Abstract
<jats:p>Dietary modification, with the aim of facilitating change in dietary intake and behaviour, is the cornerstone of medical nutrition therapy and employs a range of dietetic skills. Once the requirement for dietary modification has been confirmed, there are four key aspects that should be considered to achieve the required result: knowledge, achievability, motivation and communication. This chapter describes the types of dietary modification: substitution of new foods to provide higher diet quality, elimination of specific foods or nutrients, through to the introduction or reintroduction of dietary components. Factors that influence food choice includes access to food, taste and food preferences, lifestyle influences, cultural background, religious or ethical beliefs, and media. The chapter presents information on how dietary modification can be approached in order to achieve a range of dietary goals. In addition, a range of other modifications may be used to achieve dietary goals, including meal patterns; and meal environment and eating behaviour.</jats:p>