The Taco Diet
Elizabeth Vidoli
Taco Diet via E! News article {Summary}
Author: Jenna Mullins | Source: eonline.com | Publication Date: January 5th, 2016
The article that I found came from E! News. Essentially, this is a diet in which you eat tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, for 30 days. The catch, that makes it "healthy", is that the tacos are vegan. To get access to this diet, and recipes, you have to purchase the book. The cookbook gives recipes on how to make your own tortillas, and a variety of options for fillings. It also gives healthy spins on drinks, such as margaritas. The book claims to contain over 75 vegan recipes, and promises to "detox your dreams and redefine your dinner" (The Taco Cleanse), and is written by 4 women who call themselves Vegan Taco Scientists. The author of the article concludes that the diet is something she can definitely get behind. She also states that she believes the promises of the book and diet, and that this is something people will want to try if you’re sick of depriving diets.
Quote from the Book
Article Critique
Secondly, the four authors of the book call themselves Vegan Taco Scientists. They have no medical or nutritional background. They simply tried eating tacos for 30 days, and found that they had results. There is no one backing this saying it is healthy, or nutritional to try this diet.
Finally, This diet misses many main vitamins/foods that would make it unhealthy. While there are many different recipes, eating tacos every meal for 30 days straight can put you at risk for deficiencies. Vegan diets typically lack vitamin A, B12, vitamin D, and protein. They are at a higher risk of being anemic. If someone wanted to try this diet, it would be important for them to supplement nutrients that they would miss from their diet. It is unclear if this book talks about supplementing.
Overall, the article came from an E! News writer, with no nutritional or medical background. E! News is not backed with a medical background either. There is no research, other than the authors of the cookbook's personal trials. The cookbook's authors have no medical or nutritional background, either. The E! News article is misleading, and positive, even though they never tried it personally. There are essentially no credentials, or evidence based facts to this diet, or article. To find more information that is valid, I would recommend looking through medical/professional journals, government/health websites, or university/academic websites. I could agree with purchasing the cookbook to use for some taco recipes here and there. I can't agree with eating them for every meal, 30 days in a row.