Chapter 2:Planning a Healthy Diet

Principles and Guidelines

A Healthful Diet

• Planning a healthful diet– Principles & Guidelines key to assisting people in

selecting foods to deliver nutrients without excess energy

– Assist in food selection while shopping, eating at restaurant, or preparing meals at home

A Healthful Diet• Provides proper

combination of energy & nutrients.

• A healthful diet is...– Adequate– Balanced– Energy controlled– Moderate– Nutrient dense– Varied

Diet Planning Principles

• A Healthful Diet Is Adequate

• An adequate diet provides enough energy, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fibre to support a person’s health.

Diet Planning Principles

• A Healthful Diet Is Balanced

• A balanced diet contains the right combinations of foods to provide the proper balance of nutrients.

• Providing foods in proportion to each other and in proportion to body’s needs

Diet Planning Principles• A Healthful Diet has Energy Control

• A healthful diet contains the right amounts of foods for maintaining proper weight.

• Nutrient-density supports adequacy & moderation – Measure of the nutrients in a food relative to energy

provided– ↑ nutrients ↓ energy = high nutrient density– ↑ energy ↓ nutrients = high energy density

Energy Density

450 gram breakfast delivers 500 kcal

Energy density of 1.1 kcal/g

144 gram breakfast delivers 500 kcal

Energy density of 3.5 kcal/g

Nutrient Density

Medium apple provides 72 kcal, 14.37 g sugar, 2.6g fibre, 148mg potassium, 6.4mg vit C

Apple Juice (1 cup) provides 121 kcal, 25g sugar, .5g fribre, 265mg potassium, 107 mg vit C

Diet Planning Principles

• A Healthful Diet Is Moderate

• A person practicing moderation chooses high nutrient dense foods most often & high energy dense foods least often

• Contributes to adequacy, balance, & energy control

Diet Planning Principles

• A Healthful Diet Is Varied

• Variety refers to eating many different types of foods each day within and among the major food groups.

• A healthful diet is not based on only one or a few types of foods.

Designing a Healthful Diet

• The tools for designing a healthful diet may include:

– Dietary Guidelines– Food Guides– Diet Plans– Food Labels

Tools for Dietary Guidance - Dietary Guidelines

Tools for Dietary Guidance - Food Guides

• Basic tools designed to help people make wise food choices.

• Translate science into practical pattern of food choices.

Evolution of Food Guides in Canada

Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide - 2007

Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

Is based on current evidenceIs based on current evidence

Communicates amounts and types of Communicates amounts and types of food needed to help:food needed to help:– Meet nutrient needs and promote health Meet nutrient needs and promote health – Minimize the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, Minimize the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes,

heart disease, certain types of cancer and heart disease, certain types of cancer and osteoporosisosteoporosis

Provides the cornerstone for nutrition Provides the cornerstone for nutrition policies and programspolicies and programs

Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

Rainbow design emphasizes Rainbow design emphasizes

vegetables and fruitvegetables and fruit

Background image depicts Background image depicts connection between food connection between food and their originand their origin

Graphics reflect diversity of Graphics reflect diversity of foods available in Canadafoods available in Canada

A healthy eating pattern for Canadians

The interior pages provide guidance on The interior pages provide guidance on quantityquantity of food to eat and of food to eat and qualityquality of food of food choiceschoices

Guidance on the quantity of food

Guidance is given Guidance is given for males and for males and females, 2 years females, 2 years and older:and older:– Children, teens and Children, teens and

adultsadults

A small amount of A small amount of unsaturated fats is unsaturated fats is recommendedrecommended– For intake of For intake of

essential fatty acidsessential fatty acids

What is one Food Guide Serving?

• A “Food Guide Serving” is:– A reference amount– Not necessarily intended to represent

what would be eaten in one sitting

• Illustrations and different measures are used to help communicate what is one Food Guide Serving

Counting Food Guide Servings

• An example is provided illustrating how to estimate the number of Food Guide Servings in a meal

Guidance on the quality of food choices

• Oils and fats – The types of oils and fats to include and the

types to limit

• Choices within each food group– Guidance on lower fat / sugar / salt choices

(ex: “Choose vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt.”)

– The Food Guide includes more guidance on quality of choices

Guidance on the quality of food choices: Vegetables & Fruit

• Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day – For folate and vitamin A intake

• Have vegetables & fruit more often than juice

– For fibre intake

Guidance on the quality of food choices: Grain Products

• Make at least half your grain products whole grain each day– For fibre and magnesium intake– To reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

Guidance on the quality of food choices: Milk and Alternatives

• Drink skim, 1%, or 2% milk each day– For calcium and vitamin D intake

• Have 500 mL (2 cups) of milk every day for adequate vitamin D

• Drink fortified soy beverages if you do not drink milk

Guidance on the quality of food choices: Meat and Alternatives

• Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often– For a lower saturated fat intake– For fibre intake

• Eat at least two Food Guide Servings of fish each week

– To reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

Make each Food Guide Serving count….

Advice on the Advice on the qualityquality of food choices is of food choices is an essential part of the patternan essential part of the pattern– Bolded statements provide Bolded statements provide advice on advice on qualityquality of choices of choices

– Statements in regular font Statements in regular font provide actionable tipsprovide actionable tips

Messages on variety and Messages on variety and waterwater

Advice for children

Young children need to eat small Young children need to eat small amounts of food throughout the day. amounts of food throughout the day.

Nutritious foods that contain fat do Nutritious foods that contain fat do not need to be restricted.not need to be restricted.– These foods are a concentrated source These foods are a concentrated source

of calories that are needed for growth.of calories that are needed for growth.

Parents and caregivers are role Parents and caregivers are role models.models.

Advice for women of childbearing age

All women who could become pregnant All women who could become pregnant and those who are pregnant or and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding breastfeeding – need a multivitamin containing 400 need a multivitamin containing 400

micrograms folic acid every daymicrograms folic acid every day

Pregnant women - multivitamin should Pregnant women - multivitamin should contain iron.contain iron.

Advice for women of childbearing age

Extra calories are needed during: Extra calories are needed during: – The 2The 2ndnd and 3 and 3rdrd trimesters of trimesters of

pregnancypregnancy– BreastfeedingBreastfeeding

Including an extra 2 or 3 Food Including an extra 2 or 3 Food Guide Servings is expected to Guide Servings is expected to meet these additional needsmeet these additional needs

Advice for men and women over 50

Health benefits are associated with Health benefits are associated with adequate vitamin D intakeadequate vitamin D intake

Vitamin D requirements increase at Vitamin D requirements increase at age 50 and again at age 70: age 50 and again at age 70:– 400 IU (10 micrograms) at age 51400 IU (10 micrograms) at age 51– 600 IU (15 micrograms) at age 71600 IU (15 micrograms) at age 71

Advice for men and women over 50

It is difficult to meet these vitamin It is difficult to meet these vitamin D levels without recommending D levels without recommending unrealistic amounts of some unrealistic amounts of some foodsfoods

A supplement containing 400 IU A supplement containing 400 IU vitamin D, in addition to following vitamin D, in addition to following the Food Guide will achieve the Food Guide will achieve recommended dietary intake recommended dietary intake levelslevels

Eat well and be active every day

• Highlights benefits of eating well & being active

• Encourages regular physical activity– 30 to 60 minutes per day for adults– At least 90 minutes per day for children and

teens

• Includes messaging about adding up short periods throughout the day

Eat well and be active every day

• Encourages eating the recommended amount & type of food

• Encourages limiting foods high in calories, fat, sugar, salt

Eat well and be active every day

• Encourages the use of the Nutrition Facts table– To choose foods with less fat,

saturated and trans fat, sugar and sodium– To become aware of the calorie

content of foods

• Encourages asking for nutrition information to make informed choices

Eat well and be active every dayProvides actionable tips Provides actionable tips towards… towards…

– Eating well: ‘Take time to Eating well: ‘Take time to eat and savour every bite!’eat and savour every bite!’

– And being active: ‘Walk And being active: ‘Walk wherever you can – get off wherever you can – get off the bus early, use the the bus early, use the stairs.’stairs.’

Food Guide On-line• Includes interactive tools:

– Guided tour– My Food Guide

• Links to Dietitians of Canada “EATracker”

• www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide

United States http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

Food Guides Around Food Guides Around the Worldthe World

Food Guides Around the World

GreeceGreece

Food Labeling in Canada

Consumer Use of Food Labels

• ¾ of Canadians say food labels play an important role in purchase decisions

• Important tool to making healthy food choices

National Institute of Nutrition

Nutrition Label

• Regulation January 1, 2003– make nutrition labelling mandatory by 2007– update requirements for nutrient content

claims– allow nutrition claims

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/nutrition/index_e.html

Food Labels in Canada• Appear on virtually all processed foods• Posters or brochures for fresh products• Foods not requiring nutrition labels

– Food products contributing few nutrients– Food products made by small businesses– Foods prepared & sold in same establishment– Individual packages not for resale

• Unless a health claim is made or fortification done• Many voluntarily provide labels

• Restaurants exempt from providing complete nutrition info except if health claim made

Food Labels in Canada

• Canadian food labels provide– Name of the product– Net content – Company name & address– Ingredient list– Nutrition facts panel – May include approved nutrition claims

List of Ingredients

• Lists all ingredients in descending order by weight

• Identify certain nutrients and their importance in foods.

• Identify specific ingredients.

List of Ingredients - How do products compare?

• Orange Drink– water, sugar, citric acid, orange flavour,

colour

• Orange Juice– water, orange juice concentrate

Serving Sizes• Nutrition information presented per serving

– Serving size must be presented as reference

• Similar products use similar serving size– Allows for easy comparison

• Expressed in both common household & metric measures

• Compare serving size on label to what you are consuming– Not always equivalent to food guide serving– Be cautious with individually packaged foods

How do the amount of food on a label compare with what you eat and Canada’s Food Guide?

Food Label Food Label bran cereal with bran cereal with

raisinsraisins1 cup (59 g)1 cup (59 g)

Food GuideFood Guide30 g30 g

At homeAt home11 ½ cups bran cereal ½ cups bran cereal

with raisinswith raisins

Health Canada - Nutrition Labelling Toolkit for Educators

Nutrition Facts Table

• “Core” nutrients included – Kilocalories, kcals from fat, total amount of

fat, saturated & trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, CHO, starch, sugar & fiber, protein, calcium, iron & vitamins A & C in a specified amount of food.

– Expressed in weight and/or percent daily value

* Information on Nutrition Facts table is based on a specific amount of food.

** Use % Daily Value to see if a food has a little or lot of a nutrient

How are % Daily Values determined?

• Based on 2000 kcal diet • Provides ballpark estimate of how individual

foods contribute to total diet

• % DV = nutrient content (mg) X 100 Daily Value

How to use % DV?

• Quick product evaluation– > 20% high or excellent source– 10-19% good source– < 5% low

– 20% or less desirable for nutrients such as fat & sodium– 20% or higher desirable for nutrients such as calcium & fibre

• Compare products

• Select foods for special dietary needs

Nutrition Claims

• Nutrient content claims– describe the amount of a nutrient in a food

• Diet-related health claims– describe relationship between consumption of

a food/nutrient & the reduction in risk of developing a disease or condition

• Structure-function claims – Describe relationship between a food/nutrient

or other substance & its role in the body

Nutrient Content Claims

Over 40 approved nutrient content claims

• Free - None or hardly any of this nutrient.• Low - Small amount.• Reduced - At least 25% less of the nutrient than

a similar product.• Light - Can be used in foods that are reduced in

calories or fat.

Nutrient Content Claims

• Source - Contains a useful amount of the nutrient

• High or good source - Contains a high amount of the nutrient

• Very high or excellent source - Contains a very high amount of the nutrient

Diet-related Health Claims • A diet low in saturated and trans fat reduces risk of

heart disease.

• A diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D, and regular physical activity, reduces risk of osteoporosis.

• A diet rich in vegetables and fruit reduces risk of some types of cancer.

• A diet low in sodium and high in potassium reduces risk of high blood pressure.

Structure-function claims

• Made without approval• Only criteria is not to mention a disease or

symptom– i.e. Promotes a healthy heart

Nutrition Labels

• Consumer education

– Health Canada website on nutrition labelling • http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/nutrition/i

ndex-eng.php

– Canadian Diabetes Association & Dietitians of Canada: Healthy Eating is in Store for You

• http://www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca/

Information about Nutrient Content of Food

• Canadian Nutrient File– Computerized food composition database

containing average values of nutrients in foods available in Canada.

– Used to support food surveillance and risk assessments.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/fiche-nutri-data/index_e.html

Next

Chapter 3 – Digestion, Absorption & Transport