Table 2.

Descriptions of specific common dietary strategies

Specific dietary strategies: (source)	Description
Low‐fat diet (Adapted from //en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Low‐fat_diet, and //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_Approaches_to_Stop_Hypertension):	A low‐fat diet is a diet that consists of little fat, especially saturated fat and cholesterol. A low‐fat diet recommends that less than 20–30% of daily calorie intake come from fat, and <7% from saturated fat. The DASH diet (or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is an example of a low‐fat diet. It recommends high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, moderate intake of beans [legumes], nuts, and low‐fat dairy products, and low intake of red and processed meats and sodium.
Low‐carbohydrate diet (Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atkins_diet):	A low‐carbohydrate diet, for example, the Atkins diet, involves limited consumption of carbohydrates. Carbohydrate intake is limited to less than 20 grams per day, 12 to 15 net grams of which must come in the form of salad greens and other fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, pumpkin, cauliflower, turnips, tomatoes and asparagus (but not beans [legumes], since they are too starchy for the strictest phase). The allowed foods include a liberal amount of all meats, chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish and eggs; up to 4 ounces of cheese such as cheddar cheese; most salad vegetables, other low‐carbohydrate vegetables; and butter, olive oil, and vegetable oils. During the first week, vegetables that are low in carbohydrates are consumed. For example, asparagus, salad, cauliflower or one half of an avocado. The next week, dairy is added. Foods are gradually added as follows: vegetables, cheese, nuts and seeds, berries, legumes, other fruits, starchy vegetables and then whole grains.
Mediterranean diet (Adapted from //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_diet):	The Mediterranean diet was inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of Spain, southern Italy and France, Greece, and parts of the Middle East. In the most commonly understood version of the Mediterranean diet, in addition to ‘regular physical activity’, the diet emphasises ‘abundant plant foods, fresh fruit as the typical daily dessert, olive oil as the principal source of fat, dairy products (principally cheese and yogurt), and fish and poultry consumed in low to moderate amounts, zero to four eggs consumed weekly, and red meat consumed in low amounts’. Total fat in this diet is 25% to 35% of calories, with saturated fat at 8% or less of calories. The principal aspects of this diet include high olive oil consumption, high consumption of beans [legumes], unrefined cereals, fruits, and vegetables, and moderate consumption of dairy products (mostly as cheese and yogurt), moderate to high consumption of fish, and low consumption of meat and meat products. Olive oil is particularly characteristic of the Mediterranean diet.
Traffic‐light/Stoplight diet (Adapted from Epstein/Squires The Stoplight Diet for Children and //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Traffic_light_rating_ system):	Food is labelled to show the proportions of fat, saturated fats, sugar and salt using traffic light colours to signal high (red), medium (yellow) and low (green) percentages for each of these ingredients. Foods with ‘green’ indicators are healthier and to be preferred over those with ‘red’ ones. The goal of the traffic‐light diet is to provide the most nutrition with the least number of calories. Daily calorie intake is limited to a maximum of 1500 calories. The Traffic Light Diet divides foods into five categories: fruits and vegetables, grains, milk and dairy, protein and other. Foods in each category are colour‐coded according to the caloric density per average serving: Green foods are foods containing <20 calories per average serving; yellow foods are staples of the diet that provide most of the nutrition; red foods are high in fat and simple carbohydrates (for example, sweets and sugared drinks). A food reference guide is provided listing foods according to their colour code and group. Participants are strongly encouraged to remove all red foods from their homes and are provided with the following two goals: (1) Stay within the prescribed calorie range; and (2) Eat no more than four red foods a week.

The descriptions of specific common dietary strategies that were verbally administered to participants is provided.