Developing a Meal-Planning Exchange List for Traditional Dishes in Jordan

This study was conducted to develop a meal-planning exchange list for traditional combination dishes in Jordan. A total of 80 traditional dishes were selected from local cookbooks and through interviews with housewives. To minimize individual variations in preparation methods, five different recipes for each dish were collected and averaged. Dishes were cooked according to the averaged recipe. The weight of each ingredient and dish's net weight were documented in both kitchen and standard measures to be later used in dishes fitting into the exchange list. Samples from each prepared dish were analyzed for their macronutrient content following the Association of Official Analytical Chemists procedures. Correlation analysis was performed between macronutrient content of prepared dishes and that published in food composition tables for the use in the Middle East or analyzed using food analysis software. Exchange lists were then developed using an approximation method suggested in the literature. Significant correlation was found between carbohydrate, protein, and fat amounts obtained in this study and that previously published or obtained by food analysis software. Meal-planning exchange list for combination dishes is now available and ready to be used by food and nutrition professionals and health care providers in Jordan.