The Natural Gourmet Institute was founded on the principle that what we eat significantly affects our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Each individual reacts differently to food and so will thrive on a unique diet. Consequently, there is no one perfect food or dietary regimen that works for everyone. With these principles in mind, The Natural Gourmet has created a framework for healthy food selection based on specific criteria for high quality ingredients, concepts of eastern/western nutrition and a variety of dietary paradigms. To accomplish this goal, we look to the whole food traditions of our healthy ancestors as well as to modern scientific studies. Our approach empowers people to tailor their eating style to support their individual health needs Our focus is health-supportive, whole-foods cuisine, with an emphasis on traditional unrefined ingredients. It is mostly plant-based, but good quality products of animal origin have a place in it as well The following foods are used in our classes: * fruits and vegetables* * organic whole grains * organic poultry * organic legumes * organic eggs * organic soy foods * organic sea vegetables * organic natural sweeteners * nuts and seeds* * seafood *organic when possible We also offer delicious, vegetarian Friday Night Dinners prepared by our student chefs and a bookstore with many hard-to-find, excellent books on food and health.