The Healthy Diet »

For a moderately active adult, the National Institutes of Health recommends a diet that is low in fat, high in carbohydrates and moderate in protein. The institutes guidelines suggest that no more than 30 percent of your calories come from fat, that 55 to 60 percent from carbohydrates and that no more than 15 percent come from protein. A gram of fat equals nine institutes' while a gram of protein or carbohydrate equals four calories; therefore, if you eat 2,100 calories a day, you should consume approximately 60 grams of fat, 315 grams of carbohydrate and no more than 75 grams of protein daily. If you follow a lowfat / high ­carbohydrate diet, your chance of developing heart disease, cancer and other life-threatening diseases may be considerably reduced.

1. The nutrition charts that accompany each of the low fat / high-carbohydrate recipes in this book include the number of calories per serving, the number of grams of fat, carbohydrate and protein in a serving, and the percentage of calories derived from each of these nutrients. In addition, the charts provide the amount of calcium, iron and sodium per serving.

2. Calcium deficiency maybe associated with periodontal disease — which attacks the mouth's bones and tissues, including the gums — in both men and women, and with osteoporosis, or bone shrinking and weakening, in the elderly. The deficiency may also contribute blood pressure. The recommended daily allowance for calcium is 800 milligrams a day for men an men. Pregnants and lactating women are advised to consume 1,200 milligrams daily; a National Institutes of Health consensus panel recommends that postmenopausal women consume between 1,200 and 1,500 miligrams of calcium daily.

3. Although one way you can reduce your fat intake is to cut your consumption of red meat, you. should make sure that you get your necessary iron from other-sources. Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences suggests a minimum of 10 milligrams of iron per day for men and 18 milligrams for women between the 11 of 50.

4. High sodium intake is associated with high blood pressure. Most adults should restrict sodium intake to between 2,000 and 2,500 milligrams a day, according to the international Academy sciences. One way to keep sodium consumption in check is not to add table salt to food.