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 ecause dietitians are in critical demand throughout the country, a professor at Wisconsin State
University - Stevens Point is turning to computers in helping alleviate the problem.
Miss Bonnie McDonald this spring began assigning her advanced students to food evaluation projects using the mastermind machines.
Claire Breneman of Pardeeville, Linda Lockwood, Markesan, and Judith Goll of Milwaukee, calculated their own nutritional intakes during a
seven-day period and found they need to be a bit more selective to obtain all daily requirements from food they eat.
The girls first placed cards into the machine listing food values for certain standardized portions; the computer, in turn,
placed the figures in its memory system. Thereafter, the girls "informed" the machine what they had eaten and the computer
evaluated the eating habits.
In special reports submitted to Miss McDonald, the girls labeled the computer as an effective means of learning how to plan
well-balanced meals.
Moreover, they said they were convinced computers will allow dietitians to accept more responsibilities. Miss Breneman mused
the "computers will never replace us, but they will save a lot of time, energy, and effort in our specialized field."
One of the most monotonous and time consuming activities of the research dietitian in the calculating of dietary components,
which now can be accomplished by the computers, advises Miss Breneman.
But there are many other uses, too, says Miss McDonald. She reports computers are used in large institutions for food
inventories, ordering, cost control, menu planning and diet controls . . . .
The four-year veteran of the WSU faculty predicts that in many years to come, kitchens will be home features probably only for
the wealthy.
Computers, she believes, will be affixed to cooking equipment so large numbers of persons can be served by one machine.
Miss McDonald explains that these vending-type machines already in use on an elementary scale first are being developed to feed
persons who are on lunch breaks at work.
Eventually, these machines will be patronized regularly by the general public, she predicts. . . .
She will get additional training in the subject during a semester leave from WSU. Her plans are to study this summer and all
at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas.
Stevens Point State presently has about 50 students majoring in dietetics, and according to Dr. Agnes Jones, chairman of the
home economics department, the program probably will be growing at a rapid rate in the next few years. . . .
As part of the curriculum, an option for food service management also is offered and in a drawing card for men. Dr. Jones
added. She reminded draft eligible persons that after taking food courses at WSU they would be eligible for special food
service duty in the military.
Stevens Point Daily Journal
June 21, 1968
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