Dynamic Macronutrient Meal-Equivalent Menu Method: Towards Individual Nutrition Intervention Programs

Abstract

Nutrition interventions should reflect the state of the art in science and dietetics to meet each patient’s requirements. Incorporating new knowledge into individualized food-based nutrition interventions is a major challenge, and health care professionals constantly search for novel approaches through specific and standardized methods. The dynamic macronutrient meal-equivalent menu method involves individuals making informed food choices that match their requirements, schedule, and food availability and affinity, helping them maintain a sense of control and motivation to adhere to a nutrition intervention program. This protocol includes the steps required to prepare a nutrition plan containing equivalent meal options consistent with the patient’s needs and preferences. Standard food servings are planned according to population specific dietary guidelines and individual characteristics. Servings are distributed at required mealtimes, and are all equivalent in energy and macronutrient content, providing every patient with interchangeable choices within each mealtime. This empowers individuals to select foods in a guided format whilst adhering to a dietary plan. Acceptable variations for calculated energy and macronutrient content are as follows: protein ±1 g/day, fat ±1 g/day, carbohydrate ±2 g/day, and energy ±15 kcal/day. Following this method, health care professionals can develop individualized nutrition intervention programs that may improve patients’ adherence, nutritional status, and health.

Bioelectric Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) in Breast Cancer Patients: A Tool for Research and Clinical Practice

“…Diet plans and recommendations were based on the individual’s socioeconomic and nutritional status, as well as treatment side effects (food affinity and tolerance) [4] using the dynamic macronutrient meal-equivalent menu method [10]. Resting energy expenditure was estimated using an algorithm for Mexican population [11], and when appropriate, a caloric restriction was considered [4].…”

Nutrition Counseling in an Academic Medical Center According to Socioeconomic Status and Grocery Shopping Consumer Behavior Decreased Relative Fat Mass in Breast Cancer Survivors

“…The nutrition intervention program was based on the MEM 12 . This innovative method provides RDNs with an organized way to calculate macronutrients and kcal/day into an individualized nutrition plan, providing every patient with interchangeable food choices within each mealtime, all being equivalent in energy and macronutrient content 12 . According to baseline sociodemographic and grocery shopping consumer behavior data and the Mexican Food Equivalent System 17 , standard food servings were set by the RDNs.…”

“…Identifying affordable and appealing nutrient-rich foods should be a priority when designing dietary plans for cancer patients 8,11 . The dynamic macronutrient meal-equivalent menu method (MEM) offers RDNs a systematic way to calculate energy and macronutrient content to design individualized nutrition plans considering standard food servings, population-specific dietary guidelines, and individual socioeconomic, educational, occupational, and cultural characteristics 12 . Still, information regarding grocery shopping behavior in breast cancer survivors, as well as of the costs of specialized dietary plans and their feasibility in oncology patients, is limited.…”

Cross-Sectional Association of Adiponectin with Sociodemographic and Nutrition-Related Factors in Mexican Students from the Los Altos, Jalisco Region

“…In addition, examination was conducted regarding standard food servings consumed by participants (e.g., dairy products, legumes, vegetables, cereals, meat, fruits and oils), categorized by food groups as established in the Mexican Food Equivalent System, a dynamic meal-equivalent system that groups meals by their similar nutritional composition (energy and macronutrient content), as is shown in Fig. 3 [35,36].…”