Definitions and glossary

Used when recommended daily intake cannot be determined.

The average daily nutrient intake level based on observed or experimentally determined approximations or estimates of nutrient intake by a group (or groups) of apparently healthy people that are assumed to be adequate.¹

Something that can be provided.

Can be readily available on hand or in the kitchen or made available as required which may take some more time, e.g. rice milk for someone with soy and cow’s milk allergy, kosher meals, etc.

The act of patients choosing between two or more possibilities.²

In the context of meal choice this relates to:

• having options of food items (in the same menu items category) to choose from
• having the option to access a food or beverage at your preferred time or frequency, rather than being pre-determined when you should have that option available to you.

For example, if fruit was only offered at breakfast, and not at lunch, you miss the choice of when you would like to consume fruit. Being able to choose to have tea with breakfast or supper.

Foods that are popular, familiar and/or traditional.

May be Band 1, Band 2, Band 3 or unbanded.

Should be included as part of a well-designed menu developed with active consumer engagement.

A review of one or more menu components only, as opposed to a full menu review.

Where the food provided to the patient has not been selected by the patient or their representative.

Can be provided for any meal in a day and there may be occasions when they are provided for all meals.

Are available for all diet types and will always be designed to be compliant with the diet order.

When planned over a full day, will meet the nutrient goals for energy and protein each day, and the micronutrient goals across a week (or menu cycle for short stay patients).

Where possible, should be designed to meet:

• Guiding principles, particularly for variety
• Nutrient goals for energy and protein per day
• Micronutrient goals per seven-day period (or menu cycle if shorter than a week for short stay menus).

Where nutrient composition data is not feasible to use, compliance with the recommended number of serves from the core food groups in the Australian Dietary Guidelines should ensure nutrient requirements are achieved.

Minimum number of options and menu item actions do not need to be met by default menus.

NSW Health patients will ideally select their food choices from the menu for each meal. Where this is not possible a default meal will be provided.

Default meal service may be provided in the following circumstances:

• The patient is unable or unwilling to participate in menu selection. This may be due to illness or communication challenges, or the patient prefers to receive options selected by the system.
• Operational reasons where the service is unable to offer patients an opportunity to select from a menu.
• When available, information on patient preferences should be used to customise a default selection, e.g. prefers tea instead of coffee.

Diets designed to only include menu options that meet religious, cultural or lifestyle preferences, or to meet the requirements of a particular life stage.

Examples include halal, kosher or vegan diets. These diets and their composition are defined in the Diet Specifications.

Should meet the nutrition goal standards but may not always be consistent with the minimum number options and menu item actions. The guiding principles still apply.

Diets such as cut up diet, small diet for patients with limited appetite. Designed with modifications to the menu options with the intent to support patient consumption.

Defined in the Diet Specifications.

Should meet the nutrient goals but may not always be consistent with the menu items actions and minimum number of options. This is dependent on the intent of the diet. The guiding principles still apply.

150% of the standard serve size weight.

For sandwiches, it is one and a half sandwiches or a sandwich made with three slices of bread.

Not all menu items can be offered as a large serve, e.g. pre-packaged items or items not practical to provide a large serve. Identify these items when planning the menu. Consider how a large serve option can be given.

The different items or parts that are included on a menu, e.g. breakfast cereals, breads and spreads, hot mains, starchy vegetables, sandwiches, salads, desserts.

When repeated menu items, or repeated cycle of the menu, imposes a monotony which negatively affects appetite and desire to choose from the menu.

A menu intentionally designed to be non-self-selective, due to the therapeutic or restrictive nature of the diet.

Menu choice is limited with no option for variation, due to:

• the restrictive nature of the diet, or
• the food or fluid items that the patient is required to receive are specifically prescribed.

Examples include fluid diets, restricted nutrient diets and test diets.

Actively present or offer something that patients can accept or reject as desired.

Can be physical, written or verbal.

A time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something; a situation that makes it possible to do something; or the possibility of doing something.

The list and/or the number of items from which patients can choose.

The average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97-98%) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.¹

A person with characteristics of an average individual used to calculate nutrient targets.

For the adult Nutrition Standards, an adult male weighing 76kg was used as the reference person.

This is derived based on median weight for adult females of 68.2kg and for adult males of 84.5kg. Mid-range for females and males is 76.3kg.³

50% of the standard serve size weight.

For sandwiches, it is a half sandwich or a sandwich made with one slice of bread.

Not all menu items can be offered as a small size. This includes pre-packaged items, or items deemed operationally not practical to provide as small serve. These items need to be identified when planning the menu, with consideration given as to how a small serve option or alternative may be able to be accommodated.

The serve size for the menu item that complies to the minimum standard serve size in the Patient Choice Standard, or that is defined in the bands for the relevant menu item groups.

A daily average intake from food and beverages for certain nutrients that that may help in prevention of chronic disease. Average intake may be based on the mean or median depending on the nutrient and available data.¹

Diet which has modified nutrient goals and specifications or controls around foods suitable to be offered, for the purpose of being used as part of medical therapy.

Defined in the Diet Specifications.

May not be consistent with the paediatric or adult Nutrition Goal Standard or Patient Choice Standard. The guiding principles still apply where practical.

More about therapeutic diets.

Prepared dishes (mains, salads, sandwiches and desserts) that do not meet one or more of the nutrient criteria within the bands.