Date of Award

12-2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Legacy Department

Food Science and Human Nutrition

Committee Chair/Advisor

Kunkel, Mary E

Committee Member

Condrasky , Margaret D.

Committee Member

Dawson , Paul L.

Abstract

The Bon Secours St. Francis Downtown Hospital has recently changed their menus to offer meals in which the entrŽes are liberalized when possible. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a newly introduced menu cycle in an acute-care facility foodservice system featuring a spoken word liberalized menu. Plate waste analysis was done by weighed measurements, using visual measurements when absolutes were observed (all or none). Performance of the menu was assessed with weighed plate waste analysis to determine weight of food consumed, energy consumed, and cost of food wasted. Meal consumption averaged 56% of the meal weight and 59% of the meal energy. Meal consumption was similar across most diets (p<0.05) largest differences in the renal and texture modified diets. Economic food waste was found to be $0.63 per meal which was consistent for all diets; most waste was from entrŽes. Consumption of meal components of the liberalized menu were reasonably consistent across all diets. Since there was consistent consumption across the diets, it allows discernment of which meal items were well accepted and which were not. Inclusion of energy intake and economic data further informs choices related to menu modification.

Included in

Nutrition Commons

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