The blood type diet is based on avoiding foods that have an adverse impact and embracing those that are beneficial. When choosing recipes for type A, it becomes essential to select those with ingredients consistent with these considerations. Based on the work by Dr. Peter D'Adamo called "Eat Right 4 Your Type," the blood type diet focuses more on overall health than weight loss or portion control. According to D'Adamo, type A evolved during the transition from hunter/gatherer to primarily agrarian societies. The ideal type A diet, therefore, is vegetarian and based on utilizing nutrients in carbohydrate-rich foods.
Ingredients to Embrace
Vegetables are essential to the type A diet. With the exception of a few that can irritate the type A stomach (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cabbage, tomatoes and peppers), a wide variety of vegetables can be consumed. Garlic, onions, broccoli, carrots, collard greens, kale, pumpkin and spinach are essentially beneficial for the type A immune system, while artichoke, dandelion greens, Swiss chard, sprouts, tempeh and tofu provide essential nutrition. While type A should avoid meat, some seafood is beneficial. Other good sources of protein include black beans, pinto beans and peanuts. Berries, cherries and pineapples are beneficial fruits.
Ingredients to Avoid
Type A should eschew most animal-derived foods. At the top of this list is dairy products like cheese and milk, which are not well digested by type A. Meat should be avoided, though turkey and chicken are at least neutral. Of the legumes, the relatively few type A should avoid are Brazil nuts, cashews, pistachios and pinto, garbanzo and navy beans. Type A thrives on most grains but should favor whole, natural grains over processed foods like flour, pasta and bread. Bananas, coconuts and melons are foods that are more difficult for type A to digest.
Spices
When flavoring foods, type A is best served with garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Blackstrap molasses is a good sweetener that provides essential iron from a vegetarian source. Most processed condiments like mayonnaise and ketchup should be avoided because of indigestibility as should pepper, vinegar and pickled vegetables.