Title: Identify common therapeutic diets.
Course: Health Assisting Careers (14002-36) > Section: Meeting Nutritional Needs

Identification should include

- special diets based on care plans (e.g., liquid, soft, low-calorie, high-calorie, bland, diabetic)
- documentation of calorie counts and food intake studies
- ways to plan nutritious, therapeutic-diet menus in accordance with the patient’s/client’s care plan
- the purpose of therapeutic diets.

Process/Skill Questions:

- Why should common therapeutic diets be understood?
- When a care plan specifies a special therapeutic diet (e.g., liquid, soft, low-calorie, high-calorie, bland, diabetic), how can the health assistant locate detailed helpful information about this diet?
- What is the role of nutritional supplements such as Ensure®? Can these products substitute for all other foods? Why, or why not?