Best of the Web

  • This interactive website allows users to easily calculate their body mass index. This website is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Basic healthy-eating principles from the Mayo Clinic make it easy to know which foods to emphasize in your diet and which to limit
  • What do terms such as "net carb", "total carb", "carb wise", and "carb fit" mean? A Mayo Clinic expert answers common questions about carbs and low-carb diets.
  • "This fact sheet can help you make an informed decision about joining a program."
  • A chart comparing the basic elements of popular weight-loss diets, their premises and what critics are saying about each. Plus, a sample dinner from each plan.
  • This website, provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, offers information on foodborne illness, safe food preparation, eating safely away from home, storing food properly, and what those food labels really mean.
  • Use this interactive website, created by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, to create a heart healthy diet plan.
  • From the Mayo Clinic, this interactive tool calculates the number of calories you need each day to maintain your weight.
  • Once only used in reference to diets for diabetes, now many popular diets have incorporated this concept into their meal plans. This article explains what the GI is as well as its limitations.
  • Confused about what are healthy fats and what are the harmful fats? Look into this website, by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, for answers to your fat related questions.
  • This website provides an easily accessible, A-Z list of dietary supplement fact sheets. Information provided by the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.
  • General information on dietary supplements is provided by the FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition.
  • Blood pressure can be lowered by following the DASH Eating Plan and reducing the amount of sodium you eat. This fact sheet tells about high blood pressure and how to follow this diet.
  • The World Health Organization provides information on a wide variety of food safety issues along the entire food production chain, including public health hazards in food, standards for food safety.
  • Authoritative information from the United States agency responsible for the safety and security of our food supply.
  • The Iowa State University Extension has created the Food Safety Project, whose goal is to provide the public with the information they need to minimize their risk of foodborne illness.
  • The International Food Information Council Foundation provides a brief definition and examples of functional foods.

  • A critical look at the new Food Pyramid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Presents the USDA model as well as the "Healthy Eating Pyramid" created by Walter C. Willett, MD, of the Harvard School of Public Health.

  • This consumer website provides home food safety statistics, information about foodborne illness, and tips on safe food handlng. The American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods Foundation have joined together to produce this website for consumers.
  • Use this website to learn how to use the information found on a nutrition facts label more effectively and easily.This website, provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, presents an overview of the nutrition facts label.
  • This website contains heart healthy recipes, provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Please note that the recipes are available for downloading and viewing in PDF format only.
  • The basics of how to buy safe food and keep it safe at home.
  • Guidelines from the Food Safety and Inspection Service on how to determine if the perishable foods delivered to your home have been handled properly.
  • Information on mediterranean-style diets from the American Heart Association.
  • An online dietary assessment tool that provides information on your diet quality, related nutrition messages and links to nutrient information. Developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
  • If you think you or others became ill from eating the same food, please report this outbreak to your local (city or county) health department via this webpage from the Centers for Disease Control.
  • This website contains a wide range of food safety fact sheets to help you answer such questions as, "does a change in color of meat indicate spoilage? If my milk has a sell by Feb. 14th date stamp, does that mean I can't drink it on Feb. 15th? Does freezer burn make my food unsafe?" Just about any question you might have about safe food handling can be answered through these brief fact sheets, compiled by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.
  • Advice from the Food Safety and Inspection Service on the safe handling of take-Out and delivered foods.
  • This slide show from the Mayo Clinic takes a look at the recommended serving sizes and allows the user to see how the sizes of your food portions measure up.
  • The Fast Food Nutrition Fact Explorer database contains the nutritional data of 12 of the world's most popular fast food restaurant chains.
  • From the Harvard School of Public Health, this article provides tips on how to decipher and evaluate media stories on diet.
  • Use this interactive nutrition database to obtain a food label on various supermarket products.
  • "Find out what you need to know about a plant-based diet and how you can meet your daily nutritional needs."
  • This site, maintained by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, will help you understand how to choose and use dietary supplements.
  • This site contains an A to Z glossary of vitamins and minerals. Medical content on the site has been reviewed by the faculty of the Harvard Medical School.
  • Check out this website to learn about water's vital role in maintaining health.
  • From the United States Environmental Protection Agency, recommendations for selecting and eating fish or shellfish and reducing exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.