Nutrition Guidelines

Applying the Science of Nutrition

Goals for a Healthy Diet Adequacy

Sufficient energy and building blocks Adequate nutrients

Balance Enough but not too much Nourishment and satisfaction

kCalorie (energy) control Energy in = energy out Nutrient density vs. energy density

Goals for a Healthy Diet Nutrient density

The most nutrients for the fewest calories

Moderation Food selections – low in added sugars

& unhealthy fats Variety

Among and within food groups Benefits of a varied diet

Nutritional Guidelines: The DRIs

Dietary Reference Intakes Set of guidelines to promote

– Dietary adequacy– Optimal health– Chronic disease prevention

Differ based on life-stage and gender Not necessarily amount to be consumed

every day but should be consumed on most days, as an average intake

2 sets: 1 for nutrients, 1 for energy

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Nutrient Intake EAR: meets needs of 50% of people in

same gender and life stage group RDA: meets needs of 97-98% of people

in same gender and life stage group AI: estimate of needs (not enough

evidence for an RDA) UL: maximum intake that poses little risk

to health

EAR, RDA, & UL

How to think about the DRIs

DRIs for Energy Intake

EER: Estimated Energy Requirement– Number of daily kilocalories (kcal)

recommended to individuals for stable weight

AMDRs: Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges– Percentages of protein, fat, and

carbohydrates recommended daily

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDRs)

Proportions in the diet believed to reduce risk of chronic diseases

Diet Planning Guides

Why might someone use one of these?

USDA’s MyPlate Harvard’s Healthy

Eating Plate Exchange lists

USDA Basic 4 Food Groups:

1956-1979

• Recommends a minimum of servings from each food group

• Focus on getting enough nutrients

USDA Food Guide

Pyramid: 1992

2005: MyPyramid kept pyramid concept, but changed shape and arrangement of groups. What else changed?

USDA MyPlate:

2011

Goodbye Pyramid: USDA’s latest food guide

Harvard’s response to USDA’s MyPlate. What changes did Harvard make?

Food Labels

Food Values Food labels list amounts of certain macro-

and micronutrients. These nutrients are expressed as Daily

Value. Daily Value is the amount of a nutrient in

a food shown as a percentage of the recommendation for a person consuming a 2000 kcalorie diet.

Mystery Food: Water, hydrogenated vegetable oil (including coconut and palm oils), high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, skim milk, light cream, and less than 2% sodium caseinate (a milk derivative), natural and artificial flavor, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate, and beta carotene

List of Ingredients

Nutrition Assessment Deficiency or excess over time leads to

malnutrition Symptoms of malnutrition

Diarrhea Skin rashes Fatigue Many more

Caution: not all of these symptoms are nutritionally related!

Assessment Tools Creating a “total picture” of the

individual Historical information

Health status, SES, substance use Diet history – intake over one or more

days; portion sizes; includes beverages Anthropometric measurements

Height and weight – track to identify trends

Physical examinations Laboratory tests

Taking a Diet History

• 24-hour recall• Typical day• Multi-day food log• FFQ