Hopefully I can answer the food program questions. It may depend on your program sponsor. You may know (or not?) that the food program is a government funded program but there are many different non-profits across the country that sponsor the program.
I use Adults & Childrens Alliance. With them I am NOT required to have a preplanned menu. Like I said in my last post there are nights I don't plan, then realize dinner time is just about here and I need to come up with something quick.
I was recently looking at the food program part of their website
http://www.acainc.org/food_prgm.phtml and am contemplating starting to use their monthly menu planner (this is January's
http://www.acainc.org/ezmenu/january10.pdf ) as a guideline as a part of my trying to be slightly more organized this year. They also have February's schedule online already to make grocery shopping easier. You of course do NOT have to stick to this menu plan either. They offer it to make life easier...