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 BASIC TOOLS IN
NUTRITION
The main nutrition tools are:
food groups, dietary standards (RDA)
and food exchange lists
 Food groups or food guides

 Food guides translate quantitative nutritional

requirements into simple, practical and non-
technical language using available and
common foods of the country.
 Food groups are developed by nutrition
experts as a quantitative tool in planning
nutritious diets for the masses.
 The three main food groups are:
1.Body-building foods: foods that supply good
quality proteins, some vitamins and minerals.

2. Energy foods: mostly of rice and other cereals,

starches, sugars and fats contribute the bulk of
Calories.

3. Regulating foods: composed of fruits and

vegetables that provide vitamins and minerals,
particularly ascorbic acid and pro vitamin A.
 DIETARY STADARDS
 Dietary standards are compilations of
nutrient requirements or allowances in specific
quantities.
 Dietary requirement is the minimum amount
needed for a nutrient to attain good health
under specific conditions (age, weight,
physical activity, sex, physiological condition,
state of health status, etc).
 Dietary allowance is the minimum
requirement plus a safety factor or “margin of
safety” to account for individual variations in
body storage of nutrients, state of health,
nutrient utilization, day to day variations
within an individual, etc.
 Recommended Dietary Allowance:

 The RDA, the estimated amount of a nutrient

(or calories) per day considered necessary for
the maintenance of good health by the Food
and Nutrition Board of the National Research
Council/ National Academy of Sciences. The
RDA is updated periodically to reflect new
knowledge. It is popularly called the
Recommended Daily Allowance
 Nutrient density
 Nutrient density is a measure of the nutrients
a food provides compared to the calories it
provides. Foods low in calories and high in
nutrients are nutrient dense, while foods high
in calories and low in nutrients are nutrient
poor.
 Nutrient-dense foods should be eaten often,
whereas nutrient-poor foods should only be
eaten occasionally. A healthful diet includes
mostly nutrient-dense foods.

 People who restrict their calories should obtain

as much nutrition as they can from the calories
they consume by choosing nutrient-dense
foods. Those who consistently choose nutrient-
poor foods will not get the nutrients they need.
 Liver has a moderate amount of calories but is
rich in vitamins and minerals and is considered
a high nutrient density food.
 A cyclist has an increased energy demand but
no significant increase in nutrient
requirements. Because of this he/she can eat
foods with a lower nutrient density than the
average person. This means that a cyclist can
be less choosy about the foods that are eaten
provided he/she realizes his/her specific
nutrient and energy requirements that must be
met.
 Food exchange list
 The word exchange refers to the fact that each
item on a particular list in the portion listed
may be interchanged with any other food item
on the same list. An exchange can be
explained as a substitution, choice, or serving
 Within each food list, one exchange is
approximately equal to another in calories,
carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Each list is a
group of measured or weighed foods of
approximately the same nutritional value.
 The exchange lists are intended for planning
diabetic diets, therefore the foods included are
simple and only those allowed in the diabetic
diet are listed. Besides, because of the
accuracy and convenience of the exchange
system, the exchange lists are used for weight
management as well .
Examples :

 Cereals, grains, pasta, breads, crackers, snacks,

starchy vegetables, and cooked beans, peas, and
lentils are on the starch list. In general, one
starch exchange is ½ cup cereal, grain, or
starchy vegetable; one ounce of a bread
product, such as one slice of bread; one-third
cup rice or pasta; or three-fourths to one ounce
of most snack foods.
 Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits and fruit
juices are on the fruit list. In general, one fruit
exchange is: one small to medium fresh fruit,
one-half cup of canned or fresh fruit or fruit
juice, or one-fourth cup of dried fruit.
Format in Nutritional labeling
 Nutritional labels on processed foods were
first used in 1970’s to furnish consumers with
nutrient information.

Nutritional labeling and education act of

1990(NLEA) requires that food labels follow a
standard format and provide this nutrition
information.
With today's food labels, consumers get:

 Nutrition information about almost every food

in the grocery store
 Distinctive, easy-to-read formats that enable
consumers to more quickly find the
information they need to make healthful food
choices
 Information on the amount per serving of
saturated fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and
other nutrients of major health concern
 Nutrient reference values, expressed as %
Daily Values that help consumers see how a
food fits into an overall daily diet . Daily
values are based on current nutrition
recommendations for a 2000-calorie diet.
 Uniform definitions for terms that describe a
food's nutrient content--such as "light," "low-
fat," and "high-fiber"--to ensure that such
terms mean the same for any product on which
they appear
 Claims about the relationship between a nutrient or
food and a disease or health-related condition, such as
calcium and osteoporosis, and fat and cancer. These
are helpful for people who are concerned about eating
foods that may help keep them healthier longer.

 Standardized serving sizes that make nutritional

comparisons of similar products easier

 Declaration of total percentage of juice in juice

drinks. This enables consumers to know exactly how
much juice is in a product.
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