AbstractAim:  The present study was conducted to develop a meal‐planning exchange list for Middle Eastern foods commonly included in the Jordanian cuisine.Methods:  Forty types of appetisers and another 40 types of desserts were selected, with five different recipes for each item. Recipes were collected from different housewives and Arabic cookbooks. Ingredients’ weight and dish net weight were recorded based on an average recipe, and dishes were prepared accordingly. Dishes were proximately analysed following the Association of Official Analytical Chemists procedures. Proximate analysis was compared with the World Health Organisation Food Composition Tables for the Use in the Middle East, and with food analysis software (ESHA).Results:  Significant correlations (P < 0.001) were found between macronutrient content obtained from proximate analysis and those obtained from ESHA. The correlation coefficients (r) were 0.92 for carbohydrate, 0.86 for protein and 0.86 for fat. Strong correlations were also detected between proximate analysis World Health Organisation food composition tables for carbohydrate (r = 0.91, P < 0.001) and protein (r = 0.81; P < 0.001) contents. However, this significant correlation was not found as strong, yet significant for fat (r = 0. 62, P < 0.001).Conclusion:  A valid exchange system for traditional desserts and appetisers is now available and ready to be used by dietitians and health‐care providers in Jordan and Arab World.