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 policy
Under nutrition
Over nutrition
© Ginasanders/Dreamstime.com
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:
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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
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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 lifestage 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!