Nutrition 120
Module 1
Lecture 1
How do we describe our diet?
1- In terms of food we consume
2- In terms of nutrients
Food guides change, earliest one was from 1960.
The first one was because of the war, and there were war rations, and they wanted kids
to have proper nutrition to grow.
Canada’s 2007 food guide:
o Wanted to recognize multiculturalism
o Wanted to recognize allergies and restrictions
o Largest arc is vegetables and fruit, green vegetables are more important than
fruit.
o Then comes grain products, most important is bread and whole grain.
o Third milk and alternatives, low skim or 1% fat milk being most important.
o Fourth is meat and alternatives, including legumes like beans, lentils, dried peas.
Fresh peas are vegetables, dried peas are legumes.
For the recommended food guide servings per day, we only need to know the adult
male and female section of 19-50.
A food guide serving is defined by specific proportions.
Memorize the all the food guide servings of 2007. (Like one toast is 1 serving, etc.…)
Lecture 02
Any vitamin is considered an organic compound.
Sodium and calcium are minerals.
Broccoli is the most nutrient dense.
Nutrient dense means most vitamins, minerals, and fibre per calories.
Fourth panel on 2007 food guide is called directive panel and memorize.
It directs us to healthier options within each of the 4 food groups.
Fruits are better than fruit juice because they have fiber which makes us full.
Having lots of juice means lots of sugar, 2 cups of juice mean 6-8 oranges. While eating
oranges you would eat 1-2.
Limiting foods are also called other foods, and they include things that don’t fit into the
4 groups like spices and water.
2019 Canada food guide has similar proportions for the food groups and emphasizes
water.
2019 food guide does not include directive statements or food servings.
2019 Canada food guide causes a short in potassium and calcium.
All food guides focus on plant-based foods as most important.
Lacto-oval vegetarians eat dairy and eggs.
Nutrients:
1- Carbohydrate
2- Fats
3- Proteins
4- Vitamins
5- Minerals
6- Dietary fibre
Macronutrients are taken in grams every day and provide energy to the body
(kilocalories = energy).
Carbohydrates are the ones that provide the most calories.
Micronutrients come in milligrams or micrograms.
Vitamin B12 is needed 2.4 micrograms but essential. it has the least number.
Essential nutrients means that they need to be attained from diet because the body
can’t make enough.
For example, the body needs but can’t make vitamin C.
Essential nutrients:
1- Carbohydrates
2- Fats
3- Protein
4- Vitamins
5- Minerals
All Carbs are broken down to glucose, and it is important because it is cellular fuel.
Glucose itself is not essential, carbs are. We eat carbs, not glucose.
There are only 2 essential acids: linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.
Proteins are made of amino acids, and these are essential ones.
Check page 233 table 6-1 for amino acids. Memorize.
There are 9 essential amino acids and 11 nonessential amino acids.
Vitamins are all essential except vitamin D.
We can’t make vitamin D in skin in Canada, but if we do go in the sun we can make
vitamin D, making it inessential.
Minerals like Vanadium and boron are not needed, but iron, calcium, and sodium.
Describing nutrient intake:
1- Absolute amount eaten per day (microgram, milligram, gram, niacin equivalent,
retinol equivalent for vitamin A, and international unit).
2- As a percentage of total energy (calories in a day) (fat, protein, carbs, and alcohol).
Atwater factors:
1- 1 g carb 4 kcal/g
2- 1 g protein 4 kcal/g
3- 1 g fat 9 kcal/g
4- 1 g alcohol 7kcal/g
Ex: what gives more energy, 10g of fat or 10g of protein?
Fat: 10g x 9 kcal/g = 90 kcal
Protein: 10g x 4kcal/g = 40 kcal
Ex: a meal has 1620 kcal total. There were 60g of fat in the meal. Fat makes up what
percentage of total calories in the meal?
60 g fat x 9 kcal/g = 540 kcal of fat.
540 kcal fat / 1620 kcal x 100 = 33.3% of the meal.
Ex: label example. What percentage of kcal in this food comes from protein?
7g of protein x 4 kcal/g = 28 kcal
28 kcal / 200 x 100 = 14% of protein comes from this food.
Lecture 03
Balance: is proportion, so like the arch size on 2007 food guide, also food guide servings.
Variety: eating different foods within groups, like blueberries today and carrot
tomorrow. It increases appetite as well. Also get all vitamins, minerals, and fibres
needed.
Moderation: taking care to not get too much of things we don’t want. Ex limiting salt,
sugar, and fat, by eating certain fruits and veggies and drinking water.
Nutrient-based recommendations: DRI. It’s an umbrella term.
Includes EAR, RDA, AI, UL.
EAR is estimated average requirement. EAR is the average amount of a nutrient a
population needs to meet their needs.
RDA is recommended dietary allowance. Determined from EAR. Average daily nutrient
amount that covers the nutrient needs of 98% of healthy people.
Ex: if the RDA is 90, what the EAR value? Answer: can’t have an answer. We can only
begin with EAR and get RDA.
Adequate intake is AI and is used when no EAR can be determined.
AI is like a guess that could apply to most of the population.
UL is tolerable upper intake level. It is the maximum amount of a nutrient that appears
safe. Above UL increases risk of adverse effects.
RDA and AI are daily intake recommendations.
Trends in macronutrient intake in past 50 years, memorize the current goals column.
Protein is 10-35% of kcal, fat 20-35% of kcal, and carbs 45-65% of kcal, they are DRI
values.
Other foods usually make up 22.7% of our kcal.
Other foods also make up 26.8% of fats we eat.
Canadian eating patterns:
1- Canadians reduced percentage of calories from fat (40 to 30 to 32). However, other
foods contribute 25-30% total kcal and total fat intake.
2- Now we take more overall calories (200 to 300 kcal extra per day) (normal average is
2000, so its 2200 or 2300).
3- A large proportion is not eating a minimum number of recommended servings of any
of the four groups.
Causes chronic disease. We do not get calcium, iron, or zinc. All needed from milk and
alternatives. Folate and fibre are needed and come from plants.
Folate and iron are needed for women fertility and zinc is needed for sperm.
BMI= weight in kg / (height^2)
Over 30-35 BMI is obese.
Why has obesity become an epidemic?
1- Low physical activity.
2- Toxic food environment (obesogenic environment).
Ex: how many food guide servings of grain products in a 12-inch sub?
It’s around 6 food guide servings.
Ex: how many food guide servings of meat and alternatives are in a meat patty in a
quarter pounder burger?
Around 1.5 food guide servings. Then look at adult ages to see how much the adult
consumed of their daily required intake.
Foods high in sodium are the number one issue in the world (causes most cancer and
neoplasm).
Foods low in whole grains is second (most cause cardiovascular disease) and food low in
fruits is the third (most cause for cancer).