Which dietary pattern would most increase typical manganese intake toward the RDA range of 1.8–2.3 mg/day?

• A. Daily consumption of whole grains (e.g., oatmeal), nuts, legumes, and mollusks combined, because these foods are relatively rich in manganese and would raise intake into the RDA range.
• B. A strictly peeled-fruit and refined-white-rice diet with minimal whole grains or nuts, since peeling fruit concentrates manganese in the edible portions more than whole grains do.
• C. Adopting a diet solely of processed snack foods and sodas which are universally high in manganese by food processing, making manganese deficiency impossible in industrialized food patterns.
• D. Consuming only dairy and lean poultry each day, because milk and chicken are the richest sources of manganese and will typically exceed the RDA alone.

Answer: (A)