Planning a healthy diet
What is it?
Methods of creating one.
What is a diet?
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An eating plan that restricts food intake?
A plan that reduces calorie intake?
A plan that eliminates fatty foods?
A plan that eliminates tasty foods?
One that eliminates “junk food”?
How is America doing?
• In 2001, % of school-age children
consuming a diet that meets national regs.
= 2%! (Hueter, 2002)
• As of 1998:
– 13% of children are overweight
– 61% of adults are overweight
Contributors to excess death
• The second highest contributor to excess
death is diet & four of the top five causes of
death are diet related
1999-2003
Are American diets healthful?
Requirements of a
healthful diet
• Adequate - enough to support health
– energy, nutrients, fiber, etc.
• Moderate - Go easy on foods high in fat &
added sugar
• Balanced - right proportions of nutrients
• Varied - Diversity ensures intake of all
micronutrients
• Nutrient Dense foods - high nutrient, low
energy (kcal)
Energy Density of Two Breakfast Options Compared
LOWER ENERGY DENSITY
HIGHER ENERGY DENSITY
This 450-gram breakfast delivers 500
kcalories, for an energy density of 1.1
(500 kcal ÷ 450 g 1.1 = kcal/g).
This 144-gram breakfast also delivers
500 kcalories, for an energy density of 3.5
(500 kcal ÷144 g = 3.5 kcal/g).
How does one design a diet?
• Tools may include
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Food labels
Dietary guidelines
MyPyramid (Food Guide Pyramid)
Diet plans
Ask your Grandma
Food Labels: History
• Prior to 1973, NO requirement to include
nutrition information on labels
• 1990 - Congress passes National Labeling
and Education Act; requires nutrition
information for most foods
Food Label Contents
FDA requires food labels on most products.
Labels must include:
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Statement of identity
Net contents of the package (wt, vol, #)
Ingredients list (in descending order by wt.)*
Manufacturer’s name and address
Nutrition information (Nutrition Facts Panel)*
* = most useful parts
Food Label
Nutrition Facts Panel
The serving size and
number of servings
per container
The name and address
of the manufacturer,
packer, or distributor
kCalorie information and
quantities of nutrients per
serving, in actual amounts
The common or
usual product name
Quantities of nutrients as
“% Daily Values” based
on a 2000-kcalorie energy
intake
Approved nutrient claims if
the product meets specified
criteria
The net contents in
weight, measure, or
count
Approved health claims stated
in terms of the total diet
Daily Values reminder for
selected nutrients for a
2000- and a 2500kcalorie diet
kCalorie per
gram reminder
The ingredients in
descending order of
predominance by weight
Nutrition Facts Panel
1. Serving size & # servings per container
2. Calories and calories from fat per
serving
3. List of nutrients (top = nutrients we try to
limit; bottom = those we want lots of)
4. Percent daily values (%DV, based on
2000 kcal diet).
5. Footnote
Nutrition Facts Panel
• Serving size & servings per container
– Serving size is often less than you think
– Standardization allows easy comparison among similar
products
•According to MyPyramid:
1/2 of a 2-oz. bagel = 1
serving.
•Most bagels these days are
4 oz.’s!
Nutrition Facts Panel
• Calories and calories from fat per serving
– (ET & EF/ET)
– Use it to determine if a food is relatively
high or low in fat
• ET = 250
• EF = 50
• EF/ET = 20%
Nutrition Facts Panel
• List of nutrients
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Fat (Total and saturated)
Cholesterol
Sodium & Potassium
Carbohydrates
Protein
Vitamins and minerals (A, C, Calcium, Iron)
Nutrition Facts Panel
• Percent Daily Values (%DV)
– Based on
• A diet of 2,000 cal/day
• Reference Daily Intakes (RDI) for foods with RDA
value
• Daily Reference Values (DRV) for foods without
RDA value
– What good is this?
Table 2-6
Page 58
Nutrition Facts Panel
• Footnote
– Contains general dietary advice for all people
– Must be present on all food labels
– Compares a 2,000 calorie diet with a 2,500
calorie diet
Dietary Guidelines
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans
– General advice for nutrition and health from
• US Department of Health and Human Services
• US Department of Agriculture
– Revised every 5 years (most recently in
2005)
– Emphasize wise food choices and physical
activity
Dietary Guidelines
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Maintain body weight in a “healthy” range
30 min/day of moderate physical activity
Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
Choose high fiber and whole grain foods
Limit saturated fats and trans fats
Limit sodium intake
Moderate alcohol consumption
• How do you think America is doing?
• How are you doing?
Food Pyramid & MyPyramid
• Graphic representation of types and
relative quantities of foods for good
nutrition
• MyPyramid - developed in 2005 by:
– US Department of Health and Human Services
– US Department of Agriculture
Daily Food Guide Pyramid
Key:
Fat (naturally occuring and added)
Sugars (added)
These symbols show fats, oils and
added sugars in foods.
Milk, Yogurt &
Cheese Group
2–3 servings
Vegetable Group
3–5 servings
Fats, Oils & Sweets
Use sparingly; Fat (naturally
occurring and added)
Meat, Poultry,
Fish, Dry Beans,
Eggs & Nuts Group
2– 3 servings
Fruit Group
2–4 servings
Bread, Cereal, Rice & Pasta Group 6 –11 servings
Daily Food Guide Pyramid
Breadth of the base shows that grains (breads, cereals, rice, and pasta) deserve highest
emphasis in the diet. The tip is smallest: use fats, oils, and sweets sparingly.
MyPyramid
• Emphasizes:
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Physical activity
Moderation
Personalization
Proportionality
Variety
Gradual improvement
Recommended Consumption Pyramid
Actual Consumption Pyramid
2–3
servings
5–7 oz
3–5
servings
1.5
servings
4.7 oz
2–4
servings
3.3
servings
1.5
servings
6–11 servings
6–7 servings
Recommended Consumption Pyramid
Actual Consumption Pyramid
New MyPyramid goals were developed largely do to this
top-heavy actual pyramid
MyPyramid Goals
• Increases - vitamins, minerals, dietary
fiber, other essential nutrients
• Trades - Reduce intake of fats and
cholesterol and increase intake of fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains
• Balance energy intake with energy
expenditure to achieve & maintain a
healthy body weight
How should # of servings
vary with energy intake?
Variations on MyPyramid
A Sample Diet Plan and Menu
This sample menu provides about 1600 kcalories & meets dietary recommendations
to provide 45 to 65 % of its kcals from carbohydrate, 20 to 35 % from fat,
and 10 to 35 % from protein. The mayonnaise in the sandwich and the salad
dressing on the salad count as added fat at the tip of the Pyramid.
From Guidelines to Groceries
• Grains
– Refined foods lose nutrients (vitamins,
minerals, fiber) during processing.
– Enriched foods have nutrients added back
• Ex: iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate.
– Whole-grain products are unrefined.
• Ex: brown rice & oatmeal.
– Fortified foods have nutrients added that
were not part of the original food.
Nutrients in Bread
Whole-grain bread
Enriched white bread
Unenriched white bread
Percentage of nutrients as compared with whole-grain bread
From Guidelines to Groceries
• Vegetables
– Choose fresh vegetables.
– Choose Dark green leafy & yellow-orange
vegetables.
• Good sources of vitamins, minerals, & fiber
– Choose Legumes
• Variety is important
• Economical
• Low-fat, nutrient-rich and fiber-rich
From Guidelines to Groceries
• Fruit
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Citrus and yellow-orange fruits.
Processed fruits are acceptable alternatives
Provides vitamins, minerals & fiber
What about fruit juices?
• lack fiber but often nutrient dense
– What about fruit “drinks”?
• Often energy dense & nutrient poor
From Guidelines to Groceries
• Meat, fish and poultry
– Provides minerals, protein and B vitamins
– Lean cuts provide less saturated fat &
cholesterol.
– TVP - processed soybean protein; can be used
in place of meat.
– Use low-fat cooking methods.
• trim & drain fat.
Diet Plans
• Restrictive diet plans can be healthy
– The 5-A-Day the Color Way
– The DASH Diet Plan
Diet Plans
• The 5-A-Day the Color Way Program
– Designed by the National Cancer Institute
– Based on evidence linking high fruit and
vegetable consumption with cancer
prevention
– Recommends a minimum of 5 fruits and
vegetables per day
Diet Plans
• The DASH Diet Plan
– Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
– Similar to MyPyramid except:
• DASH recommends more fruits and vegetables
• Limits sodium intake to 3,000 mg/day
– Shown to reduce blood pressure
•Health Claims
New…with various levels of confidence.
Table 2-9
Page 61
Structure-Function Claims
A company can say
anything it likes, without
any evidence, and without
FDA approval.
Eating Out on a Healthful
Diet
• Eating in restaurants often involves:
– High-fat foods
– Large portion sizes
• A restaurant meal can be equivalent
to the recommended fat or calorie
intake for an entire day!
Eating Out on a Healthful Diet
• Avoid breaded or fried foods
– Almost always processed & nutrient poor
• Order salad (with dressing on the side) instead of
soup or fries
– Reduces saturated fats & sodium
• Ask for steamed vegetables
– retain their vitamins & mineral
• Substitute vegetables for potatoes or rice
– Lower glycemic index; nutrient dense
• Avoid cream sauces or cheese sauces
– LOTS of saturated Fat & cholesterol
• Order small portions (such as appetizers)