dietético

Dietético is an adjective used in Spanish and Portuguese to mean dietary or related to the diet. It describes foods, plans, or practices designed to manage the intake of nutrients for health, disease management, or weight control. The term derives from the Greek diaita, meaning a prescribed regimen, and has influenced related terms in Romance languages, such as French diététique.

In medical nutrition, dietetics is the science of applying nutrition to health. Dietetic planning involves assessing nutritional needs, designing appropriate meal plans, and monitoring outcomes for individuals or populations. Dietetic interventions are common in hospitals, clinics, schools, and community programs, including therapeutic diets for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, or food allergies, as well as weight-management programs and public-health nutrition guidelines.

Dietetic foods are products formulated to support a diet for medical purposes, including options that are low in sodium, cholesterol, or carbohydrates. The term is used in professional contexts, and in some regions, dietetics is a recognized health profession whose practitioners may be called dietitians or nutritionists.

Etymology: from Greek diaita via Latin and into Romance languages. See also nutrition, diet, dietitian, dietician, and diet therapy.