The Most Forgotten Food Service Requirement

(59A-36.012(2)(c) – Food Service Standards)

When it comes to food service compliance, most facilities focus on menus, meal timing, and resident satisfaction. But there’s one requirement that gets overlooked time and time again—and it’s an easy way to get cited during an AHCA inspection:

Documented portion sizes.

Per 59A-36.012(2)(c), every facility must indicate portion sizes for all regular and therapeutic menus—either directly on the menu or on a separate sheet.

Here’s the issue:

Inspectors routinely ask staff how they ensure residents are receiving proper portion sizes. And too often, the response is blank stares, verbal estimates, or “we just eyeball it.”

That’s not enough.

If you don’t have written portion sizes and a system to show how staff are measuring and serving those portions, you’re not in compliance.

What You Need to Do:

– Create a portion guide that clearly lists serving sizes for each menu item.

– Keep this guide readily available in the kitchen or dietary files.

– Train your staff to use standardized serving tools—like labeled scoops, measuring cups, or scales—so every portion is consistent and compliant.

– Make sure your team knows where the documentation is and how to explain the process during a survey.

This requirement is often forgotten—until it results in a deficiency.

Fix it now. Because when AHCA shows up, “we just serve what looks right” won’t cut it.