In general terms, diet refers to the types of food that a person, community, or region typically eats. For example, the Nordic diet typically emphasizes locally-available ingredients such as whole grains, root vegetables, berries, fresh fish and seaweed, with red meat only on rare occasions. A vegetarian diet avoids any kind of meat, while a vegan diet also avoids dairy products, and these plant based diets may be followed for ethical or environmental reasons. Learning about the typical diet and gastronomy of a region or groups of people can be an important - and delicious - way to learn about their culture.
Diet can also refer to a particular plan for food and eating that an individual adheres to in order to achieve health goals such as weight loss, athletic performance, or the management of conditions such as high cholesterol or blood pressure. Many public health problems stem from poor diet and nutrition, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. As a result, helping people understand how diet can be an important part of personal and public health practices is playing an increasingly prominent role in healthcare.