Great Chefs: The emphasis is on vegetables

July 8, 2000

By John Ash

Los Angeles Times Syndicate

A few years ago, the United States Department of Agriculture took a bold step

and redefined the way that Americans could understand what went into a healthy

diet. They released the Food Guide Pyramid, which was a way of looking at the

kinds of foods that should be both embraced and avoided.

The most important principle that the Pyramid proposes is that the large bulk of

the diet should be made up of plant-based foods low in saturated (animal) fats.

This Pyramid has been further refined as a result of a series of studies that

were begun in the 1960s that examined the traditional diets of the Mediterranean

and Asia. These traditional diets resulted in lower rates of heart disease,

certain cancers (digestive and respiratory), diet-related chronic diseases and

increased life expectancy.

What did these traditional diets look like? Basically they were plant based.

Meat, if it was used, was used more as a flavoring or condiment. Rarely was it

the center of the plate as it was (and is) in most of America. The plants that

were consumed were grains, seasonal vegetables and fruits, beans, legumes, nuts

and, most importantly, plant oils.

Recipes for: Tomatillo, Poblano and Heirloom Bean Chowder, Wild Mushroom Salad

with Corn-Mustard Dressing, Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Napoleons with Black

Olive Dressing, Black olive Dressing, Blackberry grunt

--

------------------------

Free email services provided by http://www.goodkarmacafe.com

Powered by Outblaze

Recommended Posts