2.5. Diet Composition and Menu Planning
The major objective of this trial was to determine the effect of the timing of eating. Therefore, in order to reduce the effect of confounding from other aspects of diet, the composition of the TRE and UEP interventions were identical in foods and nutrient content. These dietary interventions only differed in the timing of food distribution throughout the day (We developed a seven-day menu cycle at five calorie levels (1600, 2000, 2500, 3000, and 3500 kcal). Due to the percentage of calories allotted to each meal, we divided servings of many foods and recipes between meals; for example, one day, participants in both arms would have part of a serving of lentil kale bean salad at breakfast and part of a serving of lentil kale bean salad at lunch (While recipes were planned to be flavorful, we acknowledged that participants might want additional spices and herbs to use as needed on their foods. We provided participants with a list of allowed spices and herbs that were free of sodium and calories (We planned menus on a one-week cycle using the ESHA software program [version 11.4.548]. Most recipes came from previous studies, primarily the SPICE study, which consisted of recipes that were well accepted by participants [Using the calculated menu, the research dietitians created recipes and production sheets for use by the kitchen staff. We trained kitchen staff on the accuracy of measurement for research food preparation. Next, we tested the recipes and determined cooked factors. The cooked factor [We obtained foods from a central vendor and specific grocery stores to achieve consistency of nutrients across successive cohorts and simplify the process for updating nutrients if there was a change in the product through the vendor.