This paper presents an interactive tool which allows the comparison of different mathematical models for the menu planning problem. First, the original diet problem is characterized, as well as its importance to the development of operational research, its evolution and later applications. Several models for the diet problem are presented. Models are run and results are compared. This is done using an interactive tool which allows the definition of factors related to human needs, additional restrictions related to the amount of food and the selection of appropriate models. This tool may also be used for teaching purposes.
diet problem; linear programming; optimization
