Choosing a Healthy Diet

Eating Toward a Healthy Lifestyle

Presenter: Maria Clarisa M. Arquez, RN

Learning Objectives
1. List several factors that influence dietary choices.
2. Define nutrient-dense food and calorie-dense food.
3. Describe the dietary guidelines proposed by health organizations.
4. Describe the ingredients and nutrition facts labels on manufactured foods.
5. Describe the three functions of food.
6. List the three functions of biological energy.
7. List the seven components of food, and identify common foods that
contain each component.
8. Describe the kinds of vegetarian diets and several reasons for
vegetarianism.
Factors That Influence
Dietary Choices
Factors That Influence Dietary Choices
Family, Ethnic, and Cultural Social Factors (eating what
Eating Patterns friends eat)
Factors That Influence Dietary Choices
Food Fads Time Pressures
Factors That Influence Dietary Choices
Cost and Availability of Healthy
Stress Foods
Factors That Influence Dietary Choices
Marketing and Advertising of
Food Products
Nutrient-Dense Food vs.
Calorie-Dense Food
Nutrient-Dense Food vs. Calorie-Dense Food
Nutrient-Dense Food Calorie-Dense Food
• Natural State • Includes many pastries, candies, and
most fast foods and processed foods.
• Provides high levels of nutrients like
vitamins and minerals, per calorie of • Increases the risk for overweight, heart
energy compared to other foods disease, high blood pressure, diabetes,
kidney disease, and some cancers.
Dietary Guidelines Proposed
by Health Organizations
Dietary Guidelines Proposed by Health
Organizations
MyPlate is intended to encourage consumers to follow these
guidelines:
 Enjoy food, but avoid oversized portions.
 Make nearly half your plate fruits and vegetables of all
colors.
 Make at least half your grains whole grains.
 Consume one to two servings per day of fat-free or low-fat
(1%) milk.
 Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
 Choose packaged and frozen food items that contain less
salt/sodium (check the product label).
 For protein, choose fish, poultry, beans, and nuts; limit
red meat, bacon, cold cuts, and other processed meat.
Dietary Guidelines Proposed by Health
Organizations
DASH Diet or Dietary
Approaches to Stop
Hypertension
 The DASH diet has been
shown to help lower blood
pressure and prevent heart
disease, stroke, diabetes
and even some forms of
cancer.
 It focuses on eating more
fresh fruits and vegetables.
 This is a guide to how
much of each food group
you should eat every day,
based on eating 2,000
calories per day.
Ingredients and Nutrition Facts
Labels on Manufactured Foods
Ingredients and Nutrition Facts Labels on
Manufactured Foods
Ingredients Label
 Lists the chemical
composition of the
food.
 Does not specify how
much—either by weight
or percentage—of an
ingredient is in a food
product, only its
amount relative to the
other ingredients.
 Must contain food
allergy information.
Ingredients and Nutrition Facts Labels on
Manufactured Foods
Nutrition Facts Label
 Unlike the
ingredients label, this
label provides
quantitative
information on
calorie content and
certain nutrients in a
food.
Three Functions of Food
Three Functions of Food
1. To provide the chemical
constituents of the body. Chemical

2. To provide the energy for

life.
3. To be pleasurable and Foo
satisfying. d
Pleasure Energy
 Three Functions of Food

1. To provide the chemical

constituents of the body.
 Dietary Reference Intakes, or DRIs,
are issued for men and women in
reasonably good health, pregnant
and lactating women, and children.
 Three Functions of Food

1. To provide the chemical

constituents of the body.
 Dietary Reference Intakes, or DRIs,
are issued for men and women in
reasonably good health, pregnant
and lactating women, and children.
 DRI represents four concepts:
DRI represents four concepts:
• Recommended Dietary • The average daily level of
Allowance (RDA) intake established by
• Adequate Intake (AI) research is sufficient to
meet the nutrient
• Estimated Average requirements of nearly
Requirement (EAR) all healthy individuals.
• Tolerable Upper Level (UL)
DRI represents four concepts:
• Recommended Dietary
Allowance (RDA)
• Adequate Intake (AI) • This is used when the
• Estimated Average RDA cannot be
Requirement (EAR) determined.
• Tolerable Upper Level (UL)
DRI represents four concepts:
• Recommended Dietary
Allowance (RDA)
• Adequate Intake (AI)
• Estimated Average • An amount of a nutrient
Requirement (EAR) that is estimated to meet
• Tolerable Upper Level (UL) the requirement of 50%
of the healthy
individuals in a group.
DRI represents four concepts:
• Recommended Dietary
Allowance (RDA)
• Adequate Intake (AI)
• Estimated Average
Requirement (EAR)
• Tolerable Upper Level • The maximum daily
(UL) intake of a nutrient that
is likely to pose no risk of
adverse effects.
 Three Functions of Food

2. To provide the energy for

life.
 Energy is needed to support three
major processes:
 Basal (or resting) metabolism
 Physical activity
 Growth and repair
 Three Functions of Food

3. To be pleasurable.
 including satisfying hunger
 being appealing in its smell, taste,
sight, and texture
 associated with enjoyable social
activities
Seven Components of
Food
Seven Components of Food
1. Proteins
Proteins are made up of
chemical units called amino
acids.
Amino acids are classified as
essential and nonessential.
Protein complementarity is
the practice of combining
sources of protein such that
amino acid deficiencies in one
source are counterbalanced, or
complemented, by
abundances in another
source.
Seven Components of Food
2. Carbohydrates
 There are two
principal types of
carbohydrates:
a. Simple sugars
b. Complex
carbohydrates
Seven Components of Food
2. Carbohydrates Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose, Lactose
 There are two
principal types of
carbohydrates:
a. Simple sugars
b. Complex
carbohydrates
Seven Components of Food
2. Carbohydrates Starch and Dietary Fibers
 There are two
principal types of
carbohydrates:
a. Simple sugars
b. Complex
carbohydrates
Seven Components of Food
3. Lipids (Fats)
 Much of the fat consumed
in the diet is triglyceride,
which is composed of
fatty acids.
 These substances are
further classified
depending on their
chemistry:
a. Saturated
b. Unsaturated
Seven Components of Food
3. Lipids (Fats)
 Much of the fat consumed Diets high in saturated fat increase the
in the diet is triglyceride, risk of heart disease, some cancers, and
which is composed of overweight.
fatty acids.
 These substances are
further classified
depending on their
chemistry:
a. Saturated
b. Unsaturated
Seven Components of Food
3. Lipids (Fats)
 Much of the fat consumed Conversely, polyunsaturated fats tend to
in the diet is triglyceride, lessen the risk of heart and blood vessel
which is composed of disease.
fatty acids.
 These substances are
further classified
depending on their
chemistry:
a. Saturated
b. Unsaturated
Seven Components of Food
4. Vitamins
 Vitamins are
substances that
facilitate a variety of
biological processes.
 The body requires 13
essential vitamins;
they must be
obtained from food.
Seven Components of Food
5. Minerals
 Minerals are essential for
maintaining cell
membranes, conducting
nerve impulses, and
contracting muscles,
facilitating certain
biochemical reactions,
reducing the risk of cancer,
and in oxygen-carrying
function of hemoglobin.
Seven Components of Food
6. Phytochemicals
 Phytochemicals are not
nutrients per se but that
positively affect human
physiology.
 Phytochemicals may help the
body destroy and eliminate
toxins acquired from the
environment or tissue-
damaging by-products of
metabolism, such as oxygen
free radicals.
Seven Components of Food
7. Water
 Water is the principal constituent of
blood and is the major component
of all cells. Water provides the
medium in which all biological and
chemical activities take place.
 Body water should be replaced by
consuming pure water, milk, tea, or
real juice.
 Soda is a poor substitute for water, as
it may affect calcium metabolism
and bone mass.
Artificial Components of
Food
Artificial Components of Food
Dietary Supplements Additives
• Dietary supplements are food • Preservatives: Prevent or slow spoilage,
derivatives ingested to provide one or changes in color, texture, flavor
more of the 40 essential nutrients, such
as a particular vitamin, mineral, or • Sweeteners
amino acid.
• Colorings
• When a dietary supplement is used to
augment the nutritional quality of the • Flavorings
diet, it is considered a FOOD. • Flavor Enhancers
• When a dietary supplement is used to • Fat Replacements
bring about a particular biological
change, it is considered a drug and • Emulsifiers
referred to as a NUTRACEUTICAL.
• Stabilizers
Vegetarian Diets and
Reasons for Vegetarianism
Vegetarian Diets and Reasons for Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is the
practice of abstaining
from the consumption of
meat (red meat, poultry,
seafood, insects, and the
flesh of any other
animal). It may also
include abstaining from
eating all by-products of
animal slaughter.
Vegetarian Diets and Reasons for Vegetarianism
Reasons for Vegetarianism
 To avoid killing animals.
 To contribute to the more
efficient utilization of
world protein supplies.
 To live longer and
healthier lives.
 To encourage food and
environmental
sustainability.
 Vegetarian Diets and Reasons for Vegetarianism
Kinds of Vegetarian Diets Excludes all animal products,
including milk, cheeses, eggs, and
 Strict Vegetarian or other dairy products.
Veganism
 Lactovegetarianism
 Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism
 Ovo-vegetarianism
 Vegetarian Diets and Reasons for Vegetarianism
Kinds of Vegetarian Diets Excludes meat, poultry, fish, and eggs
but includes dairy products.
 Strict Vegetarian or Veganism
 Lactovegetarianism
 Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism
 Ovo-vegetarianism
 Vegetarian Diets and Reasons for Vegetarianism
Kinds of Vegetarian Diets Excludes meats, poultry, and seafood
but includes eggs and dairy
 Strict Vegetarian or Veganism products.
 Lactovegetarianism
 Lacto-ovo-
vegetarianism
 Ovo-vegetarianism
 Vegetarian Diets and Reasons for Vegetarianism
Kinds of Vegetarian Diets Excludes meat, poultry, sea food, and
dairy but includes eggs.
 Strict Vegetarian or Veganism
 Lactovegetarianism
 Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism
 Ovo-vegetarianism
 Vegetarian Diets and Reasons for Vegetarianism
Properly planned vegetarian
diets can meet the body’s
nutritional needs, especially by
combining sources of protein to
ensure adequate intake of the
essential amino acids. Vegans
may need vitamin B12
(cobalamin) supplements.
 SUMMARY
1. Health Organizations have created dietary guidelines to help people make nutritional
choices to prevent heart disease, cancer, and other diseases based on the consumption of
whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while limiting the consumption of meats, whole-fat dairy
products, salt, and fatty, sugary snacks and sweets.
2. MyPlate emphasizes the consumption of polyunsaturated fats, fruits, and vegetables
rather than refined-grain products, meats, and sweets.
3. The ingredients label on a food product lists the components of the product in descending
order by weight.
4. The Nutrition Facts label provides information on the amounts of certain nutrients in a
food product.
5. Food has three functions: to provide chemical constituents of the body, energy, and
pleasure.
 SUMMARY
6. Food is composed of seven components: protein, carbohydrate, fat, water, vitamins,
minerals, and phytochemicals.
7. Dietary supplements are unregulated substances that are used to augment the nutritional
adequacy of the diet and as drugs to heal or prevent illness.
8. Manufactured foods contain a variety of additives that alter their texture, flavor, color, and
stability.
9. Artificial sweeteners are widely used, most commonly in diet soft drinks.
10. There are several reasons for being a vegetarian, including increased interest in health,
ecology, and world issues; economical issues; and the philosophy of not killing animals. A
strict vegetarian, or vegan, diet eliminates all animal products, including milk, cheese, eggs,
and other dairy products.
 For Your Health
As the saying goes, “You are what you eat.”
Keep a Food Diary to determine your typical dietary
intake.
You can determine your personal DRI at the USDA
website. (https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/interactiveDRI/)
Source: Edlin, G., & Golanty, E. (2019). Health & Wellness (13th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.