The Peres diet

The Presidential Menu

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner (Dairy):

What's the secret to President Shimon Peres' remarkable health at the age of 89? Fat-free cottage in the morning, low fat cheese with a tomato salad at dinner, and a lot of green tea. Looking at Peres' fixed menu, published on Sunday, one could learn a thing or two about a healthy lifestyle — and being content with what you have.

Peres' menu was published as part of the new nutritional sciences degree program at the Peres Academic Center in Rehovot, whose registration opened on Sunday. Peres Academic Center President Professor Ron Shapira, said the center is investing 8 million shekels ($2.14 million) in the new program. Heading the nutritional program is Dr. Sarah Kaplan, the chief nutritionist of Meuhedet, Israel's third largest health provider.

"Right away you can see the [president's] menu is balanced, varied, colorful and well organized throughout the day," Dr. Kaplan said. "It could serve as an example to be studied at nutrition science school of a good, healthy, age and gender appropriate menu, for the continued health of the honorable president." According to Kaplan, Peres' diet is "very close to the Mediterranean diet. It has fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes and dairy products." The doctor noted that the menu is "fat and cholesterol free, he excels at eating well-organized meals and drinking a lot of liquids."

The president's regiment not surprisingly includes a large quantity of vitamin C (found in orange juice, tomatoes and fresh salads), as well as fiber — the president makes sure to eat whole-wheat crackers, vegetables, fruits and granola, which are items rich in fiber and help to reduce cholesterol levels and facilitate digestion. Another important item on the presidential menu is Omega 3, a fatty acid that is found in fish and flax seeds. Omega 3 is known to prevent blood platelets from clumping and from sticking to blood vessels, which causes vascular plaque and which later could lead to heart conditions.

Some have voiced criticism of Peres' menu.

"It is a classic example of a diet plan given by health-care providers for some 30 years," founder of The Eating Language and dietician Ayelet Kalter said. "Food is not only meant to sustain living, it is meant to provide added value like pleasure and happiness. It is beyond me whether, if this indeed is the president's only menu, it contains these important values."