5 basic food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits, milk-yogurt-cheese, meat-poultry-fish-dry beans-eggs-nuts); and 7 dietary guidelines. The 7 extrapolate the 3 basic words: 1. eat a variety of foods; 2. maintain healthy weight; 3. choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol; 4. choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products; 5. use sugars only in moderation; 6. use salt and sodium only in moderation; 7. if you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. Lifshit~,' group reported that immoderately low-fat low-cholesterol diets cause small children to fail to thrive.
("Childhood Nutrition" [F. Lifshitz, Ed.] CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1995). Number of servings eaten from each of the 5 food groups may need altering with relevant defects in genetic blueprint ("Genetic nutrition: Designing" a diet based on your family medical history: Your genes can tell.you what to eat-and avoid-to live a longer healthier life" [AP Simopoulos, V Herbert, B Jacobson] Macmillan, NY, 1993). The: 3-5-7 of good nutrition informs us that vitamin supplements, "health" foods, and complicated dietary regimens are not part of good nutrition, but bizarre deviations. All food is health food in moderation; any food is junk food in excess.