Planning a healthy diet

• A balanced diet includes all six classes of nutrients and calories in amounts that preserve and promote good health.
• Daily review of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) and the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) provides enough information to plan balanced diets.
• A balanced diet is one that includes all the essential nutrients in appropriate amounts.
• Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) combine the Recommended Dietary Allowances, Adequate Intake, Estimated Average Requirements, and the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for individuals into one value representative of the average daily nutrient intake of individuals over time.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released MyPyramid in 2005 as an outline for daily food choices based on the Dietary Guidelines.
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) developed the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to provide science-based advice to promote health and to reduce the risk for chronic diseases through diet and physical activity.
• The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are targeted to the general public over 2 years of age in the United States.
• The Dietary Guidelines themselves form an integrated set of key recommendations in each of the topic areas and will be discussed under the respective topics.
• A basic premise of the Dietary Guidelines is that recommended diets will provide all the nutrients needed for growth and health and that the nutrients consumed should come primarily from foods.
• The 12 pyramids range from daily intake levels of 1,000 to 3,200 calories.
• Twelve different pyramids are available on the MyPyramid.gov Web site using these parameters.
• Quantities are stated in household measures such as cups and ounces instead of the servings that were used in the Food Guide Pyramid.
• Inside MyPyramid provides in-depth information for every food group, including recommended daily amounts in commonly used measures, like cups and ounces, with examples and everyday tips.
• MyPyramid Plan offers tips and resources that include downloadable suggestions on all the food groups and physical activity and provides a downloadable worksheet to track what you are eating.
• Personalization of one’s diet is easier to accomplish by accessing the MyPyramid.gov Web site, where age, gender, and physical activity can be keyed in and more specific nutrition guidelines are provided.
• MyPyramid incorporates the concept of physical activity into its design.
• A person climbing the stairs denotes the importance of physical activity in one’s daily life, just as the food groups denote daily food intake.
• By following the appropriate pyramid, the individual should be able to maintain a healthy body weight and decrease the risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases.
• MyPyramid Tracker provides more detailed information on your diet quality and physical activity status by comparing a day’s work of foods eaten with current nutrition guidance.
• MyPyramid provides a quick estimate of what and how much food you should eat from the different food groups by entering your age, gender, and activity level.
• Foods contain not only the vitamins and minerals found in supplements, but also hundreds of naturally occurring substances, including carotenoids, flavonoids and isoflavones, and protease inhibitors that may protect against chronic health conditions.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages within and among the basic food groups while choosing foods that limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends meeting recommended intakes within energy needs by adopting a balanced eating pattern such as the USDA Food Guide or the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Eating Plan.
• Fats supply energy and essential nutrients.
• Children and adolescents should consume whole-grain products often; at least half the grains should be whole grains.
• The most common nutrient deficiency in the world is lack of iron.
• The health care provider can help by identifying those clients at risk, performing complete nutritional assessments on high-risk clients, and encouraging clients to eat foods high in iron.
• Iron deficiency can result in iron-deficiency anemia.
• Consuming at least three or more ounce-equivalents of whole grains per day can reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
• Those who eat more generous amounts of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthful diet may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancers in certain sites (oral cavity and pharynx, larynx, lung, esophagus, stomach, and colon-rectum).
• Children 2 to 8 years should consume 2 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products.
• This is particularly prevalent among infants, adolescents, and pregnant and menstruating women.
• Increased intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products will have important health benefits.
• Foods high in iron include lean meats, poultry, fish, enriched breads, legumes, leafy green vegetables, dried fruits, and nuts.
• High intake of saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol increases the risk of coronary heart disease due to high blood lipid levels.
• Those who are physically active may need more than the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.
• In addition to fruits and vegetables, whole grains are an important source of fiber and other nutrients.
• Children 9 years of age and older should consume 3 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products.
• Fats and oils are part of a healthful diet, but the type of fat makes a difference to heart health, and the total amount of fat consumed is also important.
• It is thought that approximately half of the edible plants commonly eaten in the United States today originated with the Native Americans, including corn, potatoes, squash, cranberries, pumpkins, peppers, beans, wild rice, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, avocados, papayas, and cocoa beans.