What is the difference between a strict and a flexible meal plan?

A strict meal plan (the Daily menu format) tells the patient what to eat and when, for each day of the plan. You can set days off and, if you like, leave indications for those days. It’s ideal for patients who need more structure in their diet. You can build it in two views: Table, which shows the whole week at once, and Day by day, which shows one day in more detail. You choose the view when you create the plan and can change it later from the editor’s gear (Plan settings).

A flexible meal plan (the Flexible options format) is based on model days. A model day is a common type of day in the patient’s life. For example, if the patient exercises on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you could create a plan with 2 model days: “Exercise day” (with higher calorie requirements) and “Rest day” (with lower calorie requirements). In each meal you give the patient groups of options, and they choose which one to eat that day, depending on how they feel. Any of the options helps meet their nutritional targets. You can add the options with the search bar or bring them in from your equivalents groups.

We explain how each editor works in How do I use the meal plan editors: table, flexible and day by day?.