Recommended Daily Intakes How much (of what) do you need?

CAUTION Do not get hung up on numbers! People have different body types, metabolisms, and activity levels. Obsessing about calories can be harmful, and may sometimes lead to unhealthy eating patterns and psychological distress.

There are guidelines…. It is wise, however, to follow some guidelines about how much nutrition you need in a day. Learning about which nutrients your body needs to function and grow will help you make good food choices.

Calories A calorie is a unit of measurement — but it doesn't measure weight or length A calorie is a unit of heat energy. When you hear something contains 100 calories, it's a way of describing how much energy your body could get from eating or drinking it. Most teens don't have to worry about not getting enough calories because the body — and feelings of hunger — help regulate how many calories a person eats.

Energy in  Energy out

Calorie Intake Again: Individual calories needs vary according to size and activity level. Girls aged 14 to 18 need between 1,800 and 2,400 calories daily. Boys aged 14 to 18 need 2,000 to 3,200 calories daily. Teenagers who are inactive will need fewer calories, and would usually stay within the lower ranges. Teenagers who participate in sports, high-intensity activities, or manual labour will need to maintain a caloric intake in the higher ranges.

Dietary Reference Intakes Health Canada, along with U.S partners, issue nutrient recommendations based on the latest information. These are called Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the average daily dietary intake of a nutrient that is sufficient to meet the requirement of nearly all (97-98%) healthy persons. This is the number to be used as a goal for individuals. The % Daily Value (% DV) can help you make informed food choices. Look for it in the Nutrition Facts table on food packages. Keep in mind: 5% is a little, 15% is a lot

Find the serving size, calories, and %DV

Nutrients Included on Labels Nutrients you may want more of are: Calcium Iron Fibre Vitamin A Vitamin C Nutrients you may want less of are: Fat Saturated and trans fats Sodium Interactive Labelling Map: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/nutrition/cons/inl_flash-eng.php

ASSIGNMENT Create a day’s worth of meals from one of the three nutrition guides located on your desk. The meals are intended for yourself. So, if you are a 15 year old male who is very active, you would follow the caloric recommendations specific to that demographic (see notes). Compare your meals to those your group members came up with. Of the three restaurants, which do you think has the most nutritional value? Why? Discuss. Pass in the following: A breakdown of each meal (items, calories, nutrients) A total calorie count and a total nutrient count (represented by DV%)

sources http://kidshealth.org/kid/nutrition/food/calorie.html# http://www.livestrong.com/article/422467-teenage-caloric-needs/?utm_source=undefined_R1&LS-2659 http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/nutrition/cons/dv-vq/index-eng.php