Eating right is the most crucial step that men and women of any age can take to protect their overall health. Yet most consumers remain confused about nutrition, and newspapers and magazines often get the facts wrong. How many carrots will supply your daily dose of beta carotene? How can you boost your iron intake without increasing the amount of red meat in your diet? Which has more vitamin C, an orange or a glass of orange juice? Are all shellfish high in cholesterol? Here are straightforward - and often surprising - answers to these and hundreds of other questions on how to choose and use foods for maximum taste and nutritional value.This comprehensive, quick-reference encyclopedia covers every type of whole, fresh food found in supermarkets, specialty shops, and health food stores. It also presents the latest information on what makes up a healthy diet and on the connection between diet and disease prevention.Each entry shows you how to select the freshest high-quality foods, and how to store and cook them (Did you know that thumping a melon is useless as a test for ripeness? Or that you should never store potatoes in the refrigerator?) Highlighted nutritional profiles display key nutrients at a glance. Throughout the book, you'll find charts and boxes filled with tips, advice, and fascinating facts. And there are literally hundreds of delicious serving suggestions for main dishes, snacks, desserts, and more - all proving that a healthy diet isn't a matter of limiting your choices, but of increasing the variety of foods you eat.Every fact draws on the expertise of the School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley - an institution at the forefront of examining the link between diet and health, and the authority behind the nation's leading health newsletter, the University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter. The result is an up-to-date reference source that you can turn to with the utmost confidence. Read Less