Excellent book!! I recommend it to anyone serious or partially serious about getting their nutritional habits under control. Tons of information that, really, cannot be found in any other reference.

First I'll say I gave up on this book pretty quickly. I originally bought it because of the indexes in the back, which list calorie and other nutritional info for all kinds of fresh foods. But as I began to read the other healthy-eating information, I realized it was complete spin, sponsored by Dole foods among others. When I read the statement that organic foods are not proven to be any better for you, I closed the book and put it away. Haven't opened it since. This statement is so obviously false. It has been clearly, scientifically proven that organic foods are more nutritious and healthful, both for their improved nutritional content and lack of toxic pesticides.

This lie made me decide that I couldn't believe anything else written in this book, either. I will find a more trustworthy source for my diet advice in the future.

I must disagree with the previous review. As I own both this book and the The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition mentioned by the reviewer, I do not believe them to be incompatible. While the two books are written from different health perspectives both provide ton of useful information.

I found this book to be extremely valuable and informative. Many of the complaints raised in the previous review misstate information in the book. For example, rather than categorically denying the value of organic foods the book states, "[n]utritionally, organically grown foods may not be significantly different from the same products grown with conventional farming techniques." Further, while the reviewer may have derived benefits from herbal remedies, it appears from the scientifically generated studies that there is little conclusive evidence that herbal remedies provide significant therapeutic benefits. These might be proven in the future, but they are not in existence at the present. But these criticisms miss the whole point of the book itself.

Encyclopedia of Foods is not a scientific study of farming techniques or illness remedies. It is a book about some possible ways to maintain a healthy diet. It is a book about the different types of foods and their places in a healthy diet. The book describes a multitude of foods and gives a great deal of information on the history of cultivation, nutritional benefits, and selected methods of preparation for them. It is a general text and not a scholarly work produced for nutritionists or other healthcare professionals. It also has several chapters devoted to explaining healthful diets, nutrients, and the relationship between some types of illnesses and diet. As a layman with a long interest in fitness, exercise and nutrition I found it to be very informative and will be a great help to me in selection what I eat in the future.

I would highly recommend this book as a great source of general information on healthy diets and foods.