FAO DietSolve: A Diet Optimization Tool for Low- and Middle-Income Countries Developing Dietary Guidelines.

The article focuses on FAO DietSolve, a user-friendly diet optimization tool developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to assist low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in creating national dietary guidelines. FAO DietSolve uses Microsoft Excel’s Solver add-in to systematically combine food groups that meet nutritional, acceptability, cost, and environmental constraints, enabling the development of culturally appropriate and sustainable dietary patterns. The tool has been applied by eight LMICs, helping them translate nutrient requirements into practical food-based recommendations and supporting the creation of food selection guides and graphics. FAO DietSolve addresses common challenges in LMICs such as limited data and technical expertise, offering a transparent, flexible, and evidence-informed approach aligned with FAO’s food systems-based dietary guidelines methodology.