FOOD GUIDELINES

A BRIEF HISTORY OF USDA FOOD GUIDES The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publish dietary guidelines for Americans The guidelines are recommendations about food choices for all healthy Americans age 2 and over Since 1916, there have been several different nutrition guidelines issued by the U.S. government

A BRIEF HISTORY OF USDA FOOD GUIDES 1940s BASIC SEVEN 1.Leafy green and yellow veggies 2.Citrus fruit, tomatoes, cabbage 3.Potatoes and other veggies 4.Milk, cheese, ice cream 5.Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans 6.Bread, flour, cereals 7.Butter and margarine

A BRIEF HISTORY OF USDA FOOD GUIDES < > <1956 – 1970s

A BRIEF HISTORY OF USDA FOOD GUIDES

THE SHIFT Take a minute to analyze the two images below. How have the dietary guidelines changed over the last 20 years?

CALORIE LEVELS AGEFEMALEMALE SedentaryMod. Active ActiveSedentaryMod. Active Active The number of calories you consume each day is directly related to your activity level. - Sedentary: <30 min/day - Mod. Activity: min/day - Active: >60 min/day

BASED ON A 2000 CALORIE DIET

IMPORTANCE OF BREAKFAST Studies show that eating a nutritious breakfast improves mental and physical performance and reduces fatigue later Better performance in school – better grades Skipping breakfast may cause one to overeat later in the day Other studies suggest that people tend to add more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals

UNDERSTANDING FOOD LABELS

ACTIVITY Over the next week you will be asked to keep track of what you eat (and that means everything) for three consecutive days. Useful resources: MyFitnessPal

EXAMPLE FOR 1,520 CALORIE INTAKE SundayMondayTuesday BreakfastHoney Bunches of Oats w/ skim milk Water Spinach, tomato, feta omelet Coffee Spinach, tomato, feta omelet Coffee LunchVegetarian Burrito bowl Water Asparagus, mushrooms, onion w/ brown rice Water Salad w/ shredded tuna & Balsamic Dressing Water DinnerChicken Caesar salad Water Grilled Salmon w/ green beans Water Chicken, bacon ranch foot long from Subway Coke SnackalmondsSpicy Buffalo Wheat thins Cheese stick Pita chips w/ hummus TOTAL CALORIES 1,3631,3451,649 CARBS / FIBER 209g / 25g 141/ / / 12 PROTEIN 57 g FAT 51 g

REFLECTION 1.On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being very healthy, how would you rate yourself in terms of your food choices? Why? 2.To what extent do you think about your food choices on a daily basis? 3.What new information or perspectives did you find by going through the process of keeping the food journal and analyzing the numbers? 4.What generalizations might you make about teens and their food choices?