Using Dietary Recommendations,

Food Guides, and Food Labels to

Plan Menus
 Dietary Recommendations
 Guidelines that discuss specific foods and
food groups to eat for optimal health.
 Indications of practical ways to reach the
nutritional goals of a population through an
adequate and balanced diet by promoting
desirable nutrition practices and healthy
food habits.
 Dietary Recommendations
 To be effective, guidelines should:

1. Have sound nutritional basis

2. Provide information to consumers on
what to eat and drink.
3. Be easily understood.
 Food Guides
 Guidelines that tell us the kinds and amounts of
foods that constitute a nutritionally adequate diet
 More specific quantitative and qualitative
recommendations on food intake
 Usually presented graphically
 Based on:
- current dietary
recommendations
- nutrient content of foods
- eating habits of the
targeted population
 Your Guide to Good Nutrition
(YGGN)
 Based on the 3 food groups
 Practical translation of the food groups
based on the RENI
1. Energy giving foods: cereals, tubers, fats
and oils
2. Body building: meat, fish, poultry, dairy
products and legumes
3. Body regulating: fruits and vegetables
 Plate Model
 Illustrates the types of food needed for a
healthy diet and the proportions that
should be eaten everyday
 Food selection can be made visually
without having to measure foods
 Plate Model
 The model uses a 9 inch plate, divided into 3
portions
 ¼ starchy foods such as potatoes, corn, pasta or
rice
 ¼ meat or alternative
 ½ non starchy vegetables such as tomatoes,
green leafy vegetables, carrots, etc
 Side dishes include a serving of fruit and 1
serving of low fat milk or yogurt
 ½ non starchy
vegetables such as
tomatoes, green
leafy vegetables,
carrots, etc

¼ meat or
alternative

¼ starchy foods
such as potatoes,
corn, pasta or rice
 The Food Pyramid
 A hierarchy of food groups in a person’s diet that
helps put the dietary guidelines into action
 Not a rigid prescription but simply a general
guide that lets people choose the right food with
the right amount
 The pyramid ranks the food groups according to
amounts to be consumed, from the most, which
is situated at the base of the pyramid to the
least, which is located at the apex of the pyramid
Figure 3. The Food Pyramid (FNRI-DOST, 2000)
 The Food Pyramid
 The Philippine Food Pyramid was designed to
convey the principles of:
1. Variety: the pyramid is divided into 4 levels
and presents 5 food groups
2. Proportionality and Balance: the differences in
the areas allotted for the food groups and their
location o the pyramid indicate the relative
proportions that must be eaten.
3. Moderation: also conveyed by the areas and
location of the food group; the recommendation
is to “eat just enough” rather than restrict it.
 Nutritional Guidelines
 Gives advice on the consumption of foods
and food components for which there are
public health concerns
 Not quantitative, but qualitative
recommendations considered essential for
nutritional health
 2000 Nutritional Guidelines for
Filipinos
1. Eat a variety of foods every day
2. Breastfeed infants exclusively
from birth to 4-6 months, and
then give appropriate foods
while continuing breastfeeding.
3. Maintain children’s normal
growth through proper diet and
monitor their growth regularly.
4. Consume fish, lean meat,
poultry, or dried beans.
5. Eat more vegetables, fruits and
root crops.
2000 Nutritional Guidelines for
Filipinos
6. Eat foods, cooked in
edible/cooking oil.
7. Consume milk, milk products and
other calcium-rich foods, such as
small fish, and dark, green leafy
vegetables.
8. Use iodized salt, but avoid
excessive intake of salty foods.
9. Eat clean and safe foods.
10. For a healthy lifestyle and good
nutrition, exercise regularly, do
not smoke, and avoid drinking
alcoholic beverages.
Food Labels
 The amount of information on
food labels varies, but all food
labels must contain at least:
- the name of the food
- a list of ingredients
- the net contents or net
weight – the quantity of the
food without the packaging (in
English and metric units)
- the name and place of
business of the manufacturer,
packer or distributor
- nutrition information is
also required for most foods
 Food Labels
 All ingredients must be listed on the label and
identified by their common names so that
consumers can identify the presence of 8 major
food allergens: eggs, fish, milk, peanuts,
shellfish, soybeans, tree nuts, and wheat.
 The ingredient that is present in the largest
amount, by weight, must be listed first. Other
ingredients follow in descending order of weight.
 Nutrition Facts
1. Serving size: designed
to reflect the amounts
people actually eat;
provided in familiar units
2. Kilocalories: kcal per
serving – lists the total
kcal in one serving as
well as kcal from fat
3. Nutrients: Information
about some nutrients is
required: total fat,
saturated fat, trans fat,
cholesterol, sodium, total
CHO, dietary fiber,
sugars, CHON, vit A, vit
C, Ca, and Fe.
 Nutrient Content Claims
 Claims on food labels about the nutrient
composition of a food.
 Example: “ a good source of calcium”
 Must provide 10-19% of the Daily Value for
Calcium in one serving
 Health Claims
 Claims on food labels that state
certain foods or food substances –
as part of an overall healthy diet –
may reduce the risk of certain
diseases.
 Example: Selenium and Cancer

Selenium may reduce the risk of
certain cancers. Some scientific
evidence suggests that
consumption of selenium may
reduce the risk of certain forms of
cancer. However, the FDA has
determined this evidence is
limited and not conclusive.
 Portion Size Comparison
 Portion size is an important
concept for anyone involved
in preparing, serving and
consuming foods.
 Portion sizes in the food
pyramid do not always match
the serving sizes found on
food labels since the purpose
of the food pyramid is not the
same as the purpose of
nutrition labeling.
 In many cases, portion sizes
are similar on labels and in
the food guide, especially
when expressed as
household measures.