1. DIET PLANNING &
READING FOOD LABELS

2. U.S. Diet - Recommended vs. Actual
Intake Based on Five Food Groups
U.S. Diets Actual vs.
recommended:
• Twice as many
grains (mostly
refined)
• 20% more protein
• 40% fewer veggies
(french fries count)
• 60% fewer fruits
• 50% less dairy

3. Diet Planning Principles
• Adequacy: Sufficient energy (kcals) + adequate nutrients
• Balance: Enough but not too much
• kCalorie (energy) control
• Energy in = energy out
• Choose High nutrient density foods
• Nutrient density: nutrients vs. kcals
• Healthy diets contain foods that have HIGH nutrient density and
LOW energy density
• Moderation: Choose Foods low in fat & added sugars
• Variety: highly beneficial – if diet is not varied, nutrients
are not varied which could = poorer health

4. Dietary Planning Tools
There are several tools to help plan a healthy diet:
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• Evidence-based advice
• Attain and maintain a healthy weight
• Reduce risk of chronic disease
• Promote overall health
• Reviewed and revised every five years
• ChooseMyPlate- recommendations for individual
food groups (specific)
• http://www.choosemyplate.gov

5. USDA Food Patterns
Help consumers plan their own diets based on kcals and 5
food groups:
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Grains
• Protein
• Dairy

6. Estimate your kcal needs….

7. Discretionary kcals
Discretionary kcals are
usually from added
sugars and fats in foods
• Should be < 15% total
kcals consumed so for a
2000 kcal diet there are
258 discretionary kcals
• (20 oz. Coke = 250 kcals)

8. Portion Control Important!
Utilize Plate Tools to Keep
Portions in Check

9. Portion Sizes
Estimating Portions 3 oz. portion of meat/poultry/fish

10. When Choosing Groceries…
• Vegetables – Choose fresh/frozen > canned
• Legumes - cheap, low fat, nutrient dense
• Fruit - fresh whole > juice
• Meat (loin/round - watch prime and choice), fish, and
poultry (remove skin)
• Milk/Dairy - choose low fat or non fat
• Shop the perimeter of the store
• Avoid processed foods: as processing increases,
nutrients tend to decrease

11. READING FOOD
LABELS

12. Food Labeling
• 1973 – U.S. Food & Drug Administration implemented
rules for food labeling
• Rules modified several times – and may be modified
again
• Required for most packaged foods that contain more than
one ingredient
• Restaurants with 20+ locations must provide menu
nutrition information (watch portion sizes – they are not
uniform)

13. Required on food package labels
• Product Common Name; address of manufacturer, packer
or distributor
• Net contents in weight, measure or count
• Ingredient list – must list ALL including additives for
preserving or enhancing foods in descending order by
weight
• Country of origin
• UPC Code/product code
• Product dating (if applicable)

14. Required on Food Package Labels
• Religious symbols (if applicable)
• Ex: kosher
• Safe-handling instructions (if applicable)
• Special warning instructions (aspartame, peanuts, etc)

15. FDA Guidelines
• http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInfor
mation/ucm078889.htm

17. Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP)
• Serving sizes -
established by FDA - all
labels for similar
products must use same
serving size
• Everything in NFP is “per
serving” so serving size
is IMPORTANT!
• Nutrient amount, % Daily
Value (DV), or both for
several nutrients

18. More Label Information
Use the web sites below to review how to read labels.
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nutrition-facts/NU00293
• Fortified foods - addition of nutrients that either
weren’t present originally, or were present in low
amounts
• Enriched foods - nutrients added back in that were
lost during processing

19. Claims on Food Labels –
regulated by FDA
3 Types of Claims are allowed on Food labels if the food
meets specific criteria:

20. Label Claims
• Nutrient: characterize the quantity of a nutrient in a food
• Examples: “good source of fiber”; “fat-free”; “low sodium”
• MUST meet specific definitions to be used
• Health: characterize the relationship between a nutrient
or other substance in a food to a disease or health-related
condition
• Examples: “diets low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood
pressure”
• MUST meet specific definitions to be used; MUST use “may”, not
“will”
• Need scientific evidence to support

21. Label Claims
Structure-Function: characterize the relationship between
a nutrient or other substance in a food and its role in the
body
• Example: “slows aging”; “builds strong bones”; “promotes a healthy
heart”; “supports immunity”
• Do not require FDA approval
• Very common – especially on “health” foods
**Be careful of structure-function claims. Many sound like health
claims, but there is no scientific evidence to support the claim!

22. Nutrition Facts Panel Quiz
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjFVOZ_ALuM