1. Chapter 2: Tools for Healthy Eating

2. What Is Healthy Eating? Eating to maintain health and prevent disease
Involves the key principles of
Adequacy
Balance
Variety
Moderation

3. Healthy Eating Principles
Adequacy and Balance:
Diet provides all the essential nutrients, fiber, and energy
Diet provides the correct proportion of nutrients
Inadequacy  Undernutrition  Malnutrition
Overnutrition  Overweight and Obesity

4. Healthy Eating Principles
Variety
Diet contains a mixture of different food groups and foods within each group
Moderation
Diet provides reasonable but not excessive amounts or foods and nutrients
Be aware of portion size and number of servings

5. What’s a Portion Size?
Figure 2.1

6. Portion Distortion Portion – the amount of food eaten in one sitting
Serving size – the standard amount or recommended portion of food for which the nutrient composition is presented
Portion sizes have increased over the years

7. Portion Distortion Increased portion sizes have contributed to
Increased kcal intake
Increased weight
Increased risk of developing
Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Joint problems
Cancers

10. Nutrient-Dense Foods Nutrient dense
Measurement of the nutrients in a food compared to the kilocalorie content
High in nutrients and low in kilocalories
Provide more nutrients per kilocalorie
Low in fat and added sugar

11. Which Is the Healthier Way to Enjoy Potatoes?
Figure 2.2

12. Low-Energy-Dense Foods
Energy density
Measurement of kilocalories compared with weight (grams) of the food
Most high-fat foods
Low-energy-dense foods
Lower in fat and high in nutrient content
Means larger portions for the same number of kilocalories
Will “fill you up before they fill you out”

14. Resources for Planning a Healthy Diet
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Reference values for nutrients developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of the Institute of Medicine
Used to plan and evaluate the diets of healthy people in the United States and Canada

15. Resources for Planning a Healthy Diet
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Includes
Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
Adequate Intake (AI)
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
Basis for
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
MyPyramid
Daily Values (DVs)
These resources help consumers
Decide what foods to buy
Plan a varied, moderate, and balanced diet

16. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Focus on
Maintaining good health
Reducing the risk of developing chronic disease
Avoiding unhealthy excess (toxic amounts of nutrients)
Nutrient requirements for different life stages
Pregnant versus non-pregnant status
Age
Gender
Periodically updated

17. DRIs Encompass Several Reference Values
Figure 2.4

18. DRI Reference Values Estimated Average Requirements (EAR)
Starting point for determining other values
Amount of a nutrient projected to meet the needs of 50% of healthy Americans by age and gender
Requirements are based on a measurement that indicates whether the individual is at risk of a deficiency
Measurement differs from nutrient to nutrient
If there isn’t enough research to develop an appropriate measurement for a nutrient, EAR is not established
Used to calculate RDAs

19. DRI Reference Values Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
Recommendation for each nutrient that should meet the needs of nearly all (97 to 98%) of the individuals in a specific gender and age group
Higher than the EARs
Not available for all nutrients

20. DRI Reference Values Adequate Intakes (AI)
Estimate based on the judgment of the FNB members
Next best scientific estimate of the amount of a nutrient that groups of similar individuals should consume to maintain good health
Set without having established RDAs
Only estimation for nutrients’ adequacy in infants

21. DRI Reference Values Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
Highest amount of a nutrient that is unlikely to cause harm if consumed daily
Consumption above this level increases risk of toxicity
Not all nutrients have ULs
Estimated Energy Requirements (EER)
Amount of daily energy needed to maintain a healthy body and meet energy needs based on
Age
Gender
Height
Weight
Activity Level

22. DRI Reference Values
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR)
Ensure that intake of nutrients is adequate and proportionate to physiological needs
Carbohydrates 45–65% of daily kcal
Fats 20–35% of daily kcal
Proteins 10–35% of daily kcal

25. Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Nutritional goals for Americans established by scientists
Updated every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Shapes all federally funded nutritional programs in areas of research and labeling
Educates and guides consumers concerning healthy diet and lifestyle choices

26. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
The most current nutrition and physical activity recommendations for good health
Designed to help individuals aged 2 and over
Improve the quality of diet
Lower the risk of chronic disease and unhealthy conditions

27. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
Divided into four current, major goals:
Balance kilocalories to manage weight
Prevent overweight/obesity- Control total kilocalorie intake, increase physical activity
Food groups to encourage
Variety of vegetables and fruits
Whole grains
Variety of protein, specifically seafood
Lower fat food, oils vs. solid fat
Food choices to discourage
Reduce sodium intake and cholesterol consumption
Less saturated fats, added sugars, refined grains, alcohol
Building Healthy Eating Patterns

28. What Is MyPlate? Food guidance systems
Graphics used to summarize guidelines to healthy eating
Visual depiction of the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2011
Online components provide personalized diet plan based on the latest nutrition and health recommendations from
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report
DRIs
Illustrates a healthy diet

29. MIX UP CHOICES WITHIN EACH FOOD GROUP
How to Use MyPlate
Personalize your eating plan at
For a moderately active female who needs 2,000 kcal daily, a healthy daily diet would consist of the following:
6 servings from the grains group
21⁄2 cups of dark green, orange, starchy and other vegetables
2 cups of fruits
3 cups of fat-free or low fat milk and yogurt
51⁄2 oz lean meat, poultry and fish, or equivalent in meat alternatives such as beans
6 tsp of vegetable oils
MIX UP CHOICES WITHIN EACH FOOD GROUP

30. MyPlate Recommendations
"Make half your plate fruits and vegetables”
"Switch to 1% or skim milk"
"Make at least half your grains whole"
"Vary your protein food choices.”
The guidelines also recommend portion control while still enjoying food, as well as reductions in sodium and sugar intakes.

31. Fitting Discretionary Calories into a Balanced Diet
Figure 2.9

34. Time of Day and Eating: Does It Impact Your Health?
Eat breakfast may decreases the total number of kilocalories you eat in a day
Increased satiety with breakfast foods
May be a good strategy for weight control
Eating later in the day may increase kilocalorie intake
Eating more fat and consuming more alcohol on the weekends can result in weight gain

35. Time of Day and Eating: Does It Impact Your Health?
Start your day with a nutrient-dense breakfast
Choose breakfast foods that are more satisfying
Control kilocalorie intake on nights and weekends

36. Food Labels Strictly Regulated by the FDA
Every packaged food must be labeled with
Name of food
Net weight, the weight of the food in the package, excluding weight of the package or packing material
Name and address of the manufacturer or distributor
List of ingredients in descending order by weight
Nutrition Labeling and Education Act mandated in 1990
Uniform nutritional information
Serving sizes
Specific criteria for health claims

37. Food Labels Strictly Regulated by the FDA
Additional requirements since 1990
Nutrition information: total kilocalories, kilocalories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron
Uniform serving sizes among similar products
Indication of how a serving of the food fits into an overall daily diet
Uniform definitions for descriptive label terms such as “light” and “fat free”
Health claims that are accurate and science based, if made about the food or one of its nutrients

38. Nutrition Fact Panel
Area on the food label that provides a list of specific nutrients obtained in one serving of food
Very few foods are exempt from carrying the nutrition fact panel
Use as a shopping guide to make healthier decisions
Figure 2.12

39. Daily Values (DVs)
General idea of how the nutrients in the food fit into the overall diet
Based on a 2,000 kilocalorie diet
Food is considered high in nutrient if DV is > 20%
Food is considered low in nutrient if DV is < 5%
There is no DV for trans fat, sugars, and protein
Some Nutrient Facts Panels have a footnote at the bottom that provides a summary of DVs for 2,000 and 2,500 kilocalorie diets

40. Label Claims Can Reveal Potential Health Benefits
FDA mandates that all claims on labels follow strict guidelines
Currently three types of health claims are allowed
Nutrient content claims
Health claims
Structure/function claims

45. A Structure/Function Label Claim
Figure 2.14

46. Quick Review FDA regulates the labeling on all packaged foods
Every food label must contain the name of the food, net weight, name and address of the manufacturer or distributor, a list of ingredients, and standardized nutrition information
FDA allows and regulates the use of
Nutrient content claims
Health claims
Structure/function claims
Foods or dietary supplements displaying these
Must meet specified criteria
Claims must be truthful

47. Putting It All Together