An Artificial Intelligence System for Computer-Assisted Menu Planning

• Published in: Journal of the American Dietetic Association Vol. 98; no. 9; pp. 1009 - 1014
• Main Authors: PETOT, GRACE J, MARLING, CYNTHIA, STERLING, LEON
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.09.1998; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Publishers; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Artificial Intelligence; Biological and medical sciences; Computerized, statistical medical data processing and models in biomedicine; Computers; Cookery; Decision Making, Computer-Assisted; Diet; Dietetics; Evaluation Studies as Topic; General aspects. Methods; Humans; Medical sciences; Menu Planning - methods; Menus; Nutrition; Planning; Software; United States; North America; America; Performance evaluation; Diet therapy; Reasoning; Meal; Planning; Artificial intelligence; Modeling; Computerization
• ISSN: 0002-8223; 2212-2672; 1878-3570; 2212-2680
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-8223(98)00231-4

Planning nutritious and appetizing menus is a complex task that researchers have tried to computerize since the early 1960s. We have attempted to facilitate computer-assisted menu planning by modeling the reasoning an expert dietitian uses to plan menus. Two independent expert systems were built, each designed to plan a daily menu meeting the nutrition needs and personal preferences of an individual client. One system modeled rule-based, or logical, reasoning, whereas the other modeled case-based, or experiential, reasoning. The 2 systems were evaluated and their strengths and weaknesses identified. A hybrid system was built, combining the best of both systems. The hybrid system represents an important step forward because it plans daily menus in accordance with a person's needs and preferences; the Reference Daily Intakes; the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; and accepted aesthetic standards for color, texture, temperature, taste, and variety. Additional work to expand the system's scope and to enhance the user interface will be needed to make it a practical tool. Our system framework could be applied to special-purpose menu planning for patients in medical settings or adapted for institutional use. We conclude that an artificial intelligence approach has practical use for computer-assisted menu planning. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998;98:1009-1014.