A tool for nutrition analysis

A tool for nutrition analysis
Rice program calculates students’ calories, cholesterol and carbs

BY JESSICA STARK
Rice News Staff

Using a Web-based program customized to Rice University, students are able to analyze the nutrition of their meals by calculating nutrients, calories, fat, calories from fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates and protein.

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On the NetNutrition’s Web site, http://nutrition.rice.edu/Form2.aspx, users select their servery and then browse the menu to select food items and the number of portions. The program will then analyze each menu item and the entire meal, presenting the data in the same format as a standard U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition label.  

For example, a user can see the difference between the fat content in different pizzas. A portion of cheese pizza is 29 percent fat and supreme is 43 percent fat. A diner can also build a sandwich from various ingredients to see the caloric and fat analysis of the selection.

“We want our students to have the tools to make healthy choices about what they eat,” said Julie Bogar, general manager of the North Servery. “NetNutrition can provide them with the information they need to build a nutritious diet and make their calories count.”

Each nutrient label also lists the ingredients for custom recipes prepared by the servery. Because NetNutrition is interfaced with Rice’s menu and recipe program, it can automatically adjust the nutritional information if an item in a recipe is changed.

“The user should keep in mind the accuracy of the information is based on correct portioning, which can be a little challenging in a self-service dining area,” Bogar said. “But I’m confident that NetNutrition will guide diners towards making healthier choices.”