Chapter 2
Nutrition Tools Standards
and Guidelines
Dietary Reference Intakes
(DRI)
– Four categories of recommendations for
healthy people
• Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)
• Adequate Intakes (AI)
• Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL)
• Estimated Average Requirements (EAR)
DRI
• DRI Recommendations for:
– Vitamins
– Minerals
– Carbohydrates
– Fats
– Protein
– Water
– Fiber
– Energy
DRI
• Specific recommendations for:
– Infants
– Children
– Men
– Women
– Pregnant women
– Lactating women
– Specific age ranges
DRI
• DRI Characteristics
– Based on scientific research
– Includes a margin of safety
– Optimal intakes: disease prevention
DRI
• Recommended Dietary Allowances
(RDA) & Adequate Intakes (AI)
– Individual nutrient recommendations
– Meets the needs of at least 97% of people
– RDA Based on solid evidence
– AI Based on less solid evidence
– Pages A and B
DRI
• Upper Limit (UL)
– Maximum amount of a nutrient that
appears safe for most healthy people
– Based on total intake from foods,
supplements & fortified foods
– Exceeding the UL  toxicity
–  intake above the UL,  risk of toxicity
– Different people have different ULs
– Not all nutrients have a UL set
– Page C
Setting Energy Needs
• Estimated Energy Requirements
(EER)
– # of calories need per day to maintain
weight
• based on age, sex and being “active”
– Page A and Appendix H
1000
1,400
1,800
2,200
Calories
2,600
3,000
1000
1,400
1,800
2,200
Calories
2,600
3,000
DRI
• Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution
Range (AMDR)
– % of calories recommended per nutrient
• 45 – 65% calories from carbohydrate
• 10 – 35% calories from protein
• 20 – 35% calories from fat
Dietary Guidelines
• USDA and HHS publish
– Tells us how to be healthy and  risk of
disease
– For aged 2 and over
– Revised every 5 years
– Basis for federal nutrition policies and
programs
Dietary Guidelines for
Americans
History 1980 – 2010
2010
2000
1980
1990
1985
1995
2005
Dietary Guidelines, 2010
at a Glance
 Executive Summary
 Chapter 1. Introduction
 Chapter 2. Balancing Calories to
Manage Weight
 Chapter 3. Foods and Food
Components to Reduce
 Chapter 4. Foods and Nutrients
to Increase
 Chapter 5. Building Healthy
Eating Patterns
 Chapter 6. Helping Americans
Make Healthy Choices
 Appendices
Dietary Guidelines – 3 Goals
• Balance calories with physical activity
to manage weight
– Eat less
– Limit portion sizes
– Move more
Dietary Guidelines – 3 Goals
• Eat more nutrient dense foods
– Fruits & vegetables (all colors)
• ½ your plate
– Whole grains (at least ½)
• ¼ your plate
– Plant foods
– Fat-free and low-fat dairy products &
seafood
– Provides needed nutrients
Nutrient Dense and Non-Nutrient
Dense
Forms of Sample Foods
Dietary Guidelines – 3 Goals
• Eat less:
– Salt
– Saturated fats, trans fats & cholesterol
(meat)
– Added sugars & refined grains
• Sugary drinks
– Currently 35% of diet. 5-15% max from
SoFAS
Comparison of Consumption
to Recommendations
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines
USDA Food Guide
• Food group plan
– Designed to meet the Dietary Guidelines
for Americans
– Foods grouped together based on nutrient
content
– See page 40
1 medium piece of fruit = 1 tennis ball
½ cup fruit = a mouse
½ cup of vegetables = ~ 1 ice cream scoop or mouse
½ cup rice fits in a cupcake wrapper
3 ounces meat fits in palm of hand
3 oz chicken = deck of cards
1 tablespoons peanut butter = ½ ping pong ball
1 ½ ounces cheese = 6 stacked dice (1/4 oz per die) or one
domino
p43
Portion Sizes
• To control calories, you must control
portion sizes
Click to Play
ABC Video Clip:
“Restaurant Nutrition”
USDA Food Guide
• Discretionary Calorie Allowance
– Calories left after eating enough nutrient
dense foods
ChooseMyPlate
Click here
Click here
Click here
Exchange Systems
• Groups foods into categories based on:
– Calories
– Grams of fat, carbohydrate and protein
– Tells specific foods in each category
– Tells exact portion size
– Used originally for diabetics
Exchange Systems
• Three primary groups:
– Carbohydrate
– Meat and Meat Substitutes
– Fat
• Appendix D
Exchange Systems
• Categories vary
– Corn, potatoes and peas are in the starch
group
– Cheese is counted as a meat
Exchange Systems
• Serving sizes vary
– Rice and pasta are 1/3 cup
How to Read Food
Labels -Video
Food Labels
• Food Labels Must Include
– Common name of the product
– Contact info for the manufacturer, packer,
or distributor
– The net contents in terms of weight,
measure, or count
– Nutrition Facts panel
– Ingredients: what’s listed first is what is
contained the most
– Calories per gram
The name and
address of the
manufacturer,
packer, or
distributor
The serving size and
number of servings per
container
Calorie information and
quantities of nutrients
per serving, in grams
(g) and milligrams (mg)
The common or
usual product
name
Approved nutrient
claims if the product
meets specified
criteria
The net contents in
weight, measure,
or count
Approved health claims
stated in terms of the
total diet
Quantities of nutrients
as “% Daily Values”
based on a 2,000-calorie
energy intake
Daily Values reminder
for selected nutrients
for a 2,000- and a 2,500calorie diet
Calorie per gram
reminder
The ingredients in
descending order of
predominance by weight
Fig. 2-11, p. 50
Nutrition Facts Panel
• Serving size
– Common measures for comparison
– Represents a single serving
– Not realistic!
• Servings per container
Nutrition Facts Panel
• Nutrient amounts and percentages of
daily values
– Calories
– Calories from fat
– Total fat
• Saturated fat
• Trans fat
– Cholesterol
– Sodium
Nutrition Facts Panel
– Total carbohydrate
• Dietary Fiber
• Sugar
– Protein
Nutrition Facts Panel
• Vitamins and Minerals
– Vitamin A
– Vitamin C
– Calcium
– Iron
Nutrition Facts Panel
• Daily Values
-Nutrient standards used on food labels
-Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
-Allows comparison between foods
-Not updated for new DRI recommendations
Nutrition Facts Panel
• Two Types of Daily Values
-Optimal intakes for nutrients
-Maximum intakes for cholesterol, total fat,
saturated fat, and sodium
Table 2-6 p55
Food Labels
Food Labels
Controversy 2 Phytochemicals
• Phytochemical
– Non-nutrient in plants
– Gives plants color
– Helps prevent disease
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals
• Sources of Phytochemicals
-Fruits
-Vegetables
-Whole grains
-Beans
-Nuts
Phytochemicals
• Phytochemical Supplements?
– Hard to isolate an individual compound
– Synergistic effects
– Effectiveness unknown
– Safety unknown
– Not just the phytochemicals that prevent
disease; what else in those foods?
-Can’t add something to a supplement if
you don’t know about it