On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top diet meal prep the page across from the article title. For weight loss diets, see Dieting. For animal diets, see List of feeding behaviours. This article needs additional citations for verification.

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. A selection of magnesium containing food consumed by humans. The human diet can vary widely. In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Complete nutrition requires ingestion and absorption of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids from protein and essential fatty acids from fat-containing food, also food energy in the form of carbohydrate, protein, and fat. A healthy diet can improve and maintain health, which can include aspects of mental and physical health.

Specific diets, such as the DASH diet, can be used in treatment and management of chronic conditions. Dietary recommendations exist for many different countries, and they usually emphasise a balanced diet which is culturally appropriate. These recommendation are different from dietary reference values which provide information about the prevention of nutrient deficiencies. Raw food tacos prepared with guacamole, non-fried beans and sour cream. Raw foodism promotes the consumption of food which has not been cooked.

Exclusionary diets are diets with certain groups or specific types of food avoided, either due to health considerations or by choice. A particular diet may be chosen to promote weight loss or weight gain. Changing a person’s dietary intake, or “going on a diet”, can change the energy balance and increase or decrease the amount of fat stored by the body. An eating disorder is a mental disorder that interferes with normal food consumption.

It is defined by abnormal eating habits and thoughts about food that may involve eating much more or much less than needed. Some cultures and religions have restrictions concerning what foods are acceptable in their diet. For example, only Kosher foods are permitted in Judaism, and Halal foods in Islam. In Christianity there is no restriction on kinds of animals that can be eaten, though various groups within Christianity have practiced specific dietary restrictions for various reasons. Some plants traditionally considered to be vegetables—such as tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums, and zucchinis—are permitted. Typically, potatoes are not permitted but cassava, yams, and sweet potatoes are. Some variants of the diet are paleolithic-oriented and exclude dairy while other variants may include dairy products provided that they are ketogenic.