A vegetarian food mixture when incorporated into a commercially prepared diet can be used as a supplement or in a vegetarian protein-sparing modified fast. A modification of this diet was given to protein-energy deficient malnourished children in Ethiopia, and it reversed their biochemical defects. The soluble or gel-forming fiber in the mixture also gives the product a favorable glycemic index and reduces glycemic excursion as well as fasting blood glucose and insulin levels. This accounts for the improvements seen in glucose tolerance in type II diabetic patients. These results, however, were preceded by a study of the effects of the mixture in improving glucose tolerance in diabetic rats. A clinical study among New Orleans police officers also suggests that this mixture helps people, without much self-motivation, to lose weight.