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DESCRIPTION
Dr. Benjamin Feingold, an allergist, noted
in 1973 that childhood behavior disorders seemed linked to dietary exposure to
excessive food colorings, salicylates and additives. This resulted in
development of the Feingold diet, a diet restricted in foods that are rich in
these substances. Although the efficacy of this diet is considered
controversial by many behavioral scientists, there are numerous reports in the
literature which support its value in managing certain forms of hyperkinesis in
young children. The diet-behavior connection is still an active area of
research, and the application of the Feingold diet in managing childhood
hyperkinesis is but one of several important associations now under extensive
investigation.
The Feingold diet eliminates fruits and
vegetables which are high in salicylates, as well as foods containing the
preservatives BHA and BHT and non-food salicylate items such as aspirin,
toothpaste, mouthwash, cough syrup, and some chewing gums. The salicylate
containing fruits and vegetables eliminated are:
| • Cherries |
• Cloves |
• Tangerines |
• Berries |
| • Coffee |
• Plums |
• Apricots |
• Cucumbers |
| • All tea |
• Apples |
• Currants |
• Tomatoes |
| • Peaches |
• Oranges |
• Almonds |
• Pears |
| • Nectarines |
• Grapes/raisins |
• Grapefruit |
• Green peppers |
| • Prunes |
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Because most vitamin C containing fruits
and vegetables are eliminated, this diet may require supplementation with this
nutrient to promote nutritional adequacy.
SAMPLE MENU FOR ONE DAY
Breakfast
| • 1 cup whole grain cereal |
• 1/2 cup milk (2% fat) |
| • 2 slices whole grain toast |
• 2 teaspoons butter |
Lunch
• 1 cup vegetable soup with barley (without
tomato)
• 1 jack cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread
• 1 cup milk (2% fat)
• 2 oatmeal cookies
Dinner
| • 3 oz. chicken breast |
• 1 baked apple |
| • 1 dinner roll |
• 2 teaspoons butter |
| • 1 cup low-fat milk |
• 1/2 cup pudding |
Nutrient Content
| Calories: |
2140 |
| Protein: |
16% |
| Carbohydrates: |
58% |
| Fat: |
27% |
| Cholesterol: |
250
mg. |
| Fiber: |
15
g. |
FOOD EXCHANGE MENU
No specific exchanges are suggested as
long as foods containing salicylates, additives and colorings are avoided.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lucas, B. 1981. Diet and Hyperactivity IN
"Nutrition in Infancy and Childhood." Pipes, P.L., ed. The C.V. Mosby Co., St.
Louis. 303 pp.
Howe, P.S., 1981. Basic Nutrition in
Health and Disease, 7th ed., W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia.
Luke, B., 1984. Principles of Nutrition
and Diet Therapy. Little, Brown, and Co., Boston. 816 pp.
Robinson, C.H., and Lawler, M.R., 1982.
Normal and Therapeutic Nutrition. 16th ed., MacMillan Publishing Company, Inc.,
New York. 849 pp.
Kreutner, Patricia A. 1980. "Nutrition In
Perspective." Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs. 665 pp.
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