UNIT II
BASIC TOOLS IN NUTRITION
(Guidelines in Promoting Good Nutrition/ Tools for healthy
eating)
FOOD GUIDES
- are graphic representations of all or some of the messages of the dietary guidelines.
- They typically represent the recommended food groups in the suggested proportions for a good diet.
- Messages about lifestyle, such as recommendations of regular physical activity and warnings related to alcohol consumption may also be displayed.
- The most common example of food guides are in the shape of a food pyramid and food plate.
- However, many countries choose a food guide that is culturally specific for the population of each country and may become an important symbol in a nation's nutrition
communication and education strategy.
- Some countries have adapted their food guide for different population groups.
DIETARY GUIDELINES
*are developed by interdisciplinary teams of experts, comprising representatives of agriculture, health, education, nutrition and food science, consumers, non-governmental
organizations, the food industry, communications and anthropology.
*The implementation of dietary guidelines should be monitored and evaluated regularly. It would be useful to develop implementation and evaluation mechanisms in parallel with
the development of the guidelines themselves, in order to sensitize the nation’s nutrition leaders and bring an action plan into play at the same time as the guidelines are
promulgated.
DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS
- The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans focuses on making small shifts in your daily eating habits to improve your health over the long run.
- They also emphasize the importance of “eating patterns,” which refer to the combination of ALL foods and beverages a person consumes regularly over time, rather than
focusing on individual nutrients or foods in isolation.
- Healthy eating patterns, along with regular physical activity, have been shown in a large body of current science to help people reach and maintain good health while reducing
risks of chronic disease throughout their lives.
- Additionally, healthy eating patterns can be adapted to an individual’s budget, taste preferences, traditions, and culture.
- The core recommendations for these healthy eating patterns are unchanged from previous editions of the Guidelines, and continue to encourage Americans to consume more
healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, lean meats, seafood, other protein foods, and oils. They also recommend limiting sodium,
saturated and trans fats, and added sugars.
NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR FILIPINOS: a prescription to good nutrition
- The Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) is a set of dietary guidelines based on the eating pattern, lifestyle, and health status of Filipinos.
- The NGF contains all the nutrition messages to healthy living for all age groups from infants to adults, pregnant and lactating women, and the elderly.
- The first NGF released in 1990 was composed of five messages called “Dietary Guidelines for Filipinos.”
- In 2000, a revised nutritional guidelines composed of ten messages was released and it was called the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos.
- In 2012, the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the revision of the NGF, led by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-
DOST) developed a new set of the NGF, based on the 2000 edition.
Below are the new messages of the 2012 NGF:
1 - Eat a variety of foods everyday to get the nutrients needed by the body.
2 - Breastfeed infants exclusively from birth up to six months and then give appropriate complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding for two years and beyond for
optimum growth and development.
3 - Eat more vegetables and fruits to get the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber for regulation of body processes.
4 - Consume fish, lean meat, poultry, egg, dried beans or nuts daily for growth and repair of body tissues.
5 - Consume milk, milk products, and other calcium-rich food such as small fish and shellfish, everyday for healthy bones and teeth.
6 - Consume safe foods and water to prevent diarrhea and other food-and water-borne diseases.
7 - Use iodized salt to prevent Iodine Deficiency Disorders.
8 - Limit intake of salty, fried, fatty, and sugar-rich foods to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
9 - Attain normal body weight through proper diet and moderate physical activity to maintain good health and help prevent obesity.
10 - Be physically active, make healthy food choices, manage stress, avoid alcoholic beverage, and do not smoke to help prevent lifestyle-related non-communicable disease.
3 FOOD GROUPS
Different foods can be grouped into different groups depending on the major nutrients they provide.
❖ According to this classification there are:
Energy giving foods/GO foods
Body building foods/GROW foods
Protective foods/GLOW foods
Water (sits outside of the classification but is mentioned here as it is also essential for the human body to function properly)
1. Energy giving foods provide the energy needed by our bodies to:
Perform activities such as walking, digging, working
Maintain normal physiological processes such as breathing and all other processes within our bodies
- Energy giving foods are mainly rich in the food nutrients carbohydrates or fats.
- We obtain carbohydrates through eating plant-based foods. The main examples of carbohydrate containing foods include: millet, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava,
posho (made from maize or other flour), sorghum, yams, rice, plantain (matooke) and bread.
- Fats and oils are usually solid, semi-solids or liquid depending on their chemical composition and environmental temperatures. Examples of fats and oils commonly consumed
in our diets include liquid oils (sunflower oil, mukwano oil), ghee, suet (fat normally found on kidney and meat of cattle and sheep). Apart from being good sources of energy, fats
and oils also add flavour and taste to food.
They further insulate the body, cushion vital organs and are essential for the absorption and utilization of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Thus, a very low consumption
of fats and oils may lead to a deficiency of these vitamins predisposing our bodies to diseases and/or symptoms associated with a lack of these vitamins. (This will be discussed
in detail under the Classification of nutrients)
2. BODY BUILDING FOODS OR GROW FOODS
- Body building foods or GROW foods are those rich in the food nutrients called proteins.
- They are essential for growth, boosting body immunity against infections and diseases, the formation of all tissues, including muscles, bones, teeth, skin and nails and for
wound repair.
Bodybuilding foods come from two major sources:
1. Animal-based foods and related products: fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and
yoghurt.
2. Plant-based foods and related products: mainly beans (incl soy beans) and peas
Animal-based foods provide a richer source of proteins that are more easily utilised by the body than those supplied by plant-based foods. We can increase household intake of
animal-based proteins by domesticating certain animals and birds. The birds (hens, ducks) can be eaten but also lay eggs, which are a rich source of proteins. Animals like
rabbits are also relatively easy to rear: they do not require much space to be kept, are not too demanding in as far as feeding is concerned and have high multiplication rates.
- The quality of proteins from plant-based foods can be improved by eating a combination of different such foods, e.g. rice and beans. The proteins missing in beans are present
in rice so when these are eaten in combination one can also obtain a good supply of proteins for the body. It is therefore important to eat a mixture of plant-based foods in
our diets and even more so if access to animal-based foods is limited.
3. PROTECTIVE FOODS OR GLOW FOODS
- Protective or GLOW foods include vegetables and fruits.
- These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals which are required by the body for physiological functions such as the strengthening of the immune/defense system and to
prevent conditions such as anemia (resulting from iron deficiency), night blindness (resulting from Vitamin A deficiency), goiter (resulting from iodine deficiency) and rickets
(resulting from a lack of Vitamin D and calcium).
- Some vitamins and minerals are also essential for the production of energy by the body and maintaining water balance in the body.
Vegetables are a rich source of several vitamins and minerals. In addition, vegetables add taste, flavour and colour to our meals. Common vegetables include: amaranthus
(dodo), spinach, kale (sukumawiki), pumpkin leaves, cowpea leaves, carrots, cassava leaves, green pepper, nnakati, malakwang, eboo.
Fruits - A variety of fruits are grown and are accessible in the markets of Western Uganda, including avocados, mangoes, pawpaws, pumpkin, passion fruit, pineapple, jackfruit,
oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits. The deep yellow or orange coloured fruits are richer in vitamins, particularly vitamin A.