Abstract: A patient carrying a portable self-administered health care terminal receives data regarding the energy value per nutrient to be consumed daily and the amount of energy to expend through exercise. When dining at a restaurant or other facility providing food, the patient uses a barcode reader connected to the portable terminal to read barcodes included in the menu. This barcode data is transmitted to a server in the facility. The server returns data regarding the energy value per nutrient in the selected foods. The data is automatically input into the portable terminal.