Chapter 2
The Pursuit of
a Healthy Diet
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Ask Yourself:
True or False?
1. It is wise to eat the same foods every day.
2. Milk is such a perfect food that it alone can
provide all the nutrients a person needs.
3. Cookies cannot be included in a healthful
diet.
4. When it comes to nutrients, more is always
better.
5. A person’s energy needs are based on his or
her age, gender, and physical activity levels.
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True or False?
6. From a nutritional standpoint, there is nothing
wrong with grazing on snacks all day, provided the
snacks meet nutrient needs without supplying too
many calories.
7. If you don’t meet your recommended intake for a
nutrient every day, you will end up with a
deficiency of that nutrient.
8. If a food label claims that a product is low fat, you
can believe it.
9. Most dietitians encourage people to think of their
diets in terms of the four basic food groups.
10. According to the government, people should try to
eat at least two cups of fruit and two and a half cups
of vegetables—totaling nine servings—a day.
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The ABCs of Eating for Health
• Adequacy: characterizes a diet that
provides all of the essential nutrients,
fiber, and energy (calories) in amounts
sufficient to maintain health.
• Balance: a feature of a diet that
provides a number of types of foods in
balance with one another, such that
foods rich in one nutrient do not crowd
out of the diet foods that are rich in
another nutrient.
• Calorie control: control of
consumption of energy (calories); a
feature of a sound diet plan.
• Moderation: the attribute of a diet
that provides no unwanted constituent
in excess.
• Variety: a feature of a diet in which
different foods are used for the same
purposes on different occasions—the
opposite of monotony.
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The ABCs of Eating for Health
• Nutrient dense: refers to a food that
supplies large amounts of nutrients
relative to the number of calories it
contains.
• The higher the level of nutrients and
the fewer the number of calories, the
more nutrient dense the food is.
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The ABCs of Eating for Health
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Nutrient Recommendations
• Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI): a set of reference
values for energy and nutrients that can be used for
planning and assessing diets for healthy people.
 Established by a committee of nutrition experts selected
by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
 Based on latest scientific evidence regarding diet and
health
 The first set was called the Recommended Dietary
Allowances (RDA); first published in 1941; revised ten
times
 DRI reports have been published since 1997
 Aim to prevent nutrient deficiencies as well as reduce risk
of chronic disease
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The DRI Reports
• Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, magnesium, and
fluoride, 1997
• Folate, vitamin B12, other B vitamins, and choline, 1998
• Vitamins C and E, selenium, and carotenoids, 2000
• Vitamins A and K and trace minerals, 2002
• Energy, macronutrients, and physical activity, 2002
• Water, potassium, sodium, chloride and sulfate, 2004
• Other food components (for instance, phytochemicals—
the nonnutrient compounds found in plant-derived foods
like garlic and soy)
• Alcohol
 DRI tables are located inside the cover of the textbook
 Full text reports are available at www.nap.edu
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Nutrient Recommendations
• Estimated Average
Requirements (EAR)
• Recommended Dietary
Allowances (RDA)
• Adequate Intakes (AI)
• Tolerable Upper Intake
Levels (UL)
• Estimated Energy
Requirements (EER)
• Acceptable
Macronutrient
Distribution Ranges
(AMDR)
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Nutrient Recommendations
• Requirement: the minimum amount of
a nutrient that will prevent the
development of deficiency symptoms.
 Requirements differ from the RDA and AI,
which include a substantial margin of safety
to cover the requirements of different
individuals.
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The Correct View of the DRI
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Requirements Vary from Person
to Person
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DRI Terms
• Estimated average requirement (EAR):
the amount of a nutrient that is estimated to
meet the requirement for the nutrient in half
of the people of a specific age and gender.
 The EAR is used in setting the RDA.
• Recommended dietary allowance (RDA):
the average daily amount of a nutrient that is
sufficient to meet the nutrient needs of nearly
all (97%–98%) healthy individuals of a
specific age and gender.
• Adequate intake (AI): the average amount
of a nutrient that appears to be adequate for
individuals when there is not sufficient
scientific research to calculate an RDA.
 The AI exceeds the EAR and possibly the RDA.
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DRI Terms
• Tolerable upper intake level (UL): the
maximum amount of a nutrient that is unlikely
to pose any risk of adverse health effects to
most healthy people.
• The UL is not intended to be a recommended
level of intake.
 The need for setting UL is the result of more and
more people using large doses of nutrient
supplements and the increasing availability of
fortified foods.
 UL tables are located inside the cover of the
textbook.
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Nutrient Recommendations
• Fortified foods: foods to which nutrients
have been added, either because they were
not already present or present in insignificant
amounts.




Examples: margarine with added vitamin A,
milk with added vitamin D,
certain brands of orange juice with added calcium,
breakfast cereals with added nutrients and
nonnutrients.
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DRI Terms
• Estimated energy requirement: (EER): the
average calorie intake that is predicted to
maintain energy balance in a healthy adult of
a defined age, gender, weight, height, and
level of physical activity, consistent with good
health.
• Acceptable macronutrient distribution
range (AMDR): a range of intakes for a
particular energy source (carbohydrates, fat,
protein) that is associated with a reduced risk
of chronic disease while providing adequate
intakes of essential nutrients.
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Nutrient Recommendations
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The Challenge of Dietary
Guidelines
• People vary in the amount
of a given nutrient they
need.
• The challenge of the DRI is
to determine the best
amount to recommend for
everybody.
• Lifestyle diseases:
conditions that may be
aggravated by modern
lifestyles that include too
little exercise, poor diets,
and excessive drinking and
smoking. Lifestyle diseases
are also referred to as
diseases of affluence.
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Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• Adequate nutrients
within energy needs
• Weight management
• Physical activity
• Food groups to
encourage
• Fats
• Carbohydrates
• Sodium and
potassium
• Alcoholic beverages
• Food safety
http://www.health.gov
/DietaryGuidelines/
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Adequate Nutrients within
Energy Needs
• Consume a variety of nutrient-dense
foods and beverages within and among
the basic food groups
• Limit the intake of saturated & trans
fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, &
alcohol
• Meet recommended intakes within
energy needs by adopting a balanced
eating pattern, such as the USDA
MyPyramid Food Guidance System
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Weight Management
• To maintain body weight in a
healthy range, balance calories
from foods and beverages with
calories expended
• To prevent gradual weight gain
over time, make small decreases
in food and beverage calories and
increase physical activity
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Physical Activity
• Engage in regular physical activity and reduce
sedentary activities to promote health,
psychological well-being, and a healthy body
weight
• Achieve physical fitness by including
cardiovascular conditioning, stretching
exercises for flexibility, and resistance
exercises or calisthenics for muscle strength
and endurance
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Physical Activity
• Specific recommendations:
 To reduce the risk of chronic disease in adulthood:
30 min of moderate-intensity physical activity on
most days
 Greater health benefits: activity of more vigorous
intensity or longer duration
 To sustain weight loss in adulthood: 60-90 min of
daily moderate-intensity activity
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Food Groups to Encourage
• Consume a sufficient amount of fruits
and vegetables while staying within
energy needs
• Choose a variety of fruits and
vegetables each day
 Include selections from all 5 vegetable
subgroups several times a week
• Consume 3 or more ounce-equivalents
of whole-grain products per day
• Consume 3 cups per day of fat-free or
low-fat milk or equivalent milk products
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Fats
• Consume less than 10% of calories from
saturated fats
• Less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day
• Keep trans fat consumption as low as possible
• Keep total fat intake between 20% & 35% of
calories
• Choose from mostly polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fat sources
• When selecting and preparing meat, poultry,
dry beans, and milk or milk products, make
choices that are lean, low fat, or fat free
• Limit intake of fats and oils high in saturated
and/or trans fatty acids, and choose products
low in such fats and oils
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Carbohydrates
• Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains often
• Choose and prepare foods and
beverages with little added sugars
• Reduce the incidence of dental caries by
practicing good oral hygiene and
consuming sugar- and starch-containing
foods and beverages less frequently
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Sodium and Potassium
• Choose and prepare foods with
little salt (less than 2,300 mg of
sodium per day, or approx. 1
teaspoon of salt)
• At the same time, consume
potassium-rich foods, such as
fruits and vegetables
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Alcoholic Beverages
• Those who choose to drink should do so
sensibly and in moderation
 Moderation = 1 drink/day for women or 2 drinks/day
for men
• Some individuals should not consume alcoholic
beverages
• Should avoid alcoholic beverages when
engaging in activities that require attention,
skill, or coordination
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Food Safety
• To avoid microbial foodborne illness:
 Clean hands, food contact surfaces, and
fruits and vegetables
 Meat and poultry should not be washed or
rinsed
 Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat
foods
 Cook foods to a safe internal temp.
 Chill perishable food promptly
 Defrost foods properly
 Avoid unpasteurized milk, milk products,
and juices
 Avoid raw or undercooked eggs, meat,
poultry and sprouts
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Nutrition Action
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Tools Used in Diet Planning
• MyPyramid Food
Guidance System:
 Provides food-based
guidance to help
implement the
recommendations of
the Dietary Guidelines
for Americans.
 Provides a visual aid
to assist in improving
diet and lifestyle.
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Tools Used in Diet Planning
• MyPyramid is designed to help you:
 Make smart choices from every food group
 Find balance between food and physical activity
 Focus on nutrient-rich foods in sensible portion sizes
• Food Group Plans separate foods into specific
groups and then specify the number of servings from
each group to eat each day
 Serving - the standard amount of food used as a
reference to give advice regarding how much to eat
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MyPyramid Key Components
• Activity
• Moderation
 Regular physical
activity and
reduced sedentary
activities
• Variety
 Eat foods from all
groups and
subgroups
• Proportionality
 Identifies
proportions of foods
that should make a
healthful diet
 Consume less of solid
fats and added sugars
 Consume more of
nutrient-rich foods
• Personalization
 One size does not fit all
 Customize your plan at
www.MyPyramid.gov
• Gradual improvement
 Take small steps to
improve diet and lifestyle
everyday
 Visit www.smallstep.gov
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Using The Power
of the Pyramid
• Step 1: Estimate
your daily energy
needs
• Step 2: Build your
daily eating plan
• Step 3: Let the
pyramid guide
your food choices
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Step 1: Estimating Daily Energy
Needs
• Access www.MyPyramid.gov
• Enter age, gender and usual physical activity
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Step 2: Build Your Daily Eating Plan
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Step 3: Let
the Pyramid
Guide Your
Food
Choices
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Gaining Calorie Control
• Discretionary Calorie Allowance - the
balance of calories remaining in a person’s
energy allowance after accounting for the
number of calories needed to meet
recommended nutrient intakes through
consumption of nutrient-dense foods in low-fat
or no-added sugar forms
 Typically amounts to between 100 and 300 calories
 May be totally used by selecting foods higher in
calories (example: higher-fat meat, higher-fat dairy
products, sweetened bakery products)
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Discretionary Calorie Allowance
• Calories assigned can be used to:
 Increase intake of basic food groups
 Select foods that are higher in fat or contain “added
sugar”
• “added sugar” includes sugar or caloric sweeteners
added during processing or preparation
 Add oils, “solid fats” or sugars to food or beverages
• “solid fats” include fats that are solid at room
temperature such as butter, lard or shortening
 Consume alcohol
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Rules of Thumb for
Portion Sizes
One fist clenched = 8 fl oz
Palm of hand = 3 oz
Two hands, cupped = 1 cup
One hand, cupped = 1/2 c
Two thumbs together = 1 tbsp
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Color Your Plate
• Color your plate with
health-protective foods
 At least 3 differently colored
fruits/ vegetables per day
• Be adventurous: select
from as wide a variety of
fruits and vegetables as
possible
• Make it easy on yourself!
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Food Labels
• Congress passed the Nutrition Labeling and Education
Act in 1990.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforces the
law for foods sold in the United States.
• The law ensures that food companies provide nutrition
information in a standard format.
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Food Labels
• By law, all labels must contain:
 Ingredients list: a listing of the ingredients in a food,
with items listed in descending order of predominance
by weight.
• All food labels are required to bear an ingredients list.
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Food Labels
By law, all labels
must contain:
 Nutrition Facts
panel: a detailed
breakdown of the
nutritional
content of a
serving of a food
that must appear
on virtually all
packaged foods
sold in the United
States.
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Food Labels
• Daily Values: the amount of fat,
sodium, fiber, and other nutrients
health experts say should make up
a healthful diet.
The % Daily Values that appear on
food labels tell you the percentage of
a nutrient that a serving of the food
contributes to a healthful diet.
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Food Labels
• Nutrient content
claims: claims such as
“low-fat” and “lowcalorie” used on food
labels to help consumers
who don’t want to
scrutinize the Nutrition
Facts panel get an idea
of a food’s nutritional
profile.
 These claims must adhere
to specific definitions set
forth by the Food and Drug
Administration.
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Food Labels
• Health claim: a
statement on the food
label linking the
nutritional profile of a
food to a reduced risk of
a particular disease, such
as osteoporosis or
cancer.
 Manufacturers must
adhere to strict
government guidelines
when making such
claims.
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Other Tools Used in Diet
Planning
• Exchange lists: lists of categories of foods with portion
sizes specified in a way that allows foods to be mixed
and matched or exchanged for one another in the diet
 Portion sizes are categorized according to the calorie,
protein and fat content of the foods
 Useful for people who follow calorie-controlled diets
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Other Tools Used in Diet
Planning
• Food composition tables: tables that list the
exact number of calories, grams of fat,
milligrams of sodium and other nutrients
commonly found in foods
 Appendix E provides an extensive food composition
table
 Many versions of software are available containing
food composition databases that calculate and
analyze diets and recipes
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A Tapestry
• American eating habits
have become as diverse
as the ethnic and cultural
groups that make up
America’s people
• Examine the ethnic and
regional pyramids to see
how they fit into a
healthful eating plan
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Mexican American Foods and
MyPyramid
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A Chinese American MyPyramid
Food Guide
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Mediterranean
Food Pyramid
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Fitting Indian Foods Into the
MyPyramid Food Guide
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Traditional African American
Foods and the MyPyramid Food
Guide
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Fitting Jewish American Foods
into the MyPyramid Food Guide
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