PURPOSE

This diet is designed to promote optimum health through good nutrition. It is to be used for those individuals requiring no special dietary modifications or restrictions.

---

DESCRIPTION

Foods from all basic food groups are included with the addition of other foods to meet energy needs and provide essential nutrients. The diet is planned to promote the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes mellitus.

---

BASIC INFORMATION

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans outline what people should eat to stay healthy. The guidelines include:

• Eat a variety of foods.


• Balance the foods you eat with physical activity - maintain or improve your weight.


• Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits.


• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.


• Choose a diet moderate in sugars.


• Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.


• If you drink alcoholic beverages do so in moderation.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid is a diet to help individuals meet the dietary guidelines. Each of these food groups provides some, but not all, of the nutrients that people need. Foods in one group can not replace those in another. For good health all are needed.

---

THE USDA FOOD PYRAMID

The USDA Food Guide Pyramid
emphasizes foods from these food groups:

• Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta (6-11 Servings Daily).
All of these foods are from grains. Individuals need most servings of these foods each day. Examples of a serving are 1 slice of bread, 1 ounce ready-to-cook cereal, 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice or pasta.


• Vegetables (3-5 Servings Daily) & Fruits (2-4 Servings Daily).
All of these foods are from plants. Most people need to eat more of these foods for the vitamins, minerals and fiber they supply. Examples of a serving are 1 orange, 1/2 cup juice, 1/2 medium cantaloupe, 1/2 cup vegetable or fruit. Good sources of vitamin A (beta carotene) are dark green or dark yellow vegetables. Good sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and various greens.


• Milk, Yogurt, Cheese (2-3 Servings Daily).
All of these foods come from animals. These foods are important for protein and calcium. Examples of a serving are 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1-1/2 ounces natural cheese, 2 ounces processed cheese.


• Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, Nuts (2-3 Servings Daily).
Most of these foods come from animals. These foods are important for protein, iron and zinc. Examples of a serving are 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish; 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 1 egg counts as 1 ounce lean meat; 2 tablespoons peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts count as 1 ounce of meat.


• Fats, Oils, & Sweets (Use Sparingly).
These foods provide calories and little else nutritionally. Most people should use these foods sparingly.

---

NUTRITIONAL ADEQUACY

This diet is designed to provide adequate amounts of calories, protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to meet the nutritional needs of healthy adults.

SUGGESTED MEAL PLAN	SUGGESTED FOODS AND BEVERAGES
BREAKFAST Fruit Juice Cereal Meat/Meat Substitute Bread-Margarine Milk Beverage	SUGGESTED BREAKFAST Orange Juice Oatmeal Scrambled Eggs Whole Wheat Toast/Jelly/Margarine* Skim Milk Coffee or Tea
DINNER - NOON OR EVENING MEAL Meat/Meat Substitute Potato/Potato Substitute Vegetable and/or Salad Bread-Margarine Dessert Beverage	SUGGESTED LUNCH/DINNER Baked Chicken Sweet Potatoes Green Beans, Coleslaw Whole Wheat Toast/Jelly/Margarine* Strawberries Coffee or Tea
SUPPER - EVENING OR NOON MEAL Soup or Juice Meat/Meat Substitute Potato/Potato Substitute Vegetable and/or Salad Bread-Margarine Dessert Milk/Beverage	SUGGESTED SUPPER/DINNER Vegetable Bean Soup Meatballs with Tomato Sauce Spaghetti Broccoli, Spinach Salad/Dressing* Garlic Bread Rice Pudding Skim Milk

* To reduce the fat in your diet, omit margarine, use non-fat salad dressing.

---

NUTRIENT ANALYSIS

Calories Protein Carbohydrate Fat Cholesterol Dietary Fiber Vitamin A Vitamin C Niacin Riboflavin Thiamin Folate Calcium Phosphorus Zinc Iron Sodium Potassium

2271 Kcal 109 gm 299 gm 77 gm 386 mg 31 gm 4570 IU 249 mg 25 mg 2.4 mg 1.7 mg 381 mcg 1283 mg 1931 mg 7 mg 18 mg 3784 mg 4580 mg

NOTE: Bulk herbs are available through Mountain Rose Herbs and Nutritional Supplements are available through Herbal Remedies. To find supplements listed and not listed above, click on the links below:



RELATED LINKS

MoonDragon's Nutritional Recipe Index

MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Nutrition Basics Index

MoonDragon's Nutritional Therapy Index

MoonDragon's Nutritional Analysis Index

MoonDragon's Nutritional Diet Index

MoonDragon's Nutrition Information Index



HERBS, OILS, & SUPPLIES

MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Manufacturers & Distributors

See all our merchant banners below for products, remedies and supplements recommended on this web site.

HELPFUL PRODUCTS & FURTHER EDUCATION Prescription for Nutritional Healing: The A-To-Z Guide To Supplements -- by Phyllis A. Balch, James F. Balch - 2nd Edition Prescription for Nutritional Healing: The A-To-Z Guide To Supplements -- by Phyllis A. Balch, James F. Balch - 4th Edition Prescription for Herbal Healing: The A-To-Z Reference To Common Disorders -- by Phyllis A. Balch The Complete Guide to Natural Healing This is only a small sample of educational materials and products available through Amazon.com. Use the search box provided below to search for a particular item. If you see a suggested Amazon product "not there" as indicated by an orange box with the Amazon logo, this only means the specific product link has been changed by Amazon.com. Use the "click here" icon on the orange box and it will bring you to Amazon.com and you can do a search for a specific product using keywords and a new list of available products and prices will show. Their product and resource links are constantly changing and being upgraded. Many times there are more than one link to a specific product. Prices will vary between product distributors so it pays to shop around and do price comparisons. Educational materials and health products are available through Amazon.com. Use the search box provided below to search for a particular item.

For a full list of available products from Mountain Rose Herbs, click on banner below:
Mountain Rose Bulk Herbs
Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs A Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs B Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs C Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs D Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs E Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs F Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs G Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs H Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs I Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs J Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs K Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs L	Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs M Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs N Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs O Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs P Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs R Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs S Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs T Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs U Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs V Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs W Mountain Rose Herbs, Bulk Herbs Y

Mountain Rose Aromatherapy Oils

Mountain Rose Herbs, Aromatherapy Oils A-B Mountain Rose Herbs, Aromatherapy Oils C-E Mountain Rose Herbs, Aromatherapy Oils F-L Mountain Rose Herbs, Aromatherapy Oils M-P Mountain Rose Herbs, Aromatherapy Oils Q-Z Mountain Rose Herbs, Aromatherapy Oils: Oil Blends & Resins Mountain Rose Herbs, Aromatherapy Oils: Diffusers, Nebulizers, & Burners Mountain Rose Herbs, Aromatherapy Oils: Oil Kits

Mountain Rose Herbs.com: Order Online
Accessories & Tools Aroma Sprays & Flower Waters Body & Bath Bulk Herbs Bulk Ingredients Bulk Oils Butters Capsules Clays Essential Oils	Facial Care Hair Care Herbal Extracts Herbal Oils Herbal Salves & Balms Herbal Teas Herbs For Pets Incense, Resins & Candles Massage Oils Medicinal Herb Seeds Tea Brewing Supplies

---

MoonDragon's Nutrition Information Index

MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Nutrition Basics Index

MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Therapy Index

MoonDragon's Nutrition Therapy Index

MoonDragon's Alternative Health Information Index

MoonDragon's Aromatherapy Information Index

MoonDragon's Health & Wellness Index

MoonDragon's ObGyn Womens Health Information Index by Subject Order

MoonDragon's ObGyn Womens Health Information Index by Alphabetical Order

MoonDragon's Main Indexlisting

MoonDragon's Home Page