At a glance
Point-of-sale, procurement, production, or menu data may be used in evaluating food service guideline implementation. The availability and relevance of these data types vary according to the setting.
![— title missing — Food in a food service line](/food-service-guidelines-toolkit/media/images/multipledatatypes500x5001169.jpg)
Overview
Several types of available data may be useful in evaluating food service guidelines.
Point-of-sale data
Records of foods sold to consumers.
Procurement data
Foods purchased or ordered for a facility or program.
Production data
Quantitative records of foods prepared or served, such as the number of trays served of an entrée or side dish.
Menu data
Menu rotations at a facility.
Point-in-time assessments or audit surveys
Taken on one day or a sample of days. These include an assessment of foods served or distributed on a given day and may include variety and costs. Examples include cafeteria or vending, foods distributed at a food pantry, foods served at a church meal, foods served in an after-school setting.
The availability and relevance of these data types for your evaluation will vary according to setting type.