Basic Tools In Nutrition

Food group plan: a diet-planning tool that sorts food into groups based on nutrient content and then specifies that people should eat certain amounts of food from each group

 USDA food guide: the USDAs food group plan for ensuring dietary adequacy that assigns food to five major food groups

 Recommended Daily Food Amounts all food groups offer valuable nutrients, and people should make selections from each group daily

Dietary Guidelines
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 provide science-based advice to promote health and to reduce the risk for chronic diseases through diet and physical activity.

 the guidelines are targeted to the general public over 2 years of age in the United States.

in general, the Dietary Guidelines answer the question: What should an individual eat to stay healthy?

Food composition tables

Food exchange list

Nutrition density Nutrition Density The USDA Food Guides provides a foundation or a healthy diet by emphasizing nutrient-dense options within each food group.

By consistently selecting nutrientdense food, a person can both obtain all the nutrients needed and keep calories under control

In contrast, eating food that are low in nutrient density makes it difficult to get enough nutrients without exceeding energy needs and gaining weight.

 Discretionary kCalorie Allowance the calories remaining in a persons energy allowance after consuming enough nutrient-dense food to meet all nutrient needs for one day.
the difference between the kcalories needed to supply nutrients and those needed for energy

MyPyramid
The USDA created an educational tool called MyPyramid to illustrate the concepts presented in the Dietary Guidelines and the USDA Food Guide

The Food Pyramid

GRAINS

VEGETABLES

FRUITS

OILS

MILK

MEAT & BEANS

Food Labels

The ingredients List All food must list all ingredients on the label in descending order by dominance and weight Serving sizes the FDA has established specific serving with various food and requires that all labels for a given product use the same serving size

The Daily Values reference values developed by the FDA specifically for use on food labels

Nutrition facts must provide the nutrient amount, percent Daily Value and nutrient content information for vitamins (A, C) and minerals (iron, calcium)

Nutrient Claims Statements that characterize the quantity of a nutrient in a food.

Health claims statements that characterize the relationship between a nutrient or other substance in food and a disease or health-related condition

Structure-Function Claims statements that describe how a product may affect a structure or function of the body e.g. Calcium builds strong bones (Structure-function do not require FDA authorization)

SOURCES: Nutrition and diet therapy, Debruyne et al. Cengage Learning Nutrition and diet Therapy. 9th ed.Roth, Ruth A. Thomson Learning