Pritikin Diet Menus

The Pritikin Longevity Center's diet menus are based on the premise that the cholesterol and saturated fat in foods cause weight gain, increase your blood's harmful total cholesterol and bad cholesterol levels, and raise your risk of coronary disease and some cancers, according to "The New Pritikin Program." Author Robert Pritikin, a nutritionist, urges dieters to eat foods with far more carbohydrates and fiber and far less cholesterol, fat and sodium than the average American consumes.

Comparison

The Pritikin Diet differs dramatically from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommendations. It says that the percentage of calories from carbohydrates, protein and fat should be 75 to 80, 10 to 15 and fewer than 10, respectively. USDA's recommendations are 55, 18 and 29. The diet's daily intakes are fewer than 100 mg of cholesterol, fewer than 1,600 mg of sodium and at least 35 g of fiber. USDA's recommendations are fewer than 300, fewer than 2,400 and 25 to 30. Americans eat even more fat and cholesterol than USDA's recommendations, according to Pritikin.

Significance

People who ate Pritikin diet menus for four years had an average total cholesterol level of 160 mg/dL--"a level that virtually eliminates blood cholesterol as a risk factor for coronary heart disease," wrote Pritikin, who reported that people who ate "the standard American diet" in the same Pritikin Longevity Center study had an average cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL. Pritikin also reported that the Pritikin group had more vitamins A and B in their blood and nearly identical levels of other important minerals and vitamins.

Types

The types of carbohydrates, protein and fat you eat are important, wrote Pritikin. Complex and unrefined carbohydrates are preferred to simple and refined carbohydrates. Eating complex carbs means eating beans, grains, vegetables and nonsugary fruits rather than sugar. Eating unrefined carbohydrates means eating fresh vegetables and nonsugary fruits before the refinery process removes their fiber. The diet also urges you to get your protein from beans, grains and vegetables rather than meats, eggs and dairy products, and two-thirds of your fat from fruits, grains and vegetables.

Choices

The diet recommends "seven servings of vegetables a day," including dark green and yellow or orange vegetables daily, says the book. The USDA recommends three to five servings daily. Other recommended choices include whole-grain bread over white bread, brown rice over white rice and ultra low-fat cheeses instead of fish, poultry or meat. A typical day's menu includes wheat-biscuit cereal and a banana for breakfast, a tossed salad for lunch, and broiled halibut with an artichoke, a baked potato, mushrooms and a salad for dinner.

Low-fat Substitutions

You can improve your diet's menus by substituting many low-fat foods for high-fat foods, according to "The New Pritikin Program." Pritikin's recommendations include using nonfat yogurt instead of mayonnaise or sour cream, two egg whites instead of one whole egg, evaporated skim milk instead of cream or half-and-half, round or flank steak and white-meat chicken or turkey instead of fatty meats, wine or low-sodium beef or chicken broth in cooking instead of fat and oil, and apple butter and no-sugar fruit jellies instead of butter or margarine.