Full advantage has not been taken of self-evaluation for achieving and maintaining dietary compliance. Self-monitoring of food choices is an educational and motivational device for effective personal intervention. Systems which rely exclusively on compliance assessments by the counselor have a major weakness. They fail to transfer the responsibility for change to the person trying to alter his or her eating habits. The need for better methods of improving compliance is obvious. Adherence is a key issue in programs to assist dietary modification, where nutritional programs can help only if they are applied over the long-term.