Nutrition Tools
Standards and Guidelines
Eating well is easy in theory. All you have to do is choose a
selection of food that supplies appropriate amount of the
essential nutrients, fiber, and energy without excess intake of
fat, sugar, and salt, and be sure to get enough exercise to
balance the food you eat. A few people do these things
automatically, but most do not.
Nutrient recommendations
Nutrient recommendations are sets of
yardsticks used as standards for measuring
healthy people’s energy and nutrient intakes.
For 50 years, the Recommended Dietary Allowances
(RDA) have been the U.S. nutrient intake standards;
in Canada their equivalents were the Recommended
Nutrient Intakes (RNI) for Canadians .Today, both
of these standards are being replaced by the
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI).
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)
Formerly, the name of the nutrient intake
standards of the United States. Currently, the RDA
constitute a part of the Dietary Reference Intakes
(DRI). RDA are average daily amounts of nutrients
considered adequate to meet the known nutrients
needs of practically all healthy people.
Dietary Reference Intakes
A set of nutrient intake values for the dietary nutrient
intakes of healthy people in the United States and Canada.
These values are used for planning and assessing diets and
include these four lists of values:
1. Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
Population-wide average nutrient requirements used in
nutrition research and policy-making. The basis upon which
RDA values are set.
2.Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)
Nutrient intake goals for individuals. Derived from the
Estimate Average Requirements (see below).
3.Adequate Intakes (AI)
Nutrient intake goals for individuals. Set whenever
scientific data are insufficient to allow establishment of an
RDA value.
4.Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL)
Suggested upper limits of intake for potential toxic
nutrients. Intake above the UL are likely to cause illness
from toxicity.
Daily Value (DV)
Nutrient standards used on food labels, in grocery
stores, and on some restaurant menus. The DV allow
comparisons among foods with regard to their nutrient
content.
Why do we need new standards ?
1: setting intake Recommendations for individuals
One of the great advantages of the DRI values
recommended intakes lies in their applicability to
individuals. In the past, nutrient standards were
appropriate for planning and assessing the diets of
populations; their developers discouraged their use for
individuals. In contrast, individuals are prime concern of
the DRI committee.
2:Preventing Chronic Diseases
Another advantages of the DRI is that they set the
recommended intakes to take into account disease prevention,
where appropriate ,as well as nutrient adequacy. In the last
decade , abundant new research has linked nutrients in the
diet with the promotion of health and the prevention of chronic
diseases, and the DRI committee used this research to
advantage.
3: Facilitating nutrition research and policy
Another set of values established by the DRI committee
accomplishes other important tasks. This set ,the
Estimated Average Requirements (EAR), establishes
population-wide average requirements that researchers and
nutrition policymaker use in their work. Nutrition scientists
may use the ERA as standards in research. Public health
officials may also use them to assess nutrient intakes of
populations and make recommendations.
4: Establishing safety guidelines
A final goal of the DRI committee is to establish upper limits of
intake for nutrients that can pose a hazard when they are
overconsumed. These value ,the Tolerable Upper Intake Limits
(UL) ,are indispensable to consumers who take supplements or eat
foods to which vitamins or minerals are added.
Dietary Guidelines
why do we need “guidelines”?“
 Nutrient intake recommendations do much to ensure nutrient
adequacy, they do little for moderation.
 Nutrient recommendations address intakes of protein,
vitamins, and mineral, they also make some general statements
about energy intakes, but they do little to protect people from
excess intake of fat, sugar, salt, and other food constituents
believed to be related to chronic diseases.

Guidelines take up where nutrient recommendations leave off,
and they go a step further in recommending physical activity to
improve or maintain body weight.

The DRI refer to nutrients, not foods. Guidelines specify
healthful uses of foods and nutrients because many people need
guidance in selecting the foods they consume each day.

Guidelines may be to revise
Linking Nutrients, Foods, and Health
 Adequacy
 Balance
 Calorie Control
 Moderation
 Variety
How the experts make a judgement for food nutrition value
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Eat a variety of foods.
Balance the food you eat with physical
activity—maintain or improve your weight.
Choose a diet with plenty of grain
products ,vegetables, and fruit.
Choose a diet moderate in sugars.
Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderate
Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2000)
Aim for Fitness
Aim for a healthy weight
Be physically active each day
Build a Healthy Base
Let the Pyramid guide your food choices
Choose a variety of grains daily
Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily
Keep food safe to eat
Choose Sensibly
Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol,
and moderate in total fat
Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of
sugars
Choose and prepare foods with less salt
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation
China
Food Guide (pagoda)
5.油脂类25克
4.奶类及奶制品100克
豆类及豆制品50克
3.畜禽肉类50~100克
鱼虾50克、蛋类25~50克
2.蔬菜类400~500克、
水果类100~200克
1.谷类300~500克
Britain
Food Guide
Mediterranean Pyramid Compared
Dietary guideline
allow you to choose
foods that you enjoy.
Notice that these guidelines do not
require that you give up your favorite
foods or eat strange, unappealing
foods .Almost anyone’s diet
adjustments ,can fit most of these
recommendations .
The secret for most people seems to
be to modify the diet in four ways.
 First, learn to watch portion sizes, especially of fat-rich
foods such as high-fat meats, dairy products, and desserts.
 Second, strictly limit a few foods, especially pure fats and
sugar, such as margarine and sugary soft drinks.
 Third, make substitutions, such as fat-free or low-fat for
high-fat dairy products.
 Finally, eat more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
 Our watchword is reasonable nutrition and balanced diet
How much activity do you need?

Research on health and physical activity leads to a single
conclusion: people need exercise as well as nutrition to stay
and live long.

Many groups make recommendations about how much
physical activity is enough, but answer for any one people
depends on personal goals.
Diet Planning with the Daily Food guide
and the Food guide Pyramid
Diet planning connects nutrition with the food on the table .To
help people plan menus, food group plans describe food groups and
dictate numbers and sizes of servings to choose each day.
Another planning tool, the exchange system, can help people
estimate the amounts of carbohydrate, fat ,protein and energy
that each type of food provide.
How can the Food Guide Pyramid
help me to eat well?
By design, the Pyramid provides guidance as to
Adequacy
Balance
Moderation
Variety
Food Labels
Mandatory information on food labels

Statement of identity

Net contents of the package


Name and address of manufacturer, packer,
distributor
List of ingredients


Listed in descending order by weight
Nutrition information