Menu Planning: Food Composition, Nutrient Analysis,
Therapeutic Diets, Special Dietary Needs

Research and Reports	Resources	Web Links
2004 | 2003 | 2002 and earlier	2004 | 2003 | 2002 and earlier

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Research and Reports

2002 and earlier

Asp EH, Darling ME. Home-delivered meals: food quality, nutrient content, and characteristics of recipients. J Am Diet Assoc. 1988;88:55-59.

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Resources

2002 and earlier

Building Quality Meals: Standardized Recipes and Portion Control (2000). For professionals, this videotape covers standardized recipes, culinary terms, weighing and measuring, portion control techniques, and recipe modification to prepare quality meals. National Food Service Management Institute. (800) 321-3054. http://www.nfsmi.org/index.html

Chef's Handbook: Low-Fat Quantity Food Preparation (1993). For consumers, this handbook provides at-a-glance guidelines for reducing fat in cooking without sacrificing taste. Basic nutrition concepts, menu planning, ingredient substitutions, and kitchen techniques are addressed. Plus techniques for reducing fat in foods with recipe adaptations are included. American Dietetic Association. ( 800) 877-1600 ext. 5000

Cooking Ahead For Holiday Meals (2001). For consumers, this on-line handout describes how cooking late into the night before your meal can greatly diminish the pleasures of the table and how cooking too far ahead can decrease the quality and safety of your food. Listed are some tips to put the focus back on family and friends rather than frenzied (and possibly unsafe) food preparation. University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County.

Cooking Demo II (2001). For professionals, this kit emphasizes the use of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans. It uses recipes that are low in fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol and high in fiber and flavor. Ingredients are common and inexpensive - most recipes are perfect for limited income clients. These recipes go together fast, teach important nutrition and cooking preparation techniques and present themselves beautifully to your audience. Food & Health Communications, Inc. (800) 462-2352.

Cooking for Large Groups (2001). For professionals and consumers, this software provides easy-to-use electronic recipe software provides over 1400 tested recipes that are simple to use and adjust. These recipes provide culinary inspiration along with cooking instructions. Recipes range from appetizers to desserts and everything in between. Plus, the program instantly adjusts ingredient amounts based upon the desired number of servings. An easy-to-use search feature allows quick lookup by keyword, category, main ingredient or cooking style. It also features dozens of general equipment and ingredient guidelines, conversion tables, an egg conversion utility, a can conversion utility and a measure conversion utility. http://www.cookinglarge.com/

Creating Healthy Menus for the Mainline, Part I (1994). For professionals and consumers, this videotape presents ideas for planning and creating healthy, cost-effective, appealing menus. National Food Service Management Institute. (800) 321-3054. www.nfsmi.org

Creating Healthy Menus for the Mainline, Part II (1995). For professionals, this videotape demonstrates the use of production scheduling, standardized recipes, and production techniques to effectively implement healthy menus for the mainline. National Food Service Management Institute. (800) 321-3054. www.nfsmi.org

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy: Wheat-free recipes with less fuss and less fat Bette Hagman (June 2000)
Audience: Consumers
Description: From the author of The Gluten-free Gourmet, 2nd edition, here are more than 275 recipes for gluten-free pasta, baking, and soup mixes that are as easy to use as anything from the grocery store. With new bean flours to add to the gluten-store. With new bean flours to add to the other gluten-free flours, there are also fantastic recipes for breads, cakes, cookies, pies, and pastries. ISBN: 0805065253
Cost: $13.00-$16.00, depending on book seller

Healthy Snack Guide (2001)
Audience: Consumers and Professionals
Description: This handout offers practical advice on snacking and gives many healthy suggestions.
Contact: Food & Health Communications, Inc.
P.O. Box 266498
Weston, FL 33326-6498
Phone: 800-462-2352
Fax: 800-433-7435
Cost: Complimentary

Holiday Eating (2001), English and Spanish versions available
Audience: Consumers
Description: This handout describes how you can lighten up your holiday meals by giving suggestions for common holiday foods. Also included is a lower fat recipe for pumpkin pie.
Contact: Foodandhealth.com
Cost: Complimentary

Healthy Eating for Life: A new book series from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Audience: Consumers
Description:
Healthy Eating for Life for Women (Kristine Kieswer)
Learn with this book how the right foods can ease menstrual and menopausal symptoms, strengthen bones, encourage weight loss, protect the heart, and help prevent certain cancers.
Cost: $14.95
Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Cancer (Melina Vesanto)
This book provides a complete nutrition program to prevent and fight cancer. Packed with tips and guidelines for lifelong good health.
Cost: $14.95
Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes (Patricia Bertron)
This book explains how lifestyle changes can prevent or treat diabetes and how to put these changes into practice.
Cost: $14.95
Contact: The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Marketplace
Phone: 1-888-260-8458
Latino and Asian Menu Ideas and Recipes
Audience: Professionals
Description: HPSI offers menu ideas and recipes to spice up your menus for your Latino residents. These menu inserts feature Latino menus that can be inserted and/or take the place so some of your current menus that may not have enough flair to please your Hispanic residents.
Contact: HPSI
Phone: 800-455-MENU (6368)
E-mail: http://www.nalusda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR13/sr13.html
Cost: $25.00 members, $32.50 nonmembers

Guidelines for Offering Healthy Foods at Meetings, Seminars, and Catered Events. For professionals and consumers, how to select lower fat and calorie food and beverage options for meetings, seminars, and catered events. School of Public Health, University of Minnesota. (612) 624-6669.

Make It a Super Salad Summer! (July/August 2000)
Audience: Consumers
Description: Tips and recipes to provide nutrient-packed, hunger-satisfying, scrumptious summer salads.
Contact: The University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, Lancaster County
444 Cherrycreek Rd.
Lincoln, NE 68528-1507
Phone: 402-441-7148
Fax: 402-441-7180
Cost: Complimentary

Meals on Wheels Four-Week Menu (1997)
Audience: Consumers
Description: A 4-week vegetarian menu set is designed to meet the needs of the clientele utilizing Meals on Wheels program.
Anyone interested in receiving a set of the menus and corresponding materials can send 4 first class stamps to: The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Meatless Menu Alternatives for Seniors (1998)
Audience: Consumers and Professionals
Description: The Vegetarian Resource Group and The National Meals on Wheels Foundation have collaborated to develop vegetarian meal plan options. These can be used at Meals on Wheels sites or by other programs or individuals. The menus meet the USDA standards for senior meal programs under Title III-C of the Older Americans Act. 20-page guide.
Contact: Seniors, The Vegetarian Resource Group
PO Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone:410-366-8343
E-mail: http://www.webmail.fiu.edu/agent/MobNewMsg?to=vrg@vrg.org
Cost: Complimentary copy available on-line or send 5 first class stamps along with your name and address to address above.

Menu Creator
Audience: Professionals
Description: Web based menu creation tool designed by dietitians for dietitians. Encompases clinically accurate customized menus, client tracking system, patient profile features, food based menus, and weekly menu and recipe print-outs.
Contact: Nutri Style Inc.
Phone: 1-866-222-8433
Email: http://www.webmail.fiu.edu/agent/MobNewMsg?to=support@nutristyle.com

Menu-Mizar Smart Cookbook LTC (2001)
Audience: Professionals
Description: This cookbook allows you to create menus with 12 extended diets from over 9000 recipes/foods. Instant nutrition and cost summary. Print spreadsheets, scaled recipes with HACCP and puree directions, as-purchased purchasing list, nutrition analysis, production sheets. Also, tray cards and nourishment labels that show patient likes/dislikes. New! Weight and intake tracking.
Contact: Menu Systems, Inc.
RR2 Box 775
Ruffs Dale, PA 15679
Phone: 800-559-3340
Cost: $1500.00

Menu Solutions: Quantity Recipes for Regular and Special Diets. Sandra J. Frank, Robert E. Baker (1996).
ISBN#:0-471-55458-8
Audience: Dietitians and Diet Technicians
Description: A combination reference and quantity recipe book, this unique resource is designed to help foodservice professionals prepare appealing and nutritious quantity menus. Menu Solutions offers over 400 tested recipes, in quantities of 4 or 50, with complete nutritional analyses and instructions for regular and special diets, including sodium-restricted, consistency- and texture-modified, fat- and cholesterol-modified, diabetic, calorie-controlled, vegetarian, and kosher.
Contact: Wiley Publishers
Phone: 732-469-4400 or 800-225-5945
Fax: 732-302-2300
Cost: $99.00

Nutrient Data Now Available For Home Computers (4/2003). For professionals and consumers, this database technology supports president Bush’s HealthierUS Initiative to help consumers improve health. United States Department of Agriculture. (202) 720-4623.

Perfect Portions Diet Dish (2001). For consumers, this dish kit comes with nine double-sided meal disks, recipe and instructional booklet and a dining smart card. Dish is microwavable, freezer and dishwasher safe. Nutrition Counseling Education Services (NCES). (877) 623-7266.

Recipes from Registered Dietitians
Audience: Consumers
Description: To help you start on the road to eating a healthy diet that tastes great, Nebraska registered dietitians have shared these nine recipes they provide clientele and/or serve their own
families. Several additional links to recipes and healthy eating tips are given at the end of the article. University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County.
E-mail: http://www.webmail.fiu.edu/agent/MobNewMsg?to=ahennema@unlnotes.unl.edu

A Senior's Guide to Good Nutrition
Audience: Consumers
Description: This website offers ideas for making meals a little easier, as well as common problems and suggested solutions. Includes information on food assistance programs available for seniors. Book list for ordering available.
Contact: The Vegetarian Resource Group
PO Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: 410-366-8343

Senior Friendly Resources
Audience: Professionals and Consumers
Description: In response to recommendations made in the SCAN report (Seniors Community Action for Nutrition), Dietitians of Canada and the Senior Friendly™ Program began a collaboration to develop Guidelines for a Senior Friendly™ Grocery Store and companion nutrition resources. These are now available in PDF format.
* The Senior Friendly™ Grocery Store guidelines can be used as an advocacy tool, empowering seniors and educating grocers, public health officials, community organizations on the importance of sound nutrition in aging and on accessibility issues.
* The Senior Friendly™ Ideas for Healthy Eating is a series of 12 tip sheets to assist seniors with planning, shopping and preparing healthy meals.
* Also available:Senior Friendly Toolkit, Senior Friendly Video, Senior Friendly Speeches, and Success Stories.
Contact: Senior Friendly Website (at the above link)
Cost: Varies by resource

Smart & Healthy Supermarket Tours
Audience: Professionals
Description: A curriculum through Rutgers Cooperative Extension and ShopRite stores.
Contact: Karen Ensle EdD, RD, FADA
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County
300 North Ave East
Westfield, NJ 07090
E-mail: http://www.webmail.fiu.edu/agent/MobNewMsg?to=ensle@aesop.rutgers.edu%20
Cost: The curriculum and flip chart are $ 20.00 with a $ 5.00 mailing fee.

T-U-R-K-E-Y Tips (2001)
Audience: Consumers
Description: This on-line handout provides turkey food safety information. Listed as well are related articles from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): Turkey Basics: Stuffing; Safe Thawing; Handling Precooked Dinners; Safe Cooking; "No-Show" Guests Jeopardize Food.
Contact: University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County
Food Reflections newsletter
Cost: Complimentary

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR) Software download
Audience: Professionals
Description: Download software to search the SR database on a handheld personal digital assistant (PDA).
Contact: Nutrient Data Laboratory
Agricultural Research Service
Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
10300 Baltimore Avenue
Building 005, Room 107, BARC-West
Beltsville, MD 20705-2350
Phone: 301-504-0630
Fax: 301-504-0632
Email: http://www.webmail.fiu.edu/agent/MobNewMsg?to=ndlapps@rbhnrc.usda.gov
Cost: Free

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Web Links

International Food Information Council <http://www.ific.org/>

International Network of Food Data Systems <www.fao.org/infoods> 

Produce Marketing Association (PMA) & Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBHF) <http://www.aboutproduce.com/>

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Last Updated: 07/16/2004