和老美朋友聊天經常會聽到有人說他/她在"diet" 或着“on diet”，“Diet”在美國是很流行的，也成了文化生活的一部分，而我們往往不太明白 “diet”具體指的什麼，無法接話。 "Diet"這裡的意思說他在食用一種比較特別的餐。這種特別食譜在美國存在並發展了一百多年了，正象中國餐有東坡肉，麻婆豆腐，宮保雞丁一樣，美國的這些食譜也多半是以其發明者的名字命名的，所不同的是中餐食譜是關於菜的作法，重在色香味，滿足人對食物的享受欲；而這些美國食譜是關於食品種類撘配，重在營養，滿足人的功能需求。一百多年來隨着美國社會和食品結構的變化，新的食譜在不斷湧現，現在已超過兩千多種，並且近年在以加速度遞增。去年「US News & World Report」組織了一個由營養學家，減肥專家，心臟健康專家及人類行為學專家等組成的專家組，他們遴選出了當下在減肥、心臟健康和糖尿病方面最為流行的二十種食譜。新近美國消費者雜誌(Consumer Reports)又對這二十種食譜進行投票排隊，以下是這次投票排隊的結果和二十種食譜的簡介。相信看完後你也可以大談你的“diet”了，因為其中的一些食譜我們在不自覺中經常使用。

減肥食譜

第一名：Weight Watchers

第二名：Jenny Craig and the Raw Food 食譜（並列）。

心臟健康食譜

第一名：Ornish 食譜,

第二名：TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) 食譜;

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


糖尿病食譜

第一名：DASH 食譜

第二名：Mayo Clinic 食譜, Ornish 食譜, and Vegan 食譜（三者並列）。

商業成品餐食譜：

第一名：Weight Watchers

第二名：Jenny Craig

第三名：Slim-Fast

綜合健康食譜

第一名：DASH 食譜

第二名：Mediterranean 食譜, TLC 食譜, and Weight Watchers （三者並列）.

以下是二十種最流行食譜的介紹和它們的排名：

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

（關於 GI 和 GL 的概念請參考 “健康營養知識：血糖指數和血糖負荷”）