2. Chapter 3 Making Healthful Food Choices
Part 1
The Importance of Food
Note: This chapter covers benefits of healthful food choices, use of diet planning resources, and tips for choosing wisely when shopping for and preparing food and eating out. This presentation displays the text objective related to each of these topics, followed by information to help students achieve the objective.

3. Objective Name benefits of making healthful food choices.
Discuss: How can your food choices affect you? Why is it important to think about what you eat?
Name benefits of making healthful food choices.
USDA

4. Benefits of Healthful Choices
Choosing a diet that provides your body with needed amounts of nutrients can help you maintain
good health
healthful appearance
Discuss: What factors other than the foods you eat can affect your health and appearance?
How would you rate the importance of your health and appearance?

5. Other Benefits Healthful food choices can also promote
top job performance
positive personal relationships
Discuss: Why do some companies encourage their employees to participate in health and fitness programs?

6. Objective
Discuss: What factors determine your calorie needs and, in turn, your recommended daily intakes from each food group?
Identify your recommended daily intake from each food group in MyPyramid.

7. Grains Group Provides complex carbohydrates, B vitamins, and iron
Includes two subgroups—whole grains and refined grains—in such foods as breads, cereals, rice, and pasta
Discuss: What added nutritional advantage do whole grain foods in this group provide? What are some examples of foods in each of the two subgroups? What serving sizes of bread, dry cereal, and cooked pasta count as 1 ounce equivalent? How many ounce equivalents would be needed each day by an active 14-year-old male?
Meets most teens’ needs with 6 to 10 ounce equivalents per day, depending on calorie needs
photo courtesy of Fleischmann’s Yeast

8. Vegetable Group Provides vitamins, minerals, and fiber
Includes five subgroups: dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, starchy vegetables, and other vegetables
Meets most teens’ needs with 2½ to 4 cups daily, depending on calorie requirements
Discuss: What are some examples of vegetables in each of the five subgroups? How many cups would be needed each day by a moderately active teenage girl?
USDA

9. Fruit Group
Includes fruit juices and fresh, canned, frozen, and dried fruits
Provides vitamins, minerals, and fiber
Meets most teens’ needs with 1½ to 2½ cups daily, depending on calorie requirements
Discuss: Why does the USDA recommend making most choices whole or cut up fruit, not juice? How many cups would be needed by a teen with a daily requirement of 2,400 calories?
USDA

10. Milk Group Includes milk, yogurt, and cheese
Provides calcium, riboflavin, phosphorus, protein, and vitamins A and D
Meets needs of all teens with 3 cups daily
Discuss: Why is getting the recommended daily intake from this food group especially important for children, teens, and older adults? Why does the USDA recommend choosing low-fat and fat-free dairy products most often?
Why do you think some people fail to get their recommended daily intake from this group?
© 2002 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.

11. Meat and Beans Group
Includes meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts
Provides protein, B vitamins, and iron
Meets most teens’ needs with 5 to 7 ounce equivalents per day, depending on calorie needs
Discuss: What amounts of cooked dry beans, eggs, tofu, peanut butter, and nuts are the equivalent of 1 ounce of lean, cooked meat? How many ounce equivalents would be needed each day by a moderately active 18-year-old female? How many more ounce equivalents would be needed each day by her moderately active male classmates?
Agricultural Research Service, USDA

12. Oils, Solid Fats, and Sugars
Oils from foods like fish, nuts, and vegetable oils provide vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Include small amounts in your daily diet.
Solid fats and added sugars from foods like butter and candies are high in calories and low in nutrients. Use them sparingly.
Discuss: What is your recommended daily intake for oils? What are other sources of solid fats and added sugars in the diet?

13. Objective
Discuss: How do you decide what you are going to eat each day? Why is it worthwhile to plan your meals?
Explain how you can use Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), the MyPyramid Food Guidance System, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as diet planning resources to meet your daily needs.

14. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
EAR RDA AI UL
Use dietary charts or diet analysis software to total the amounts of each nutrient provided by all the foods you eat. Compare these totals with the estimated nutrient intake levels for your age and gender group.
Discuss: What are the four types of values that make up the DRIs?
What can you do if your comparison shows you are not meeting your needs for all nutrients?

15. MyPyramid Food Guidance System
Discuss: How do each of the following concepts illustrated by MyPyramid relate to nutrition: personalized approach, variety, proportionality, moderation, gradual improvement, and physical activity?
Plan menus that include your recommended intakes from the MyPyramid food groups in your meals throughout the day. Visit the MyPyramid.gov Web site for personalized information to help you.

16. Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans outline healthful diet and activity habits.
Following them can help promote your health and reduce your risk for certain diseases.
Discuss: Why are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans revised every five years? What are some of the disease risks that can be reduced by following the Guidelines?

17. Make Smart Choices from Every Food Group
Make half your grains whole.
Vary your veggies.
Focus on fruits.
Get your calcium-rich foods.
Go lean with protein.
Discuss: Why should at least half your daily intake from the grains group come from whole grain sources? Why is it important to choose a variety of fruits and vegetables each day? What is one of the main functions of calcium in the diet? What are three tips for reducing fats when choosing foods from the meat and beans group? What should you keep in mind regarding fats, sodium, and sugars when making food choices?

18. Find Your Balance Between Food and Physical Activity
Maintain weight in a healthy range.
Choose moderate portions and focus on nutritious foods.
Take steps to be more active.
Limit time spent being inactive.
Discuss: What are some of the health risks of being overweight? What are some of the benefits of being physically active?

19. Get the Most Nutrition out of Your Calories
Discuss: How does the nutrient density of apple pie compare with the nutrient density of fresh apples? How can you use the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels to help you get the most nutrition for your calories? What are discretionary calories and how might you use them?
Focus your diet on nutrient-dense foods.

20. Objective
Discuss: How can nutrition knowledge help you weigh the pros and cons of your alternatives when deciding what fresh and processed foods to buy?
List tips to use when shopping for fresh and processed foods.

21. Shopping Tips for Fresh Foods
Discuss: Why is it important to use fresh foods as soon after purchase as possible?
Choose a variety.
Use foods as soon after purchase as possible.
USDA

22. Shopping for Processed Foods
Read nutrition labels for information about calories, fat, sodium, and sugar.
Compare labels to help you choose the most healthful options.
Discuss: What are the recommended limits for saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, total fat, and sodium in your diet? How can a food label tell you if a food contains much added sugar?
How often do you read and compare nutrition labels when shopping for food?
USDA

23. Objective Describe suggestions for preparing healthful foods.
Discuss: How much food preparation do you do? If you know some of the foods you prepare could be more healthful, what keeps you from preparing them that way?
Describe suggestions for preparing healthful foods.

24. Preparing the Main Course
Discuss: Why do health experts recommend diets focused on plant-based foods? What cooking methods are considered to be lowfat?
Focus meals on plant-based foods.
Choose lean meats, trim visible fat, and remove skin from poultry.
Use lowfat cooking methods.
California Asparagus Commission

25. Preparing Side Dishes
Reduce, replace, or omit ingredients that add fat, sugars, or sodium.
Choose sensible portion sizes.
Discuss: What kinds of ingredients add fat, sugars, and/or sodium? Why do you think some people eat portions that are larger than what would meet their daily nutrient and calorie needs?
How do the portions you typically eat compare with standard portion sizes listed on nutrition labels?
California Asparagus Commission

26. Objective Apply the Dietary Guidelines for Americans when eating out.
Discuss: What factors do you think might make it difficult to apply the Dietary Guidelines for Americans when eating out?
Apply the Dietary Guidelines for Americans when eating out.

27. Choosing Wisely When Eating Out
Use menu terms as clues to the fat, sugar, and sodium content of foods.
Request that items be prepared and served according to your healthful preferences.
Order small portions or ask for a take-home bag to avoid overeating.
Discuss: What menu terms indicate foods that are high in fat, sugar, or sodium?
What do you find most challenging about eating healthfully when eating out?

28. Apply It!
You are eating out in an Italian restaurant and decide to order chicken Parmesan with pasta. Your entree comes with a tossed salad and garlic buttered rolls. You can also choose glazed carrots or steamed broccoli with cheese sauce as a side dish.
Discuss: What dessert could you order to accompany this meal that would be in keeping with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans?
List three requests you will make when ordering this meal to help you follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

29. How can you make more healthful food choices?
Key Question
Note: Encourage students to use this question to help them review chapter information and apply it to their lives.
How can you make more healthful food choices?

30. Other Questions to Consider
Why is the topic of food safety included in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans?
What role do portion sizes play in the healthfulness of food choices and meeting daily nutritional needs?
Discuss: What other questions did this chapter raise that you would like to explore?