Types of Dietary Breakdowns


Managing diets effectively in Menutech involves categorizing items based on their suitability and making necessary adjustments to accommodate specific dietary requirements.

Here’s a detailed look at the key types of dietary breakdowns:

✅ Enabled Items

Enabled items are those that are suitable for a specific diet without requiring any modifications. These items seamlessly integrate into menus designed for particular dietary needs.

Example: Keeping salads without cheese on a lactose-free menu ensures choice and diversity for lactose-intolerant individuals.

  • Standard menu = Green salad
  • Lactose free menu = Green salad

❌ Not Suitable Items

Not suitable items are marked to indicate that they do not align with a particular diet type. These items are excluded from the menu generation process for that specific dietary requirement.

Process: Clicking on "Not Suitable" removes these items from both PDF and digital versions of the diet menu, ensuring clarity and compliance with dietary guidelines.

  • Standard menu = Vegetarian lasagna
  • Gluten free menu = (none)

✏️ Annotated Items

Annotating items with the diet name provides additional information about the item's preparation or suitability for specific dietary needs. These annotations help clarify the usage or restriction of certain ingredients.

Example: Annotating a vegetarian dish to specify it must be gluten-free ensures customers with gluten sensitivity can make informed choices.

  • Standard menu = Vegetarian lasagna
  • Gluten free menu = Vegetarian lasagna (gluten-free)

💬 Adding a Comment

Commented items include comments that provide additional information about the item's preparation or suitability for specific dietary needs.

Example: Commenting a dish to specify it contains gluten despite being labeled as vegetarian ensures customers with gluten sensitivity can make informed choices.

  • Standard menu = Green salad
  • Gluten free menu = Green salad (remove croutons)

✂️ Changes of Texture or Consistency

Adjustments in texture or consistency are made using Menutech's AI tools to modify recipes according to specific dietary preferences. These adjustments adhere to IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) guidelines, ensuring that the meal meets the desired texture requirements without compromising nutritional value.

Process: Choosing the desired texture adds it as a label for both PDF and digital versions of the diet menu, ensuring clarity and compliance with dietary guidelines.

  • Standard menu = Carrot soup
  • Pureed menu = Carrot soup (Pureed)

Optional step if you are managing recipes: Utilizing the AI tool to modify a pureed soup recipe for a soft diet without altering its nutritional content makes it suitable for individuals with swallowing difficulties.