Chapter 2
Nutrition Guidelines: Tools for a Healthy Diet
Key Terms
1.
nutrient density: A description of the healthfulness of foods.
2.
food groups: Categories of similar foods, such as fruits or vegetables.
3.
enrich: The addition of vitamins and minerals lost or diminished during food processing,
particularly the addition of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and iron to grain
products.
4.
overnutrition: The long-term consumption of an excess of nutrients. The most common
type in the United States is due to the regular consumption of excess calories, fats,
saturated fats, and cholesterol.
5.
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs): The maximum levels of daily nutrient intakes that
are unlikely to pose health risks to almost all of the individuals in the group for whom
they are designed.
6.
requirement: The lowest continuing intake level of a nutrient that prevents deficiency in
an individual.
7.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS): The principal federal agency
responsible for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human
services. The agency is especially concerned with those Americans who are least able to
help themselves.
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8.
Exchange Lists: Lists of foods that in specified portions provide equivalent amounts of
carbohydrate, fat, protein, and energy. Any food in an Exchange List can be substituted
for any other without markedly affecting macronutrient intake.
9.
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs): The nutrient intake level that meets the
nutrient needs of almost all (97 to 98 percent) individuals in a life-stage and gender
group.
10.
Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs): Canadian dietary standards that have been
replaced by Dietary Reference Intakes.
11.
Estimated Energy Requirement (EER): Dietary energy intake that is predicted to maintain
energy balance in a healthy adult of a defined age, gender, weight, height, and level of
physical activity consistent with good health.
12.
dietary standards: Set of values for recommended intake nutrients.
13.
fortify: Refers to the addition of vitamins or minerals that weren’t originally present in a
food.
14.
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDRs): Range of intakes for a
particular energy source that is associated with reduced risk of chronic disease while
providing adequate intakes of essential nutrients.
15.
statement of identity: Mandate that commercial food products display prominently the
common or usual name of the product or identify the food with an “appropriately
descriptive term.”
16.
nutrition facts: A portion of the food label that states the content of selected nutrients in a
food in a standard way prescribed by the FDA.
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17.
undernutrition: Poor health resulting from the depletion of nutrients due to inadequate
nutrient intake over time. It is now most often associated with poverty, alcoholism, and
some types of eating disorders.
18.
skinfold measurement: A method to estimate body fat by measuring with calipers the
thickness of a fold of skin and subcutaneous fat.
19.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): A framework of dietary standards that includes
Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA),
Adequate Intake (AI), and Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL).
20.
clinical observations: assessment by evaluating the characteristics of wellbeing that can
be seen in a physical exam.
Fill-in-the-Blank
1.
The DRI value that meets the estimated nutrient needs of 50 percent of individuals in a
specific life-stage and gender group is the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR).
2.
Recommendations to help Canadians select foods to meet energy and nutrient needs while
reducing risk of chronic disease can be found in Canada’s Guidelines for Healthy Eating.
3.
The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) is an amendment to the Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act of 1938. It made major changes to the content and scope of the nutrition
label and to other elements of food labels. Final regulations were published in 1993 and
went into effect in 1994.
4.
The foundation of federal nutrition policy, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are
jointly developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS). These science-based guidelines are intended to
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reduce the number of Americans who develop chronic diseases such as hypertension,
diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and alcoholism.
5.
Nutrient content claims describe the level of a nutrient or dietary substance in a product,
using terms such as good source, high, or free.
6.
The federal agency responsible for assuring that foods sold in the United States (except for
eggs, poultry, and meat) are safe, wholesome, and labeled properly is the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). This agency sets standards for the composition of some foods,
inspects food plants, and monitors imported foods. It is part of the Public Health Services, a
component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
7.
Food labels are required by law on virtually all packaged foods and must include the
following five requirements:
8.
(1)
a statement of identity
(2)
the net contents (by weight, volume, or measure) of the package
(3)
the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor
(4)
a list of ingredients
(5)
nutrition information
Any statement that associates a food or a substance in a food with a disease or healthrelated condition is a health claim. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
authorizes these.
9.
MyPlate is an educational tool based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and
designed as a reminder to make healthy food choices and be physically active every day.
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10.
Canada’s official food rules have evolved into Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide,
which places food into four groups: Grain Products, Vegetables and Fruits, Milk Products,
and Meat and Meat alternatives.
11.
Nutrition Facts are a portion of the food label that states the content of selected nutrients
in a food in a standard way prescribed by the Food and Drug Administration. By law, these
must appear on nearly all processed food products in the United States.
12.
Daily Values (DVs) are a single set of nutrient intake standards developed by the Food and
Drug Administration to represent the needs of the “typical” consumer and are used as
standards for expressing nutrient content on food labels.
13.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) monitors the production of eggs, poultry,
and meat for adherence to standards of quality and wholesomeness. This federal
department also provides public nutrition education, performs nutrition research, and
administers the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
14.
The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) is responsible for assembling the group of nutrition
scientists who review available scientific data to determine appropriate intake levels of the
known essential nutrients.
15.
Structure/function claims are statements that may claim a benefit related to preventing a
nutrient-deficiency disease or that describe the role of a nutrient or dietary ingredient
intended to affect a structure or function in humans.
16.
Adequate Intake (AI) is the DRI value that appears to sustain a defined nutritional state or
some other indicator of health (e.g., growth rate or normal circulating nutrient values) in a
specific population or subgroup. This is used when there is insufficient scientific evidence
to establish an Estimated Average Requirement (EAR).
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17. The nutrition assessment components otherwise known as the “ABCDs” of nutrition
assessment include: anthropometric assessment, biochemical tests, clinical
observations, and dietary intake.
Fill-in-the-Blank Summaries
Linking Nutrients, Foods, and Health
Nutritional health involves obtaining all of the nutrients in amounts needed to support body
processes. If someone has poor health due to inadequate intake of nutrients over time, this
is referred to as poor nutrition. Consuming too much food can be detrimental as well.
Overnutrition is the chronic consumption of more than is necessary for good health and
can lead to chronic diseases. The USDA MyPlate illustrates the basic concepts of variety,
moderation, proportionality, physical activity, gradual improvement, and personalization
to help Americans make healthy food choices and be active each day. Your diet is balanced
if the amount of calories you take in is equal to the amount of energy you spend in daily
activities and exercise.
Dietary Intake: Collecting Dietary Intake Data
A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) asks how often the subject consumes specific foods,
rather than what specific foods the subject consumes daily. Food records, or diaries,
provide detailed information about day-to-day eating habits. The 24-hour dietary recall is
the simplest form of dietary intake data collection. The most comprehensive form of
dietary intake data collection is diet history.
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Short Answer
1.
The Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate recommend that individuals eat more: vegetables,
fruits, whole grains, milk and milk products, and oils and reduce: sodium, solid fats,
added sugars, and refined grains.
2.
Visit the MyPlate website (www.ChooseMyPlate.gov) and select the “Get a personal
plan” link. Enter your profile in the Daily Food Plan. After reviewing your results,
consider your current diet and exercise habits. How do they compare to what is
recommended? What changes (if any) would you need to make to meet the daily
requirements?
Student answers will vary based on current diet and exercise habits but should include an
honest assessment of changes that could be made.
3.
List the five core nutrition concepts that menu planning tools, such as the USDA
MyPlateFood Guidance System and Exchange Lists, rely on.
Adequacy, balance, calorie control, nutrient density, and variety
4.
Is it possible to be on a tight budget and still eat in a healthy way? What does the
MyPlate website (www.ChooseMyPlate.gov) list as the three Ps of eating healthy on a
budget? Using the tips from the MyPlate webpage, Eating Healthy on a Budget, list what
you can do to eat healthier and save money
(www.choosemyplate.gov/downloads/PlanPurchasePrepare.pdf).
Plan, Purchase, and Prepare.
5.
Nutrition assessment involves the collection of various types of data. List these four
criteria and give an example of each.
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Anthropometric measurements—height and weight, skinfold; biochemical tests—
laboratory values; clinical observations—observation of hair, nails, skin, eyes, lips, mouth,
bones, muscles, and joints; dietary intake—diet history.
6.
Use one of the five core nutrition concepts to answer the following questions:
A.
A person who consumes more calories than they need without getting 100% of
the recommended intakes for a number of nutrients would best be described as
having a diet low in adequacy.
B.
Avoiding foods from one certain food group is an example of a person lacking
variety.
C.
Choosing to eat a baked potato rather than french fries is an example of a person
making a food decision based on nutrient density.
D.
Matching the amount of calories you eat each day to the amount of calories you
use best describes your diet as being balanced.
7.
For disease risk reduction benefits, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity
activity on most days of the week.
8.
To prevent the gradual weight gain often associated with aging, 60 minutes of exercise
each day is recommended.
9.
Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for the body and often are a good source
of fiber, which can lower chronic disease risk.
10.
Eating less salt, more potassium, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly
are all good ways to decrease your risk of which chronic disease?
High blood pressure
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11.
The Exchange Lists are a diet-planning tool that defines food in groups based on their
macronutrient content.
Labeling
Anatomy of MyPlate
Identify the concepts illustrated by MyPlate and the food groups depicted by each section.
USDA’s new MyPlate icon is designed to remind Americans to eat healthy. The symbol has been
designed to be simple. MyPlate shows the five food groups using a place setting, which is a
familiar mealtime visual.
Fruits; Grains; Vegetables; Protein; Dairy
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