Chapter Two

The Pursuit of an Ideal Diet

I. The ABC’s of Eating for Health

A. Characteristics of a good diet plan (ABCMV)

1. Adequacy: Provides all of the essential nutrients, fiber & energy (calories) in amount sufficient to maintain health.

2. Balance: Provides a number of types of foods in balance with one another, so that foods rich in one nutrient do not crowd out of the diet foods that are rich in another nutrient.

Cont’d

3. Calorie Control: Control of consumption of energy (calories).

4. Moderation: Provides no unwanted food or nutrient in excess.

VARIETY

Different foods are used for the same purpose on different occasions

B. Nutrient Density

A food that supplies large amounts of nutrients relative to the number of calories it contains is nutrient dense.

The higher the level of nutrients and the fewer the calories, the more nutrient dense the food is.

II. The Nutrients

Nutrients are substances obtained from food and used in the body to promote growth, maintenance & repair.

a. Classes

b. Essential vs. Nonessential

c. Energy-yielding Nutrients

d. Vitamins, Minerals & Water

A. The Six Classes of Nutrients

1. Carbohydrates2. Fat3. Protein4. Vitamins5. Minerals6. Water

B. Essential vs. Nonessential

Essential nutrients are those that must be obtained from food because the body can’t make them for itself.

Approximately 40 nutrients are known to be essential

C. Energy-Yielding Nutrients

Energy: capacity to do work Calorie: unit used to measure energy Energy-yielding nutrients include:

– Carbohydrates (4 calories per gram)– Fat (9 calories per gram)– Protein (4 calories per gram)

Although not considered a nutrient, alcohol also contributes calories to the body (7 calories per gram)

D. Vitamins, Minerals & Water

Vitamins & Minerals– Do not supply energy, or calories, to the

body– Regulate the release of energy and other

aspects of metabolism

Vitamins: organic, or carbon-containing, essential nutrients vital to life & needed in

minute amounts

Water solubleThe B

vitaminsVitamin C

Fat soluble vitamins – D– A– E – K

Cont’d

Minerals: inorganic compounds, some of which are essential nutrients

Water– Provides the medium for all life

processes in the body– Approximately 60% of the body’s weight

is water

III. Nutrient Recommendations

A. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) Estimate the nutritional requirements of

healthy people Include separate recommendations for

different groups of people of a specific age & gender

Encompasses four sets of values:

Cont’d

1. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA):

daily dietary intake levels sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of approximately 98% of healthy people

2. Adequate Intakes (AI):

the amount of a nutrient thought to be adequate for most people; used when EAR & RDA can not be determined

Cont’d

3. Estimated Average Requirements (EAR): the amount of a nutrient that meets the requirement of 50% of the people of a particular age & gender

4. Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): the maximum amount of a nutrient that is unlikely to pose risk of harm in healthy people when consumed daily; intake above the UL can be harmful

B. RDA for Calories

RDA set at the mean, not above, to ward off greater chance for obesity

Calorie RDA calculated for the reference man & woman

IV. The Challenge of Dietary Guidelines

Provide only general guidelines for calorie intake

Do not address the hazards of nutrient excesses

DIETARY GUIDELINES

Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 10 Things to Know

www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines

V. SMART SNACKING

VI. Tools Used in Diet Planning

A. Food Group Plans Tool that group foods according to similar

origin & nutrient content Specifies the number of foods from each group

a person should eat Provides a pattern for diet planning to ensure

adequacy & balance The Four Food Group Plan The Food Guide Pyramid Canada’s Food Guide

Cont’d

B. Exchange Lists Lists of foods with portion sizes

specified The foods on a single list are similar

with respect to nutrient & calorie content & therefore can be mixed & matched In the diet

Provide help in food selection for calorie control, moderation & variety

Cont’d

C. Food Composition Tables Tables that list the nutrient profile of

commonly eaten foods Includes number of calories, grams of

fat, milligrams of sodium, etc.

VII. Food Labels

A. Required Information Name of the product (statement of

identity) Name & address of the manufacturer Net contents in terms of weight,

measure or count Ingredients list with items listed in

descending order by weight The Nutrition Facts Panel, unless the

package is too small

Cont’d

B. Nutrition Fact Panel Serving or portion size Servings or portions per container Calories per serving Calories from fat The amounts of total fat, saturated fat,

cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium & iron

Cont’d

C. Daily Values Compares the amounts of specific

nutrients in one serving to the amount recommended for daily consumption

Provided for both a 2,000-calorie diet & a 2,500-calorie diet

The daily values for vitamins & minerals are calculated using the RDI’s

Cont’d

D. Nutrient & Health Claims Nutrient content claims: claims such as

“low-fat” & “low-calorie” used on food labels to give consumers an idea of a food’s nutritional profile without having to look at the Nutrition Facts Panel These claims must adhere to specific

definitions established by the Food & Drug Administration

Cont’d

– Health Claims: a statement on the food label linking the food to a reduced risk of a particular diseaseThe claim must be supported by

scientific evidenceThese claims must adhere to specific

definitions established by the Food & Drug Administration

Health Claims

Calcium-rich foods and osteoporosis Low-sodium foods and reduced risk of high

blood pressure Low-fat diet and reduced risk of cancer A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and

reduced risk of heart disease High fiber foods and reduced risk of cancer

Health Claims (cont)

Soluble fiber in fruits, vegetables and grains and reduced risk of heart disease

Soluble fiber in oats and psyllium seed husks and reduced riak of heart disease

Fruit and vegetable-rich diet and reduced risk of cancer

Folate-rich foods and the reduced riak of neural tube defects

Sugar alcohols and reduced risk of tooth decay

Health Claims (cont)

Soy protein and reduced risk of heart disease Whole-grain goods and reduced risk of heart

disease and certain cancers Plant stanol and plant sterol esters and heart

disease Potassium and reduced risk of high blood

pressure and stroke