Nutrition and Diet
,© 2010 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All right reserved
United States of America
Published by
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Salt Lake City, Utah
, Nutrition and Diet
The Word of Wisdom contains the Lord’s outline of the kinds of food that provide good
nutrition.
Balanced nutrition (1) includes drinking plenty of clean water and regularly eating foods
from each of six food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk products, meat and beans, and
oils. These foods contain six kinds of nutrients: proteins (2), carbohydrates (3), fats (4),
minerals (5), vitamins (6), and water (8). A person should regularly eat or drink enough of all
of these nutrients to grow and remain healthy. For infant nutrition (8), mother’s milk itself
provides an ideal balance of nutrients, with the gradual introduction of solid foods after four
to six months of age.
If a variety from all food groups is eaten regularly, it is not usually necessary to take
supplements (9). Even carefully chosen vegetarian (10) diets that include dairy products or
eggs can be quite sufficient. But if little or no animal products are eaten, then grains must
be eaten with legumes (beans, peas, peanuts, and lentils), nuts, and seeds to provide
balanced protein.
Food and drink must also be clean and free from disease-causing germs (bacteria, viruses,
and parasites) to be healthy. Purified water (10) (potable water) is prepared by removing dirt
from the water and treating the water to remove or kill germs. In some areas, the
government purifies water that is delivered through secured plumbing; this water is safe to
use directly from the faucet for food and drink. In most of the world, however, water should
be purified before use. Foods (11) should be washed free of dirt and then peeled, cooked,
boiled, or sanitized before eating.
Food must be eaten in proper amounts (14, 15) to maintain good health.
Eating disorders (12) are serious, negative eating behaviors that can be fatal if untreated.
Generally, obesity (12) results from eating more while malnutrition (13) results from eating
less food than needed for growth, maintenance, and daily activity.
Daily energy needs (14, 18) can be estimated based on age, height, weight, and level of
activity. The body mass index (14, 17) (BMI) can be a useful measure of the degree of
under-nutrition or over-nutrition.
More details about each of the underlined topics can be found in this guide on the pages
shown in parentheses. Additional information not provided by the Church can be obtained
online by clicking on the underlined links throughout the PDF version of this document.
,© 2010 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All right reserved
United States of America
Published by
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Salt Lake City, Utah
, Nutrition and Diet
The Word of Wisdom contains the Lord’s outline of the kinds of food that provide good
nutrition.
Balanced nutrition (1) includes drinking plenty of clean water and regularly eating foods
from each of six food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk products, meat and beans, and
oils. These foods contain six kinds of nutrients: proteins (2), carbohydrates (3), fats (4),
minerals (5), vitamins (6), and water (8). A person should regularly eat or drink enough of all
of these nutrients to grow and remain healthy. For infant nutrition (8), mother’s milk itself
provides an ideal balance of nutrients, with the gradual introduction of solid foods after four
to six months of age.
If a variety from all food groups is eaten regularly, it is not usually necessary to take
supplements (9). Even carefully chosen vegetarian (10) diets that include dairy products or
eggs can be quite sufficient. But if little or no animal products are eaten, then grains must
be eaten with legumes (beans, peas, peanuts, and lentils), nuts, and seeds to provide
balanced protein.
Food and drink must also be clean and free from disease-causing germs (bacteria, viruses,
and parasites) to be healthy. Purified water (10) (potable water) is prepared by removing dirt
from the water and treating the water to remove or kill germs. In some areas, the
government purifies water that is delivered through secured plumbing; this water is safe to
use directly from the faucet for food and drink. In most of the world, however, water should
be purified before use. Foods (11) should be washed free of dirt and then peeled, cooked,
boiled, or sanitized before eating.
Food must be eaten in proper amounts (14, 15) to maintain good health.
Eating disorders (12) are serious, negative eating behaviors that can be fatal if untreated.
Generally, obesity (12) results from eating more while malnutrition (13) results from eating
less food than needed for growth, maintenance, and daily activity.
Daily energy needs (14, 18) can be estimated based on age, height, weight, and level of
activity. The body mass index (14, 17) (BMI) can be a useful measure of the degree of
under-nutrition or over-nutrition.
More details about each of the underlined topics can be found in this guide on the pages
shown in parentheses. Additional information not provided by the Church can be obtained
online by clicking on the underlined links throughout the PDF version of this document.
