Making Healthy Choices Chapter 8 Making Healthy Choices

Objectives Name benefits of making healthy choices. Explain how to use Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the MyPlate food guidance system as diet planning resources to meet daily needs. Identify your recommended daily intake from each food group in MyPlate. List tips to use when shopping for and preparing foods. Choose healthy options when eating out.

Benefits of Healthy Choices Physical benefits Reduced risks of chronic disease Good health and/or improved health Healthy appearance Social benefits Improved job performance Positive personal relationships Mental benefits Better mental outlook Greater strength and flexibility

Risks of Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits Unhealthy food choices can lead to deficiency diseases and weight gain Choosing too much sedentary activity can cause a loss of muscle strength and energy Unhealthy habits involving tobacco and alcohol can lead to a wide variety of health risks, including heart disease, lung diseases, and some cancers

In Your Opinion… How would you rate the importance of your health and appearance? © swissmacky/Shutterstock

Resources for Making Healthy Food Choices Certain tools can help you sort out the nutrition information you encounter Standards exist to help you identify your nutrient needs Guidelines are available to help you choose a healthy diet A model has been developed to help you plan nutritious meals

Dietary Reference Intakes Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) can be used as guides to determine daily nutrient needs DRIs are designed to help prevent diseases caused by a lack of nutrients © JohnKwan/Shutterstock

Dietary Guidelines for Americans Follow a healthy eating pattern across the life span Obtain nutrients needed for health Maintain calorie balance for healthy body weight © Robert Adrian Hillman/Shutterstock continued

Dietary Guidelines for Americans Focus on variety, nutrient density, and amount Choose a diverse assortment of foods to get a range of nutrients Seek out nutrient-dense foods, which provide vitamins and minerals, and have little or no solid fats, added sugars, refined starches, and sodium Avoid oversized portions continued

Dietary Guidelines for Americans Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats, and reduce sodium intake Save sugar-sweetened drinks, candy, and desserts for rare occasions and choose small portions Reduce fatty meats and full-fat dairy products Curb use of processed foods continued

Dietary Guidelines for Americans Shift to healthier food and beverage choices Eat more vegetables, fruits, dairy, and oils Choose leaner protein foods and seafood, fat-free and low-fat dairy, and more whole grains Replace sugar-sweetened drinks with water Support healthy eating patterns for all Make healthy choices away from home Urge the food industry to offer healthier choices

Think Further What is the federal government’s goal in issuing nutritional advice through the Dietary Guidelines? © Mark Van Scyoc/Shutterstock

MyPlate MyPlate includes five major food groups Grains group Vegetable group Fruit group Dairy group Protein foods group Oils are not a food group, but small amounts are needed for good health continued

MyPlate Solid fats and added sugars provide mostly empty calories, for which there is little room in most healthy food plans © Robyn Mackenzie/Shutterstock © Aerostato/Shutterstock © Africa Studio/Shutterstock © Robyn Mackenzie/Shutterstock © Jiri Hera/Shutterstock © John Kasawa/Shutterstock © Studio KIWI/Shutterstock

Meeting Your Daily Needs The SuperTracker website provides interactive tools to help people meet nutrition and activity goals © andersphoto/Shutterstock; USDA

Choosing Wisely When Shopping for Food In general, fresh foods are more nutrient dense than processed foods, so choose fresh foods as often as possible Select foods that are high in quality and follow guidelines for storing fresh foods to maintain their nutrients Read Nutrition Facts labels on processed foods to help you choose healthier options

Choosing Wisely When Preparing Food Preparing the main course Focus meals on plant-based foods Choose seafood often Use low-fat cooking methods Preparing side dishes Choose sensible portion sizes Reduce or omit ingredients and use toppings sparingly to cut solid fat, sugars, and sodium continued

Choosing Wisely When Preparing Food Adjust dessert recipes to cut fat, sugar, and calories Choose fruit for dessert often Save modest portions of rich desserts for special occasions © vanillaechoes/Shutterstock

Think Further How do the portions you typically eat compare with standard portion sizes listed on nutrition labels? © vgstudio/Shutterstock © Lisa A/Shutterstock

Choosing Wisely When Eating Out Use menu terms as clues to the fat, sugar, and sodium content of foods Request that items be prepared and served according to your healthy preferences Order small portions or ask for a take-home bag to avoid overeating Ask for water instead of ordering soft drinks with meals

In Your Opinion… What do you find most challenging about choosing healthy options when eating out? © Diego Cervo/Shutterstock

Review Name three types of benefits that can result from making healthy choices. Describe one example of each benefit. Physical benefits, social benefits, mental benefits (Examples will vary) continued

Review What are three strategies people can use to follow the Dietary Guideline that encourages a shift to healthier food and beverage choices? (List three): eat more vegetables and fruits, choose fat-free and low-fat dairy, consume more oils, choose leaner protein foods, consume more seafood, consume more whole grains, replace sugar-sweetened drinks with plain water continued

Review What are the five major food groups of MyPlate? Grains group Vegetable group Fruit group Dairy group Protein foods group continued

Review What can help consumers limit fat, sodium, and sugar content when shopping for processed foods? Reading Nutrition Facts labels continued

Review 5. How can consumers avoid overeating when eating out? Order small portions Ask for a take-home bag