和老美朋友聊天经常会听到有人说他/她在"diet" 或着“on diet”，“Diet”在美国是很流行的，也成了文化生活的一部分，而我们往往不太明白 “diet”具体指的什么，无法接话。 "Diet"这里的意思说他在食用一种比较特别的餐。这种特别食谱在美国存在并发展了一百多年了，正象中国餐有东坡肉，麻婆豆腐，宫保鸡丁一样，美国的这些食谱也多半是以其发明者的名字命名的，所不同的是中餐食谱是关于菜的作法，重在色香味，满足人对食物的享受欲；而这些美国食谱是关于食品种类撘配，重在营养，满足人的功能需求。一百多年来随着美国社会和食品结构的变化，新的食谱在不断涌现，现在已超过两千多种，并且近年在以加速度递增。去年「US News & World Report」组织了一个由营养学家，减肥专家，心脏健康专家及人类行为学专家等组成的专家组，他们遴选出了当下在减肥、心脏健康和糖尿病方面最为流行的二十种食谱。新近美国消费者杂志(Consumer Reports)又对这二十种食谱进行投票排队，以下是这次投票排队的结果和二十种食谱的简介。相信看完后你也可以大谈你的“diet”了，因为其中的一些食谱我们在不自觉中经常使用。

减肥食谱

第一名：Weight Watchers

第二名：Jenny Craig and the Raw Food 食谱（并列）。

心脏健康食谱

第一名：Ornish 食谱,

第二名：TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) 食谱;

第三名：DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) 食谱。


糖尿病食谱

第一名：DASH 食谱

第二名：Mayo Clinic 食谱, Ornish 食谱, and Vegan 食谱（三者并列）。

商业成品餐食谱：

第一名：Weight Watchers

第二名：Jenny Craig

第三名：Slim-Fast

综合健康食谱

第一名：DASH 食谱

第二名：Mediterranean 食谱, TLC 食谱, and Weight Watchers （三者并列）.

以下是二十种最流行食谱的介绍和它们的排名：

Atkins Diet: The Atkins Diet is a low-carbohydrate plan that emphasizes protein and fats, with a minimum of carbs during its initial phase. Select carbs are added back into the diet after an “induction” period of two weeks. No. 7 best weight-loss diets, No. 8 best commercial diet plans, No. 18 best diabetes diets, No. 19 best diets overall, No. 19 best heart-healthy diets

DASH Diet: Recommended by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet aims to control hypertension and promote overall health through foods that are low in sodium and high in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and lean proteins. Dieters are encouraged to eat nuts, seeds, legumes, fish, lean meats, lean poultry, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy.No. 1 best diets overall, No. 1 best diabetes diets, No. 3 best heart-healthy diets, No. 8 best weight-loss diets

Eco-Atkins Diet: The vegetarian version of the Atkins Diet, this weight-loss plan still focuses on eating high-protein foods, but it replaces the high-fat animal protein with vegetable protein from such foods as soy and gluten. No. 8 best weight-loss diets, No. 10 best heart-healthy diets, No. 14 best diets overall, No. 16 best diabetes diets

Glycemic-Index Diet: Also known as the GI Diet, the Glycemic-Index Diet focuses on eating foods that are low on the glycemic index, which is a measure of how long your body takes to break down food. The longer foods take to digest, the less likely they are to spike blood sugar. Eating low-GI foods can help you feel full and may be helpful for diabetes. No. 12 in best diabetes diets, No. 16 in best diets overall, No. 18 in best heart-healthy diets, No. 19 in best weight-loss diets

Jenny Craig: Known for its support system and customized meal program, the Jenny Craig diet includes three prepackaged meals and one snack each day, supplemented with your own fresh fruits and vegetables. No. 2 best weight-loss diets, No. 2 best commercial diet plans, No. 7 best diets overall, No. 11 best heart-healthy diets, No 11 best diabetes diets

Mayo Clinic Diet: Created by the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, this diet is based on achieving long-term weight management. The key principles focus on healthful eating and portion sizes, physical activity, realistic weight-loss goals, and motivation. No. 2 best diabetes diets, No. 5 best diets overall, No. 6 best heart-healthy diets, No. 8 best weight-loss diets

Medifast Diet: The Medifast Diet includes eating small pre-made meals. Dieters follow a "5 & 1" plan: They eat five Medifast "meals" (shakes, bars, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, pudding, and soup) and one self-prepared meal. No. 7 best commercial diet plans, No. 14 best diabetes diets, No. 16 best weight-loss diets, No. 16 best heart-healthy diets, No. 16 best diets overall

Mediterranean Diet: Research suggests that the Mediterranean diet is protective against heart disease and can improve the way your body processes blood sugar and insulin, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. This diet emphasizes eating healthy fats (think omega-3 fatty acids) as well as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood, nuts and legumes, and olive oil. No. 2 best diets overall, No. 4 best heart-healthy diets, No. 5 best diabetes diets, No. 11 best weight-loss diets

Nutrisystem Diet: On this low-calorie weight-loss program, dieters eat pre-made meals that deliver a certain amount of daily calories based on their age and sex. Meals contain 55 percent carbohydrates, 25 percent protein, and 20 percent fat. No. 4 best commercial diet plans, No. 11 best diets overall, No. 12 best diabetes diets, No. 16 best weight-loss diets, No. 17 best heart-healthy diets

Ornish Diet: This extremely low-fat, high-fiber diet developed by Dean Ornish, MD, has been shown to lower heart risk factors like high blood pressure. With fewer than 10 percent of calories coming from fat, this veggie-heavy diet excludes meat, fish, and fowl. No. 1 best heart-healthy diets, No. 2 best diabetes diets, No. 8 best diets overall, No. 11 best weight-loss diets

Paleo Diet: Also called the Caveman Diet, this high-protein, low-sodium plan relies on cutting out processed foods and eating like our ancestors did 10,000 years ago: lots of meat, fish, poultry, fruits, and veggies, and no refined sugar, dairy, legumes, and grains. No. 19 best heart-healthy diets, No. 20 best diets overall, No. 20 best weight-loss diets, No. 20 best diabetes diets

Raw Food Diet: A strictly vegetarian diet, the Raw Food Diet restricts food that is cooked or heated above 116 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Advocates believe that the typical American diet of processed and pasteurized foods, animal products, and foods that include chemical additives contributes to diabetes and high blood pressure. No. 2 best weight-loss diets, No. 13 best heart-healthy diets, No. 14 best diabetes diets, No. 18 best diets overall

Slim-Fast Plan: On this low-calorie meal plan, dieters eat one “sensible meal” and swap out the others with meal-replacement products: shakes, snack bars, meal bars, smoothies, cookies, and powders that are reconstituted by mixing with skimmed milk. No. 3 best commercial diet plans, No. 5 best weight-loss diets, No. 8 best diabetes diets, No. 10 best diets overall, No. 13 best heart-healthy diets

South Beach Diet: Created by Florida-based cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, this heart-healthy weight-loss plan includes three phases and involves cutting out processed carbs and focusing on lean protein, low-fat dairy, and good carbs — whole grains, vegetables, and fruit — as a way to lose weight, get healthy, and reduce cravings. No. 5 best commercial diet plans, No. 11 best weight-loss diets, No. 12 best heart-healthy diets, No. 13 best diets overall, No. 16 best diabetes diets

TLC Diet: The TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) diet is a low-fat diet recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program of the U.S. National Institutes of Health as a way to lower cholesterol. The diet focuses on reducing saturated fat — less than 7 percent of your daily calories come from saturated fat — by limiting meat and milk products. No. 2 best diets overall, No. 2 best heart-healthy diets, No. 8 best diabetes diets, No. 11 best weight-loss diets,

Vegan Diet: The Vegan Diet eliminates all animal-based foods, including milk, eggs, and even honey. This type of plant-based diet has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease, obesity, and certain cancers. No. 2 best diabetes diets, No. 5 best weight-loss diets, No. 5 best heart-healthy diets, No. 12 best diets overall

Vegetarian Diet: As a general rule, a vegetarian diet involves not eating meat; but there are several sub-types of vegetarian diets including lacto-ovo vegetarians , lacto-vegetarians, vegans, and semi-vegetarian. People on vegetarian diets have been shown to consume fewer calories, weigh less, and have lower body mass index (BMI) than people who eat meat regularly. No. 5 best diabetes diet, No. 6 best heart-healthy diets, No. 9 best diets overall, No. 15 best weight-loss diets

Volumetrics Diet: Created by renowned nutrition researcher Barbara J. Rolls, PhD, Volumetrics is a weight-loss plan based on avoiding high-density foods that are high in calories. The plan says that foods that contain more water, such as fruits and vegetables, are healthier because they have lower energy density, or number of calories in a specific amount of food. No. 4 best weight-loss diets, No. 5 best diets overall diet, No. 5 best diabetes diets, No. 8 best heart-healthy diets

Weight Watchers: Known for its famous point system, Weight Watchers focuses on eating a balanced diet, eating in moderation, and eating the foods you want. Every food has an assigned number of points, depending on its calorie count and how much fat and fiber it contains. No. 1 best weight-loss diets, No. 1 best commercial diet plans, No. 2 best diets overall, No. 9 best heart-healthy diets, No. 10 best diabetes diets

Zone Diet: Developed by Barry Sears, PhD, the Zone Diet is a high protein, low-carb plan — 30 percent of calories come from protein, 30 percent come from fat, and 40 percent come from carbohydrates — designed to reset one’s metabolism and prevent chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. No. 6 best commercial diet plans, No. 13 best heart-healthy diets, No. 14 best diets overall, No. 18 best weight-loss diets, No. 19 best diabetes diets

（关于 GI 和 GL 的概念请参考 “健康营养知识：血糖指数和血糖负荷”）