Nutritional Needs

1. Describe what the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are.2. Analyze the nutritional value of a food by using the information on

the food label.3. Identify the purpose of the Food Guide Pyramid and identify foods

from each of its food groups.4. Summarize the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

RDA’sRecommended Dietary Allowances: recommended nutrient intakes that will

meet the needs of most healthy people. They are guidelines…

Food Labels• Food labels include a set of nutrition facts, information about the processing of

the food, and a list of ingredients.• Serving size: This is the size of a single serving.• Calories: a label must list the total calories and the calories from fat.• Daily Values: Are the recommended daily amounts of a nutrient that are used on

food labels to help people see how a food fits into their diet. This is based a on a 2,000 calorie diet.

• Total fat: Total fat and saturated fat must be listed by weight and as a % of the DV.

• Cholesterol: Must be listed by weight and as a % of the DV.• Sodium: LISTED by weight and a % of DV.• Carbohydrates: total CHO’s and fiber is listed as % of DV. Sugar also listed as a

weight and DV.• Protein: List as weight, no DV.• Vitamins and Minerals: Are only listed as DV.

Food LabelAlso listed are:1. Ingredients List: Most to least by weight.2. Calories: Calorie Free less than 5 calories…light 1/3 fewer than regular

brand…low calorie no more than 40 calories… reduced calories 25% fewer than regular brand.

3. Cholesterol: Low cholesterol is 20 milligrams or less…cholesterol free is less than 2 milligrams.

4. Sugars: sugar free is less than .5 grams of sugar…no sugar added, without added sugar, and reduced sugar is 25% less than the regular brand.

5. Fats: fat free is less than .5 grams…low fat is 3 grams of fat or less…extra lean is less than 5 gram…low in saturated fat is 1 gram or less.

Food Pyramid

• A visual tool for planning your diet that divides foods into 6 groups.

1. Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group: 6-11 servings. A serving is 1 slice of bread, 1 oz. of ready to eat cereal, ½ cup of cooked cereal, rice, pasta.

2. Fruits group: 2-4 servings. A serving is 1 piece of fruit, 1 melon wedge, ½ cup of chopped fruit or berries, ¾ of fruit juice.

Food Pyramid

3. Vegetables group: 3-5 servings. A serving is 1 cup of leafy greens, ½ cup of chopped vegetables, ¾ cup of vegetable juice.

4. Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts: 2-3 servings. A serving is 2-3 oz. of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish. 1 egg, ½ cup cooked beans, 2 tablespoons of seed and nuts.

5. Milk, yogurt, cheese: 2-3 servings. A serving is 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 ½ oz of cheese.

6. fats, oils, sweets: use sparingly

Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Americans

• Diet and life style recommendations developed to improve health and reduce nutrient related disease in the US population.

ABC’s for Good Health:Aim for fitness1. Aim for a healthy weight.2. Be physically active each day.Build a healthy base3. Let the Food Guide Pyramid guide your food choices.4. Choose a variety of grains, especially whole grains, on a daily basis.5. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.6. Keep food safe to eat.Choose sensibly7. Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.8. Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.9. Choose and prepare foods with less salt.10. Adults who drink alcohol should do so in moderation