Vitamins.

Question
My wife and I tried a sensible diet program before the last holiday season. We actually lost weight and felt better about ourselves. Unfortunately, we went off the diet after about a month in order to gorge on holiday dinners, deserts and the like. The two of us are about to start the diet again, but we would like this time to augment it with vitamins. While neither of us are interested in 搈ulti-vitamins,?I am writing in order to ask you what are the basic food groups, and which vitamin best represents each group? Thanks for your time.

Answer
Your basic food groups are lean meats/meat substitutes, fruits, vegetables, dairy, starches and fats.  The best way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need each day is to get the calories you need by eating a balanced diet daily from ALL of the food groups and to eat a variety of foods within each food group.  If you are lowering your calories at all to lose weight, a multivitamin/mineral supplement is a good idea to help ensure you get what you need.  It is not that these supplements take the place of food, they just act as an insurance policy.  Females should also consider taking a calcium supplement to ensure they get all of the calcium they need daily.  
(*Always check with your doctor before taking any type of supplement or before starting a weight loss and/or fitness program).
Here are a few sites that can give you some good info on nutrition:
http://www.nutrition.gov/
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/index.html
I also recommend my book:"The Everything Nutrition Book".  You can find it through my web site at www.Nutrifocus.net or at your favorite bookstore.
Thank you,
Kim Tessmer, RD LD
www.Nutrifocus.net

1. Prev:happiness through nutrition
2. Next:Special Diet Maze