NHD
NETWORK HEALTH DIETITIANS
Guide to nutrition analysis software
When calculating a diet or es-
by Pat Bacon
tablishing the nutritional value
Freelance dietitian
of foods, there was once a time
when dietitians and nutritionists
with
alike would quietly sharpen their
Eileen Steinbock
pencils, reach for a slim volume of Head of Health and Nutrition at Brakes
McCance and Widdowson and
bury themselves in the task for
many hours.
thrown at them (figuratively speak- more information on programs that
The latest edition of McCance
ing) in the hospital, however the wise are available then go to www.
and all its supplements make the
dietitian will know that formulations schoolfoodtrust.org.uk. The report
shelves groan and it is now quite
do change and needs to be kept is now 12 months old and changes
possible to calculate almost any diet
up-to-date. Therein lies one impor- mean you may need to do some
or recipe or menu using a computer
tant question: can you add in data research for your specific needs.
- you just need the right program
to your program?
and to have a good idea of what
It is also important to know what Don’t forget that despite the fact
you are doing.
your program should do and what that we are all very computer
There are now a wide range of
you, the user, want it to do. Support literate and can very often pick
nutritional analysis programs to help,
is essential as you will be likely to up a program and run with it, to
but the help also is a ‘help, which
come to blows with the program in- produce accurate analysis you
one!’ There are many more than are
terface at times. Frustratingly the dif- also have to know McCance very
summarised here but this guide will
ficult problem that is causing prema- well. It is the bible and there is a
give you a nutritional flavour of what
ture greyness is usually resolved quite wealth of information in the printed
can be done.
quickly and you are left wondering copy. A regular user will be familiar
A good program should be able
how you with all the foods available and
to do what it says it can do on
can search for them quickly,
the packet; however, in fair-
recognising limitations. Are
ness to most programs it
you analysing a banana with
is also up to the user to
or without the skin and is the
handle it well. The basic
weight of the banana that you
premise is that all pro-
have been provided with or
grams have sound data
without skin? Is the bread that
and as far as we are
you are using reduced in so-
concerned then it has to
dium? Does the analysis on
be all based on the dieti-
the database reflect that?
tian’s bible, McCance and
Widdowson, and it must in- The program is only as
clude the latest version (6) and good as the data avail-
the numerous accompanying able. Check it is up-to-date.
supplements. Some programs missed the simple As the user you too must make
also offer the USDA database which solution. There are take responsibility
sounds a terrific idea, except for one some programs that do not require for the results output. A dietitian
small snag: the Americans calculate much help, but in fairness they tend with good dietary analysis skills can
fibre (or fiber) differently (a bit like to have fewer functions and are less be challenged to undertake many
their spelling) so you cannot expect likely to cause problems. tasks but they also know what their
reliable and accurate figures for UK However not all programs are the limitations are.
parameters. same and to give you a flavour we
There are some programs that have looked at some of them as a Good Luck!
also have other data available for taster to see what is on offer.
use from manufacturers or food This quick review has specifically
producers such as Brakes and the sip not focused on programs for the Data and comments compiled by
feed manufacturers. This helps dieti- school meals regulations that are set Pat Bacon RD and Eileen Steinbock
tians to quickly calculate whatever is to come into force soon. If you want RD
NHDmag.com May ‘08 - issue 34 21
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