Nutritional Analysis Software Key Terms

Know key terms to make the most of nutritional analysis software

Dietitians and nutrition experts are depending on software to help them design weight loss programs. The software is also used by restaurants that provide nutritional content on their menus and by food manufacturers whose labels contain the nutritional breakdown of their products. The right nutritional analysis software can even help you determine whether you’re complying with federal dietary guidelines. Take a look at these key terms explaining the most common features of nutritional analysis software.

Nutrition data

Dietitians depend on nutrition data so that they can advise patients on how to modify their diet. Manufacturers of nutritional analysis software need to ensure that their programs use the most updated sources of nutrition data when providing information on products and recipes.

Menu planning and evaluation

Nutrition analysis software that provides menu planning and evaluation functions uses the U.S.D.A.'s Dietary Guidelines for Americans as a key source. Those guidelines take into account the recommended dietary allowances, or RDAs, when menu planning involves either two or three meals per day.
National Resource Center on Nutrition, Physical Activity & Aging follows in its menu planning and evaluation, especially as it seeks to comply with the Older Americans Act binding on dietitians in every state.

National nutrient database

Nutritional analysis software manufacturers depend on the USDA's national nutrient data base in designing their respective programs. This data base provides the nutrient content of more than 7,000 foods.
USDA.

USDA nutrient values

With USDA nutrient values, software manufacturers can provide 100 gram portions for the most common serving sizes of foods many Americans eat on a daily basis. Percentages of the recommended daily allowances for these foods are based on average body weights of men and women.

Nutritional analysis

Nutritional analysis refers to a key function that recipe management software performs. The software converts standard units from the USDA's nutritional database into nutritional data that you can use for specific ingredients and recipes.

Food guide pyramid analysis

The food guide pyramid analysis, used by many manufacturers of nutrition analysis software, follows a standard approach to diet management suggested by the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services. The pyramid is based on four or five basic food groups that most Americans should eat on a daily basis.