 Nutrition
is the study of food, including
 How food nourishes our bodies
 How food influences our health
 Nutrition
science.
is a relatively new discipline of
Nutrition can prevent disease.




Nutrient deficiency diseases: scurvy,
goiter, rickets;
Diseases influenced by nutrition:
chronic diseases such as heart disease;
Diseases in which nutrition plays a role:
osteoarthritis, osteoporosis.
o
Obesity is a growing
problem.

Good nutrition has become a national goal.
Goals of Healthy People 2010
1.
Increase quality and years of
healthy life
2.
Eliminate health disparities
 Nutrients
are the chemicals in foods that are
critical to human growth and function.
 Nutrients
are essential, i.e. we must eat them
from food because they are not produced in
large enough amounts (or at all) in body for
good health.
 Carbohydrates
 Fats
and Oils
 Proteins
 Vitamins
 Minerals
 Water
 Macronutrients:
nutrients required in
relatively large amounts.


Provide energy to our bodies
Carbohydrates, fats and oils, proteins
 Micronutrients:
nutrients required in
smaller amounts.

Vitamins and minerals
 We
measure energy in kilocalories (kcal).
 Kilocalorie:
amount of energy required to
raise the temperature of 1g of water by
1oC.
 On
food labels, “calorie” actually refers
to kilocalories.
 Primary
source of fuel for the body,
especially for the brain.
 Provide
4 kcal per gram.
 Carbohydrates
are found in grains (wheat,
rice), vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
 Fats
and oils are composed of lipids,
molecules that are insoluble in water.
 Provide
9 kcal per gram.
 An
important energy source during rest or
low intensity exercise.
 Found
in butter, margarine, vegetable oils,
animal fat.
 Proteins
are chains of amino acids.
 Proteins
can supply 4 kcal of energy per
gram, but are not a primary energy
source.
 Proteins
nitrogen
are an important source of
 Proteins
are important for
 Building cells and tissues
 Maintaining bones
 Repairing damage
 Regulating metabolism
 Protein
sources include meats, dairy products,
seeds, nuts, and legumes.

Vitamins: organic molecules that assist in
regulating body processes.

Vitamins are micronutrients that do not
supply energy to our bodies.
1.
2.
Fat-soluble vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins
 Fat-soluble


vitamins:
Vitamins A, D, E and K
Dissolve easily in fats and oils
 Fat-soluble
body.
vitamins can be stored in the
 Water-soluble


vitamins:
Vitamin C and the B vitamins
Remain dissolved in water
 Excess
water-soluble vitamins are eliminated
by the kidneys and cannot be stored in our
bodies.
 Minerals:
inorganic substances required
for body processes.
 Minerals include sodium, calcium, iron,
potassium, and magnesium.
 Minerals have many different functions
such as fluid regulation, bone structure,
muscle movement, and nerve functioning.
 Water
is a critical nutrient for health and
survival.
 Water is involved in many body processes:
fluid balance
nerve impulses
muscle contractions
nutrient transport
removal of wastes
chemical reactions
and many, many more…
 Now
that we know about nutrients, it’s time
to look at how to examine a healthful diet.
The tools for designing a healthful diet may
include:




Food Labels
Dietary Guidelines
MyPyramid – the Food Guide Pyramid
MyPlate

The FDA requires food labels on most
products. These labels must include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A statement of identity
Net contents of the package
Ingredients list
Manufacturer’s name and address
Nutrition information **
(Nutrition Facts Panel)

The Nutrition Facts
Panel contains the
nutrition information
required by the FDA.

This information can be
used in planning a
healthful diet. How
does a food fit into a
healthful diet?
 Serving
size and servings per container

Serving sizes may be used to plan
appropriate amounts of food.

Standardized serving sizes allow for
comparisons among similar products.
 Calories
per serving and calories from fat
per serving

This information can be used to
determine if a product is relatively high
in fat.
 List
 Fat
of nutrients
(Total and Saturated)
 Cholesterol
 Sodium
 Carbohydrates
 Protein
 Some key vitamins and minerals
 Percent
Daily Values (%DV)
 Describes
how much a serving of food
contributes to your total intake of a nutrient.
 Is
based on a diet of 2,000 calories per day.
 Can
be used to determine if a product is low
or high in a particular nutrient

< 5% = “low” and > 20% = “high”
 Contains
general dietary advice for all
people;
 Must
 Also
be present on all food labels;
compares a 2,000 calorie diet with a
2,500 calorie diet.
 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans 2010
 General
advice for nutrition and health
from:


US Department of Health and Social Services
US Department of Agriculture
 Revised
every 5 years.
 Emphasize
activity.
good food choices and physical
 Enjoy
your food, but eat less.
 Avoid oversized portions.
 Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
 Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
 Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread,
and frozen meals – and choose the foods with
lower numbers.
 Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
 Complement healthful food choices with
increased physical activity.
 Fruits
 Vegetables
 Grains
 Proteins
 Dairy
 Any
fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of
the Fruit Group
 Fruits
may be fresh, canned, frozen, dried,
whole, cut-up or pureed.
 Key
Consumer Message: Make half your
plate fruits and vegetables!
 As
part of a healthy diet fruit may reduce
risk for heart disease, protect against certain
types of cancers, reduce the risk of obesity
and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
 Most
fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium
and calories.
 None
 Fruits
have cholesterol.
are sources of many essential nutrients
including: potassium; dietary fiber, vitamin
C, and folate.
 Any
vegetable of 100% vegetable juice counts
as a member of the Vegetable Group.
 Vegetables
may be raw or cooked; fresh,
frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and
may be whole, cut-up, or mashed.
 Key
Consumer Message: Make half of your
plate fruits and vegetables!
 As
part of an overall healthy diet, vegetables
may reduce the risk for heart disease,
protect against certain types of cancers and
may reduce the risk of obesity and the risk of
type 2 diabetes.
 Most
vegetables are naturally low in fat and
calories.
 None have cholesterol.
 BUT SAUCES OR SEASONINGS MAY ADD FAT,
CALORIES OR CHOLESTEROL!!!!
 Vegetables may provide dietary fiber,
potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and
potassium.
 Any
food made from wheat, rice, oats,
cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a
grain product.
 Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals,
tortillas, and grits are examples of grain
products.
 Grains are divided into 2 subgroups: Whole
Grains and Refined Grains.
 Key Consumer Message: Make at least half
of your grains whole grains!
 Contain
the entire grain kernel – the bran,
germ, and endosperm.
 Examples
include: whole-wheat flour; bulgur
(cracked wheat); oatmeal; whole cornmeal;
brown rice.
 Refined
grains have been milled. This is a
process that removes the bran and the germ.
This is done to give grains a finer texture and
improve their shelf life, but it also removes
dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins.
 Examples of refined grains are: white flour;
de-germed cornmeal; white bread; white
rice.
 Most refined grains are enriched – that is,
certain B vitamins and iron are added back
after processing, but fiber is not added back.
 Eating
grains, especially whole grains as part
of a healthy diet may reduce the risk of some
chronic diseases: heart disease, obesity;
neural tube defects during fetal
development.
 Dietary
B
fiber (especially in whole grains)
vitamins
 Minerals
– iron, magnesium and selenium
 All
foods made from meat, poultry, seafood,
beans and peas, eggs, processed soy
products, nuts and seeds are part of the
Protein Foods Group. (Beans and peas are
also part of the Vegetable Group.)
 Select
a variety of protein foods including at
least 8 ounces * of cooked seafood per week.
 Key
Consumer Message: Meat and poultry
choices should be lean or low-fat.
 Proteins
serve as the “building blocks” for:
bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, blood,
enzymes, hormones and vitamins.
 Proteins
 The
provide calories (energy).
nutrients in proteins serve a variety of
functions in the body: they help release
energy; carry oxygen in the blood; help build
tissues; and many more.
 Meats,
poultry, fish, dry beans and peas,
eggs, nuts and seeds supply many nutrients:
protein, B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc,
and magnesium.
 Omege-3
fatty acids which are found in
seafood may help reduce the risk for heart
disease.
 All
fluid milk products and many foods made
from milk are part of this good group.
 Key
Consumer message: Switch to fat-free
or low-fat (1%) milk.
 Eating/drinking
dairy products is linked to
improved bone health – especially during
childhood and adolescence.
 Eating/drinking
dairy products may also
reduce the risk of some diseases
(osteoporosis; heart disease; type 2
diabetes).
 Calcium
(bones, teeth);
 Potassium
(maintaining healthy blood
pressure);
 Vitamin
D (helps to maintain proper levels of
calcium and phosphorous.
 In
low-fat or non-fat form, provide little or
no fat.
 Oils
are fats that are liquid at room
temperature. Although oils are NOT a food
group, they do provide essential nutrients.
 Examples of oils are: canola oil; corn oil;
cottonseed oil; olive oil; safflower oil.
 Some foods are naturally high in oils: nuts;
olives; some fish; avocados.
 Only small amounts of oils are
recommended.
 Increasing
energy and stamina;
 Improving brain function;
 Speeding up recovery and healing processes.
 Assisting in many body processes.
 Essential
fatty acids;
 Vitamin E.
A
healthful diet is...

Adequate

Varied

Balanced

Moderate
 An
adequate diet provides enough energy,
nutrients, fiber, and vitamins to support a
person’s health.
A
diet adequate in many nutrients can still
be inadequate in a few nutrients.
 Variety
refers to eating many different types
of foods each day.
A
healthful diet is not based on only one or a
few types of foods.
A
balanced diet contains the right
combinations of foods to provide the proper
balance of nutrients.
 Another
key to a healthful diet is
moderation.
A
healthful diet contains the right amounts of
foods for maintaining proper weight – neither
too much nor too little food.