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~ Write a response to this teento help solve the problem.

My family is really busy, and we don'thave a lot of time to cook. It seemslike we eat an awful lot of take-out,

packaged meals, and frozen dinners.I wonder if we are getting too muchsodium, sugar, and fat. I also don'tthink we get enough fresh vegetablesand whole grains. What can we do?

Vocabulary• Dietary Guidelines for

Americans

• nutrient-dense food

• MyPyramid plan

Section 3

Objectives~ Explain how the Dietary

Guidelines for Americans

can help you plan ahealthful diet.

~ Summarize the

recommendations in the

MyPyramid plan.

The ~ietary GuidelinesHow can'you make sure you get enough nutrients while consuming the

number of calories that is right for you? The United States Department of

Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human serv­ices have published the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to help you figure

out the answer to this question. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans is

a document developed by nutrition experts to promote health and help

people reduce their risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes through

diet and physical activity. The Dietary Guidelines provide informationon how to make smart food choices, balance food intake with physical

activity, get the most nutrition out of the calories you consume, andhandle food safely.

Make Smart Food Choices To obtain all the nutrients you need,

choose a wide variety of foods. Include plenty of whole-grain foods, veg­etables, and fruits. These foods are rich in complex carbohydrates and

fiber. Milk and milk products are an important part of a healthful diet,

especially for adolescents who are still growing. Milk products providethe calcium needed to prevent bone loss. Choose low-fat or nonfat milk

and milk products to keep cholesterol down and thus reduce your risk ofheart disease.

210 Chapter 8

Hungry(ID]~ snack?

nutrient-dense foods:

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FIGURE 14 If you're hungry for asnack, it is still possible to makehealthy food choices.

veggies

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Handle Food Safely Part of good nutrition is using safe proce­

dures to prepare, handle, and store the food you eat. Food-borne illnesses

can be prevented if you follow a few simple steps.

~ Keep your hands and surfaces that come into contact with food clean.

~ Separate raw and cooked foods while preparing or storing them.

~ Cook meat, poultry, and fish to safe internal temperatures.

~ If food is perishable, chill it right away.

~ Thaw foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter.

Get the Most Nutrition Out of Your Calories Choose foods

that are nutrient-dense. Nutrient-dense foods contain lots of vitamins

and'minerals relative to the number of calories. At the same time, nutri­

ent-dense foods are low in saturated fat, trans fat, added sugar, and salt.

Lean meats, fish, poultry, and legumes are nutrient-dense foods. If you

are hungry for a snack, some good nutrient-dense choices are shown in

Figure 14. Limit your intake of sweet snacks and soft drinks. These foods

contain lots of sugar but few other useful nutrients.

Most people consume too much sodium but not enough potassium.

Eating more fruits and vegetables can boost your potassium intake. To

reduce your sodium intake, limit salty snacks, pickled foods, luncheon

meats, and canned soups.

Balance Food and Physical Activity Regular physical activity

is important for your overall health and fitness. Maintaining a healthy

weight is a matter of balancing the calories you take in with how active

you are. Health problems can develop if you are overweight or under­

weight. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that teenagers be active for

60 minutes most days.

tmn:7 What kinds of things could you do to be more

yOU!LI!~ active each day?

Food and Nutrition 211

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FIGURE 15 The Mypyramid plan

emphasizes a balance betweennutrient intake and physical activitythat can be tailored to yournutritional needs.

Interpreting Diagrams Which

group should you consume in thesmallest amount?

Physical Activity"

As a teenager, youshould try to be active60 minutes most days.

Make half the grains you eat whole grains. Lookfor the word whole before the name of the grain.Good choices are

• breads: whole-wheat or rye, pita, rolls, tortillas

• pasta: macaroni, spaghetti, rice noodles

• other grains: rice, crackers,couscous, bulgur,breakfast cereals-

• Eat a variety of fruits, such as apples,bananas, mangoes, oranges,papayas, grapes, and pineapples.

• Limit your fruit juices.

• Get plenty of calcium- rich foods.• Choose low-fat or fat-free

when you consume milk, yogurt,or cheese.

212 Chapter 8

MyPyramid Plan

Vary your vegetables. Include in your diet

• dark green vegetables: spinach, kale,mustard or collard greens

• orange vegetables: carrots, squash,sweet potatoes

• dry beans and peas

• starchy vegetables: potatoes, corn, lima beans

• Consume most of your fats fromfish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

• Limit solid fats, such as butter,stick margarine, shortening, and lard.

Meat and Beans+!:+'%'~!fW'::~00;~, ""**~"i;;""tii',",~,!!¥<",,,,,,",'

Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry.Vary your protein by choosing

• fish, nuts, seeds

• beans or peas, such as kidney,garbanzo, fava, navy, lentils

Recommended Servings Per Day for 16-Year-Olds

Activity1--- '-'-11 -1Level.. @Elm' ._~

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IIISedentary Male

8 ounces"I3 cups

II2 cups

,3 cups

II6 + ounces

Female6 ounces2+ cups1+ cups3 cups5 ounces

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Moderate Male10 ounces3+ cups2 + cups

.3 cups

II7 ouncesIIFemale6 ounces2+ cups2 cups3 cups.I5 + ounces,.

:,1:Active

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10 ounces4 cups1

3 cups7 ounces22 cups II,

Female8 ounces3 cups2 cupsI3 cups,I6+ ounces

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The "MyPyramid Plan"Younow know that you need to eat a variety of foods. But how shouldyou choose which foods to eat? To help people plan their meals andsnacks, the USDA has designed a set of diagrams called "MyPyramidPlans."Figure 15 shows the basic parts of the MyPyramid diagram.

The MyPyramid plan groups foods according to types and indicateshow much of each type should be eaten daily for a healthy diet. Unlikepast plans, the MyPyramid plans differ with a person's age, sex,and activity level. The pyramid also includes physical activity as animportant part of staying healthy.

The Colored Bands Notice that the pyramid is divided into sixcolored bands. Each band represents one of five food groups, plus oils.Thewidth of each band indicates the proportion of your diet that shouldcomefrom that group. For example, by comparing the width of the grainsband to that of the meat and beans band, you learn that your diet shouldinclude more grains than meat and beans.

The Stair Steps The stair steps in the pyramid represent physicalactivity. Exercise is important for balancing the calories you consume

with the c~lories you use. The chart below shows how the recommendedservings from each group vary for teens depending on their activity level.

Creating Your Own MyPyramid Plan You can create yourown personalized MyPyramid plan by visiting the USDA'sWeb site onthe Internet. It contains details about the foods in each group, sugges­tions for planning menus, and calorie counts based on activity levels.

tmIl:J How could you include more whole grains in

YOURLlF!) your diet?

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For: More on MyPyramidplans

Visit: PHSchool.comWeb Code: ctd-3083

Food and Nutrition 213

FIGURE 16 Eating a healthybreakfast will help you to resistunhealthy foods later in the day.

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Using the Food GuidelinesPlanning a nutritious diet does not mean you must forego all the foods

you love. You can still have a dab of margarine on your toast and your

favorite chocolate bar as a rare treat. Here are some tips for following theDietary Guidelines and the MyPyramid plan.

Meals You don't need to consume every food group at every meal. But

you should try to vary your diet at each meal.

~ Breakfast Don't skip breakfast. Choose whole-grain cereals, low- fat

milk or yogurt, and fruit. Limit pastries, eggs, and bacon.

~ Lunch Focus on whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Use mustard or

ketchup instead of mayonnaise. Try low-fat cheese on pizza.

~ Dinner Trim excess fat from meats. Instead of fried meats or fish, try

them grilled. Choose low-fat dressings, and limit butter.

Snacks When snacking, choose foods with high nutrient density.

~ Try satisfying your sweet tooth with fruit instead of cookies.

~ Make a whole-wheat bagel, not a donut, your after-school treat.

~ When you go to the movies, choose unbuttered popcorn.

Eating Out When you eat at fast-food restaurants, follow these tips.

~ Substitute low-fat milk, water, or fruit juice for shakes and soft drinks.

~ Select the salad bar in place of fries or onion rings. But go easy on

dyessings, cheese, bacon bits, and croutons.

~ Choose a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a burger.

Section 3 Review

Key Ideas and Vocabulary1. What are the four main recommendations

contained in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans?

2. What does it mean to say that food is nutrient­dense? Give an example of a nutrient-dense food.

3. What is indicated by the different bands in theMyPyramid plan? What do the stair steps mean?

Critical Thinking4. Evaluating Choose the row in the chart on

page 213 that best applies to you. Evaluatewhether your diet is in line with the recommendednumber of servings from each food group.

214 Chapter 8

Health at

Improving Your Diet Keep track of how manyfats and sweets you eat over the next three days.Then, come up with a plan to substitute nutrient­dense foods for the fats and sweets you eat.Monitor your diet for a week and evaluate howwell you stuck to your plan. ~

s. Classifying' In the MyPyramid plan, the milkproduct butter is placed with oils rather than withthe milk group. Why do you think it is classifiedthis way?

"I

Chapter 8

Reviewing K~y Ideas

Section 1

1. Complex carbohydrates area. composed of sugars linked together.b. found in grain products.c. good sources of energy.d. all of the above.

2. Which of the following foods is high in protein?a. an apple b. lettucec. candy d. chicken

3. What is the role of glucose in the body?

4. Why is fiber necessary for the proper functioning

of the digestive system? ~

5. How can you limit your intake of fats andcholesterol?

6. What are amino acids? Why are some of themcalled "essential"?

7. Critical Thinking In many cultures, people getvery little protein from animal sources. How mightthese people obtain the protein they need?

Section 2 .8. Which of these nutrients is sometimes associated

with high blood pressure?a. sodium b. calcium

c. iron d. carbohydrate

9. Lossof water through heavy perspiring can result ina. homeostasis. b. dehydration.c. anemia. d. metabolism.

10. Explain how antioxidants are important to yourhealth. Which foods are good sources ofantioxidants?

11. Which mineral can help build strong bones andteeth? Name one nondairy source of this mineral.

12. Give three reasons why water is such an importantnutrient.

13. Critical Thinking If a person's diet does notcontain enough iron, his or her tissues may notget all the oxygen they need. Explain why thisis so.

14. Critical Thinking How can your diet todayaffect your future health? Explain.

216 Chapter 8

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For: Chapter 8 self testVisit: PHSchool.comWeb Code: cta-3080

Section 315. Which of the following is not used to determine

the amounts you should consume from each foodgroup in the MyPyramid plan?a. age b. sex

c. weight d. activity level

16. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that you makesmart food choices. Explain what this recommen­dation means.

17. Which band in the MyPyramid plan is the widest?Explain what this means.

18. Critical Thinking Several friends are planning aweek-long backpacking trip in the mountains.They must carryall of their food in backpacks, soamounts must be limited. What kind of foods

could they take to meet their nutritional needs?

eBuilding Health Skills19. Analyzing Influences Many American

teenagers have diets high in fats. Write a letter tothe editor of your local newspaper explaining why .Suggest steps that can be taken to improve teendiets. ~

20. Accessing Information Laurie dislikes dairyproducts. Research and plan three meals thatinclude calcium-rich foods.

21. Setting Goals Write down everything you eatfor a week. Classify the foods into the groups inthe MyPyramid plan. Then, come up with a planto align your diet with the amounts recommendedfor your age, sex, and activity level. See how youdo for the next week.

Health and

Food Pantry Visit Volunteer at a local foodpantry or soup kitchen for a day. You may beinvolved in preparing food, chatting withpatrons, or cleaning up afterward. What did youfind out that you didn't know before? Write an

editorial describing your experience. ~

~tandardized Test PrepMath Practic.e Reading and Writing Practice

The graphic below compares the typical American dietto the diet recommended by nutritionists. Use thegraphic to answer Questions 22-24.

22. Which nutrient do Americans typically eat morethan double the recommended amount?A unsaturated fats

B proteinsC carbohydratesD saturated fats

23. In the typical diet, if a person consumed a total of2,000 calories in a day, how many of thosecalories would be from fats?F 420 caloriesG 620 caloriesH 740 calories

J 940 calories

24. To bring the typical diet more in line with therecommended diet, people shouldA cut their intake of unsaturated fats by one half.B cut their intake of saturated fats by two thirds.C cut their protein intake in half.D double their carbohydrate intake.

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Read the passage. Then answer Questions 25-28.

25. In a cow, trans fats are produced when hydrogenA mixes with saturated fats from the cow's diet.

B mixes with vegetable oil.C is given off during respiration.D mixes with unsaturated fats during digestion.

26. Trans fats can best be limited in the diet byF eating chicken instead of beef.G limiting baked goods.H drinking low-fat milk.J eliminating milk.

27. Which of the following does not contain trans fats?A donutsB a cow's dietC milk

D low-fat yogurt

Constructed Response28. In a paragraph, compare how trans fats are

formed in the lab versus in an animal.

Be sure to eat a good breakfast themorning of your test. The brain worksbetter whtm it has fuel.

Test-Taking Tip

Trans fats are produced in a laboratory by heatingvegetable oil and bubbling hydrogen through it.How then do animal products, such as beef or milk,contain small amounts of trans fats? In cows, the

digestive process produces hydrogen. The hydrogenthen mixes with unsaturated fats from the cow's diet

to produce a small amount of trans fats. However,foods such as donuts, cookies, and other baked

goods contain trans fats in much greater amounts.Thus, avoiding these processed foods is the most

effective way to limit trans fats in your diet.

55%Carbohydrates

18%Proteins

21%Unsaturated fats

Recommended Diet

48%Carbohydrates

15%Proteins

21%Unsaturated fats

16%Saturated fats

Typical Diet

Food and Nutrition 217