Forty-three menus that were to be used in a diet manual were designed to meet the requirements of a specific diet; provide 2,200 to 2,400 kcal, unless energy-restricted; meet the 1990 Dietary Guidelines for Americans; meet current recommendations for sodium (2g to 3 g/day), cholesterol (< or = 300 mg/day), and fiber (20g to 30 g/day); and meet or exceed the highest level for adults in the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). In addition, regular and low-fat, low-cholesterol menus for 1 week were collected from 11 hospitals throughout Arkansas. Menus were analyzed for energy, cholesterol, and 18 nutrients. Only 11% of the menus met the RDA for zinc. Half of the menus did not meet the RDA for vitamin B-6 and one third did not meet the RDA for iron. Zinc content of the menus was positively correlated (P < .001) with protein (r = .73) and with beef (r = .45). Vitamin B-6 was positively correlated with protein (r = .44, P < .001) and with all meat (r = .38, P < .01). Regular and low-fat, low-cholesterol hospital menus had the same nutrient inadequacies because they did not differ in total servings from any food group. These data indicate that the public may have difficulty choosing a diet that meets both the Dietary Guidelines and the RDAs.