Nutrition Guidelines: Tools for a Healthful Diet

Chapter 2

Nutrition Guidelines

• Who are “they”?• Advertisement• News Head lines• Federal Government

– A healthy population is a more productive population– Nutrition policyUnder nutrition

Over nutrition

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Linking Nutrients, Foods, and Health

• Continuum of nutritional status• Point of continuum• What we eat affects our health

– Over nutrition• Chronic consumption of more than is

necessary for good health• Linked to leading causes of deaths in

the United States

Heart Disease:

Cancer:

Stroke:

Diabetes:

Under Nutrition:

• Some foods are being consumed

• Not nutritionally adequate

• Nutritional deficiency diseases

• Malnutrition

• Rare in the United States

Scurvy: Vitamin C deficiency

Pellegra: Vitamin B Niacin deficiency

Osteoporosis: Calcium deficiency

Linking Nutrients, Foods, and Health

• Choosing a healthful diet– Moderation

• Not taking anything to extremes– Variety

• Include a lot of different foods in your diet

– Balance• Choose a variety of foods and eat a

moderate amount

Dietary guidelines:

• Improve over all health

• Many countries have developed their own food guidelines

• Help with food choices

• Healthy population is more productive and less strain on health care resources

Dietary Guidelines

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2005)

• First released in 1980– Science-based advice– Promote health; reduce chronic disease risk– Recommendations encourage Americans to eat

fewer calories, be more active, and make wiser food choices

Dietary Guidelines

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans– Adequate nutrients within calorie needs

• Consume a variety of foods• Eat a balanced diet

– Weight management• Maintain weight• Prevent gradual weight gain over time

Dietary Guidelines

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans– Physical activity

• Engage in regular physical activity• Achieve physical fitness

– Food groups to encourage• Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat

milk

Dietary Guidelines

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans– Fats

• Limit total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol

– Carbohydrates• Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and

whole grains• Limit added sugars• Consume sugar- and starch-containing

foods and beverages less frequently

Dietary Guidelines

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans– Sodium and potassium

• Consume less than or equal to 1 teaspoon of salt/day

– Alcoholic beverages• If used, do so sensibly and in moderation

Dietary Guidelines

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans– Food safety

• Clean• Separate• Cook• Chill• Avoid raw milk and raw milk products

Barriers to the Dietary guidelines

• Developed mainly for policy makers

• Health Care Providers

• Nutritionists

• Nutrition Educators

Dietary Guidelines

• Using the Dietary Guidelines for Americans– Does not identify food to consume or to

avoid– Gives advice about the overall

consumption of one’s diet

Dietary Guidelines

• Canada’s Guidelines for Healthy Eating– Set of positive, action-oriented messages

for healthy Canadians

• Canada’s Physical Activity Guide– Build 30–60 minutes of moderate physical

activity/day for adults– Build 90 minutes of activity/day for children

Food Groups and Food Guides

• History of food guides first published in 1916– Basic Four (1950’s to 1970’s)– USDA Food Guide Pyramid (1992)

© Photos.com

Food Guide Pyramid

MyPyramid (2005)

Source: USDA

MyPyramid

• Basic concepts – Variety– Moderation– Proportionality– Physical activity– Gradual improvement– Personalization

• MyPyramid.gov Web site

Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

• Based on dietary reference intakes (DRIs)• Diversity of food available

in Canada• Incorporates recommended

eating pattern and associated dietary guidance

From Eating Well With Canada’s Food Guide, Health Canada, 2007. © Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Public Works and

Governmental Services Canada, 2009.

Using MyPyramid or Canada’s Food Guide in Diet Planning (page 46)

• Types of food

• Number of recommended servings

• Approximate serving size

Exchange Lists

• Help people with diabetes plan meals• Foods grouped by macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein

and fat) content– Starches– Fruits– Milks– Other carbohydrates– Vegetables– Meats and meat substitutes– Fats– See Appendix B

Recommendations for Nutrient Intake: The Dietary Reference Intake

(DRIs)

• Understanding dietary standards– Recommendations for nutrient intake– Developed by the Food and Nutrition

Board (Canada RNI and US RDA)– Apply to healthy people in the United

States and Canada– Four basic elements

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

• Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)– Amount that meets the

nutrient requirements of 50% of people in a life-stage and gender group

– Based on functional indicator of optimal health

Dietary Reference Intakes

• Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)– Amount that meets

the needs of most people in a life stage and gender group

Contd:

• RDA is based on the EAR

• General population can use RDA as a target goal of dietary intake

• Remember this is a general target and not individualized

Dietary Reference Intakes

• Adequate Intake (AI)– Amount thought to be

adequate for most people– AI is used when EAR and

RDA can’t be determined

• Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)– Intake above the UL can be

harmful

Dietary Reference Intakes

• Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)– Energy intake needed for energy balance– Determined by using weight, height, age,

and physical activity

• Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR)– Recommended balance of energy sources

Dietary Reference Intakes

• Use of dietary standards– Population groups (military, WIC, school)

• Assess adequacy of intake• Plan diets• Set policy and guidelines

– Individuals• Use RDA and AI as target levels for

intake• Avoid intake greater than the UL

Food Labels

• Food and drug Administration (FDA)• 1990 Nutrition labeling and education ACT

(NLEA)• Mandatory information on food labels

– Statement of identity• “Appropriately descriptive term”

– Net contents of the package– Name and address of manufacturer, packer, and

distributor

Food Labels

• Mandatory information on food labels – List of ingredients

• Listed by common or usual name• Listed in descending order by weight

– Nutrition information• Nutrition Fact panel (most important

information)

Food Labels

• Nutrition Facts panel – Standard format

Food Labels

• Daily Values– Compare amount in one serving to amount

recommended for daily consumption– Based on recommended amounts of 2,000

calorie diet

• Nutrient content claims– Descriptive terms (e.g., low fat, high fiber)– Defined by FDA

Food Labels

• Health claims– Link one or more dietary components to

reduced risk of disease– Must be supported by scientific evidence– Approved by FDA

• Structure/function claims– Describe potential effects on body

structure or function

Food Labels

• Using labels to make healthful food choices– Can compare

products

Good night!