Nutritious Meals

Question
QUESTION: I was thinking it might be nice to open a restaurant that serves nothing but salads. I figure salads can contain anything, and are typically low fat. I would like to create veggy and fruit salads that contain all the nutrition anyone needs to be at an optimal level overall (and literally unable to eat any better), but don't know anything about specific vitamins, and what foods contain them in what proportions, and how to squeeze all the right amounts into a salad. I was thinking I would serve perhaps 3 or 4 different salads to encompass everything one needs to be basically maxed out on everything they need to be as healthy as possible. Does this sound like a possible conquest?

ANSWER: James,

Very interesting and noble goal!
I don't think you could make one meal that includes all the nutrients a person needs in a day, because that takes us at least 1600 calories in most cases!

You can certainly include very high-nutrient dense foods and advertise that certain salads include "a whole days supply of vitamin A" or "an entire days needs for vitamin C" or "meets the daily value for calcium". However, for some of these the calorie levels would be quite high.
It would definitely take a lot of research and calculations!

Check the food guide pyramid site at www.mypyramid.org for an introductory lesson on what nutrients are found in which foods.
From there you can proceed to the USDA nutrient data base and the USDA Dietary Reference Intake papers.

Good Luck!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So maybe one can't get all their nutritional needs safely in a single day? Maybe than they could have a series of collective ingredient salads throughout the week to make sure they meet a weekly requirement? I'm 29 years old and am by no means a fitness or health nut, but it has occurred to me as I've gotten older than I don't see or hear as well as I'd like to, and I start to loose motivation and positive thinking towards a lot of things, and it feel nutrition must play a large role in that. Do you have any suggestions? I can only assume there are at least 10 versions of all vitamins and minerals that a person's body can use for various things that were never covered in great detail in home economics classes.

Answer
Dear James,

Let me clarify, a person DEFINITELY can meet their daily nutrient needs in a DAY... just not in a MEAL... in that case you may set up 3 meals that in total will meet the client's daily needs--they'll just have to meet all their needs by eating all 3meals in your restaurant :)

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