Using Excel's Solver, you will build and solve an integer programming model to design an optimal meal

plan for a target group. The assignment requires data collection from online sources, model formulation,

and solution interpretation.

You are tasked with creating a meal plan for a fitness center that caters to athletes. The center provides

meals for its members, and the goal is to create a weekly menu that meets nutritional requirements

while keeping costs low. $($You can make assumptions about the menu formation based on your internet

search. Just state your assumptions clearly. You can assume that the menu is identical for all days of the

week.$)$

Data Collection

Collect data from online resources to build your integer programming model. Consider these elements:

Food Items: Gather a list of commonly consumed foods in a fitness center setting $($e$.$g$.,$ chicken,

eggs, oats, fruits, vegetables, nuts$).$

Nutritional Information: For each food item, gather data on calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates,

vitamins, and minerals.

Cost Information: The cost per serving for each food item.

$,$ Serving Size: Standard serving sizes for each food item.

Dietary Preferences: Any specific dietary restrictions or preferences $($e$.$g$.,$ vegetarian, low$-$carb$).$

You can find this data on nutrition websites, food product labels, and health resources like the USDA's

FoodData Central.

Homework Tasks

Task $1$: Define Nutritional Requirements

Define the nutritional requirements for the fitness center's meal plan. Consider the following:

Daily calorie intake for athletes.

Minimum and maximum values for protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

Specific dietary restrictions or preferences $($e$.$g$.,$ vegetarian, gluten$-$free, low$-$carb$).$

Task $2$: Model Formulation

Define decision variables representing the quantity of each food item to include in the meal plan.

Create an objective function that represents minimizing the total cost of the meal plan.

Define constraints to ensure the meal plan meets the nutritional requirements and any dietary

restrictions.

Task $3$: Solution

Solve the model in excel and discuss your results.$|$