Diet

Diet, customary or specified kind of food and drink taken daily. Doctors, nurses, and dieticians must be skilled in dietetics (the science of diet and nutrition) so that they can advise on the selection, preparation, and presentation of food for patients. A balanced diet includes proteins, fats and carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Special diets for weight loss or gain are designed according to the intake of calories, which measure energy yielded by food. Other diets may involve restriction of salt (for heart disease) or sugar (for diabetes).