Creating Healthy Menus within Budget Constraints

Abstract

The dietetics practitioner involved with menu planning in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, prisons, nd other settings where the focus on ealth and quality is balanced with udget restraints has always been hallenged with providing the best roduct for the money. Today, dietetics ractitioners confront even greater diffiulty as the demand for food and enrgy across the globe has resulted in apid price increases, food shortages, nd increased transportation and deivery costs. While these costs are risng, the funds allocated to meet them re shrinking, making the task chalenging and rife with many potential thical issues. Are food costs, at the ery least, indexed to the inflation ate set by industry standards, or are ractitioners expected to adhere to nrealistic price control? It is paraount that registered dietitians RDs) and dietetic technicians, regisered (DTRs), network with other ractitioners in similar facilities and nstitutions to benchmark industry tandards. RDs and DTRs may be asked to ake choices, changes, or substituions in some settings that are not in ccordance with the accepted stanards of practice and/or dietary uidelines. For example, decisions ight include lower-cost meat items esulting in less protein or higher satrated fat or poor quality, limiting se of fresh fruits and vegetables, nd/or filling menus with more lessutrient-dense, carbohydrate-containng foods. In many settings, the pracitioners are not involved in contract egotiations; this may result in prodcts that are promoted by salesper-