diète

Diète is a French noun that primarily denotes a prescribed pattern of eating and drinking intended to influence health, weight, or medical treatment. In everyday usage it often refers to a diet for weight management or a diet adapted to a health condition. The term can also denote a period of fasting or abstinence.

Etymology: the word derives from Latin dieta and Old French diete. In medical contexts, diète denotes a planned sequence of foods and beverages designed to meet nutrition goals while limiting certain nutrients or allergens.

Common uses include diète équilibrée (a balanced diet), diète pauvre en sel (low-sodium diet), diète sans lactose (lactose-free diet), diète hypocalorique (low-calorie diet), and diète liquide (liquid diet). Therapeutic diètes are prescribed by physicians or dietitians to manage conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, or food intolerances, and may focus on calories, protein, fat, or carbohydrate content. Diets are often individualized based on age, sex, activity level, and medical goals, and may range from general healthy eating guidelines to strict medical regimens.

In historical and political contexts, the term diète also appears as a translation for the “Diet”—a formal assembly of rulers or representatives in certain medieval and early modern states.