Guidelines for
Healthful Eating
LSM Nutrition Lesson 5 & 6
Instant Activity
 Make a word web of healthful eating
habits. Write “Healthful Eating” in the
middle of a sheet of paper. Then, around
the edges of the paper, add phrases such
as “Eat five fruits and vegetab;es a day”
– one phrase for each of the major food
groups. Connect these to the center
phrase.
Dietary Guidelines
 Are a set of recommendations for
healthful eating and active living .
 The recommendations are grouped in
three broad areas.
 ABC’s of good health – will help you stay
balanced and away from disease
A: Aim for Fitness
 Aim for a healthy weight: A healthcare
professional can help you determine a healthy
weight for your age height and body.
 Be physically active each day: Daily activity
benefits your overall health and can improve
fitness.
 At least 60 minutes of moderate activity will
help to maintain fitness.
B: Build a Healthy Base
 The base of this food plan is the Food
Guide Pyramid
 Make food Choices carefully – eat the
recommended number of daily servings
 Choose a variety of grains- especially
whole grains
 Keep food Safe to eat – When in doubt,
toss it out!
Maintaining a Healthy
Weight
 Here’s one way to get a rough idea of our daily
calorie needs.
 If you are extremely inactive- you need about 12
calories per pound to stay at your current weight.
 If you are involved in light activity, such as doing
homework or household tasks, you need about 15
calories per pound to maintain weight.
 If you are moderately active, such as brisk walking,
cycling – you need about 20 calories per pound
 Example: If you are a moderately active person
weighing 140 lbs, your needs are 140 x 20 or 2,800
calories a day
Food Guide Pyramid
 Useful tool to making good selections
 Represents a clear, useful depiction of current
recommendations for healthful eating.
 Following these recommendations offers
important health benefits to people of all ages.
Including:
 Increased energy and improved physical and mental
performance
 Achievement of a healthful body weight
 Protection against five of the ten leading causes of
death, including stroke, cancers, diabetes and
atherosclerosis.
On the Go Food Choices
 Skipping a meal may seem easy, but its
hard on your growing body. To get the
balanced nutrition you need, plan ahead.
 Make a list of at least five healthy food
choices you can eat “on the run” or
carry in your backpack.
 Think about food rich in nutrients and low
in saturated fats and cholesterol.
Moderate Fats
 While some dietary fat is good for health, most
Americans eat too many fats.
 The guidelines present no more than 30% of
daily calories come from fats.
 Most Americans consume a diet that averages
a significantly higher percentage.
 Eating less fat, especially unsaturated lowers
your chance of cardiovascular disease.
Moderation in Sugar
 You might think you don’t eat much added
sugar, but sugars are hidden everywhere!
 You an moderate sugar intake by :
 Learning to identify added sugars by their names (
corn syrup, HFCS, honey, molasses – anything with
an – ose ending!)
 Balancing foods
 Limiting the intake or replacing regular fruit juice
with 100% fruit juice – or cutting the contents in half
with water
 Choosing fresh fruits of canned fruit in water instead
of syrups.
Moderation in Salt
 Sodium is an essential mineral
 Helps transport nutrients intro your cells
and helps move wastes out.
 Helps maintain normal blood pressure
and nerve function.
 Most Americans ingest too much from
processed foods
Moderation in Salt
 Consuming less salt prevents high blood
pressure and may also benefit your skeletal
system by decreasing the loss of calcium from
bones
 Try this to moderate:
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Read food labels
Season foods with herbs and spices
At restaurants – ask for foods without salt
Taste foods before you salt them
Choose fruits and veggies often
Evaluating
 For lunch, Josh had a cheeseburger, fries
and a non diet soda. What could he
choose for his afternoon snack and
dinner to balance out his high fat, high
sugar high salt meal?
Social Studies
 Choose a country and research their eating
patterns
 You can interview a foreign student
 Learn and find answers to questions such as:
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How many meals are eaten each day?
What are some typical meals?
Are foods high or low in fat, sugar, and salt?
Are snacks an important part of the eating plan?
What percentage of meals are eaten at home?
Are fast foods popular?
 Imagine you are from that country
 Write a letter describing your typical diet,
favorite foods…etc.
 Check work for spelling and grammar
Real Life Applications
 Smart Snacking
 In small groups, create a poster that
encourages teens to adopt healthful eating
habits.
 Use labels, pictures from magazines, computer
graphics or your own illustrations.
 In a paragraph, explain your picture and why it
represents personal wellness.
Assessment
 Your work should provide evidence of the
following:
 Identification of healthful snacks low in fat
and sugar
 Explanation of how the information on labels
can help you choose nutritious snacks and
meals