This easy-to-read compendium is an indispensable guide to meal planning, cooking, and shopping for both the beginner and the experienced whole food cook. From amazake and arugula to shiitake and teff, Evelyn Roehl offers the most up-to-date information on buying and cooking with whole foods. The familiar as well as the exotic in fruits and vegetables, dairy products, grains and legumes, oils, and sweeteners are discussed in detail in this A-Z reference guide no kitchen should be without. Updated and enlarged edition. With more natural foods and organic produce in supermarkets, the new USDA Food Pyramid Guide, and recently published information on the value of nutrients and specialty diets, more health-conscious consumers are seeking information on selecting, preparing, and storing whole foods. The author provides comprehensive nutritional charts and a complete discussion of diets, including vegetarian, macrobiotic, and the new USDA-recommended diet. A special chapter on nutrients answers the frequently-asked questions What is it?, How do I use it?, How nutritious is it?, and Where does it come from'.