P L A N N I N G A H E A LT H Y D I E T

HHP 2500 – Fall 2021

PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES

• How well you nourish yourself does not depend on the selection of any
one food. It depends on the overall eating patterns
 • Adequacy

• Balance

D I E T- • kCalorie (energy) control

PLANNING • Nutrient density

PRINCIPLES • Moderation

• Variety
 • Characterizes a diet that provides
sufficient energy and enough of all
nutrients to meet the needs of
ADEQUACY healthy people.

• We need to replenish what we lose

each day; if not, we may develop a
deficiency of one or more nutrients
 • Adequacy

• Balance

D I E T- • kCalorie (energy) control

PLANNING • Nutrient density

PRINCIPLES • Moderation

• Variety
 • Balance helps to ensure adequacy
BALANCE • Balancing is an art – not too little,
not too much
 • Adequacy

• Balance

D I E T- • kCalorie (energy) control

PLANNING • Nutrient density

PRINCIPLES • Moderation

• Variety
 • The amount of energy coming into
the body from foods should balance
KCALORIE
the amount of energy being used by
CONTROL the body to sustain its metabolic and
physical activities
 • Adequacy

• Balance

D I E T- • kCalorie (energy) control

PLANNING • Nutrient density

PRINCIPLES • Moderation

• Variety
 • “Eating well without overeating”
This means to select nutrient-dense
foods

• Nutrient dense describes a food that

delivers the most nutrients for the
least food energy
NUTRIENT
• Promotes adequacy and kcalorie
DENSITY control

• THE MORE MILLIGRAMS

PER KCALORIE, THE
GREATER THE NUTRIENT
DENSITY
 Let’s try and determine which food is
more “nutrient dense.” Remember, the
more mg/kcal the more nutrient
dense…

• A serving size of skim milk (1 cup)

offers 300 mg of calcium and
NUTRIENT equates to 85 kcals
DENSITY • A serving size of fresh, cooked
turnip greens (1/2 cup) offers 100
mg of calcium and equates to 15
kcals

So, which is more nutrient dense?

 525-GRAM BREAKFAST 150-GRAM BREAKFAST
500 KCAL 500 KCAL
ENERGY DENSITY = 0.95 KCAL/G ENERGY DENSITY = 3.33 KCAL/G
500 KCALS / 525 G = 0.95 KCAL/G 500 KCALS / 150 G = 3.33 KCAL/G
 • Deliver a lot of energy, but the energy
comes from added sugars, solid fats, or
EMPTY both; there is little, or no, protein, vitamins,
or minerals
CALORIE • Chips

FOODS • Candy
• Soda
 • Adequacy

• Balance

D I E T- • kCalorie (energy) control

PLANNING • Nutrient density

PRINCIPLES • Moderation

• Variety
 • Contributes to adequacy, balance,
and kcalorie control

• Yes, you can eat “empty calorie

M O D E R AT I O N foods” but practicing moderation is
key!

• It isn’t about what you eat

sometimes, but most of the time!
 • Improves nutrient adequacy

• You may get all the virtues

described in the preceding slides;
VA R I E T Y you may even hit all your dietary
recommendation caloric goals,
however, you may still lack variety

• Variety is the spice of life!

 • These guidelines help translate the nutrient
recommendations into food recommendations

• This document, by law, must be revised every

5 years

• Focuses on healthy eating patterns; habitual

D I E TA RY
consumption
GUIDELINES • Focuses on nutritional quality of food choices
FOR • Focuses on portion sizes and frequency of
AMERICANS eating

• Recommends participating in physical activity

to help balance energy (kcalorie) intakes
 • You need more than just knowledge
to diet plan – you need tools
D I E T- • MyPlate

• Assigns food to five major groups (i.e., fruits,

PLANNING vegetables, grains, protein foods, and
milk/milk products
GUIDES
M Y P L AT E T O O L

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Grains

• Protein Foods

• Milk and Milk Products

D O P E O P L E A C T U A L LY E AT
ACCORDING TO THESE
R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S ?
A C T U A L I N TA K E S
C O M PA R E D W I T H
R E C O M M E N D E D I N TA K E S

• Recommended intakes are represented by the

100% mark

• Grains and protein foods exceed the mark,

however, vegetables, fruits, and milk/milk
products fall short
M Y P L AT E
SHORTCOMINGS

• Not a perfect tool, but there isn’t one

• Not a tool for helping consumers choose healthy

diets

• Does not distinguish between healthier choices

in food groups
 • Diet-planning tool that organizes foods
by their proportions of carbohydrates,
fats, and proteins
• Food group plans are particularly well
suited to help a person achieve a
healthier diet
• To make a “food group plan” you can
jot down all the foods you eat and
FOOD LISTS categorize them by one of the five
categories listed on MyPlate
The concept is, if you need 1 more
serving of grains, you will have an idea
of what foods you can choose from
However, you may see the flaws in this
– you may not always pick the most
nutrient dense food
 TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN!

Make a list of the foods you typically eat and categorize them into its appropriate group
e.g., grains, vegetables, fruits, protein foods, milk / milk products

From here, begin noting what ”1 serving size” is for each food

Then, determine the calories of each food per 1 serving size

Finally, calculate to see which foods are the most nutrient dense – sometimes it is obvious!
Example: fruits are more nutrient dense than chips