.guru/hubfs/Footer-logo.svg) [tel:](tel:) ## Our Mission is a **Wakeful** World #### 753,395 Lives transformed since 2014 © Copyright Retreat Guru. All rights reserved.