Nutrition Chapter 2: Tools of a Healthy Diet

AMDR for proteins

10-35%

protein

10-35%, 4 Kcal/g

AMDR for fats

20-35%

fat

20-35%, 9 Kcal/g

AMDR for carbs

45-65%

carbs

45-65%, 4 Kcal/g

Estimated Energy Requirements (EERs)

A DRI of an estimate of the energy (kcal) intake needed to match the energy use of an average person in a specific life stage; generally based on estimates because no set amount can meet every individual's energy needs

Adequate Intake (AI)

A DRI of nutrient intake amount set for any nutrient for which insufficient research is available to establish an RDA and are based on estimates of intakes that appear to maintain a defined nutritional state in a specific life stage- set for nutrients like essential fatty acids, fiber, and certain vitamins and minerals

Estimated Average Requirements (EARs)

A DRI of nutrient intake amounts estimated to meet the needs of 50% of people in a specific life stage; requires a measurable functional marker in order to be set

Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (Upper Levels/ULs)

A DRI of the maximum chronic daily intake level of a nutrient that is unlikely to cause adverse health effects in almost all people in a specific life stage

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDAs)

A DRI of the nutrient intake amount sufficient enough to meet the needs of 97 to 98% of the individuals in a given life stage that also takes into consideration a nutrients ability to prevent chronic disease rather than just prevent deficiency- generally based on a 1.2 multiplication of the EARs -can only be set for foods with an EAR

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDRs)

A range of macronutrient intake, as a percent of energy, associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases while providing for recommended intake for essential nutrients; not a DRI but distributions complement recommended measurements given by DRIs

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

The latest recommendations from the Food and Nutrition Board- includes 5 sets of standards: Estimated Average Requirements (EARs), Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), Adequate Intakes (AIs), Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (Upper Levels/ ULs), and Estimated Energy Requirements (EERs)

Daily Value (DV)

a generic nutrient standard used on Nutrition Facts labels comprised of both Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs) and Daily Reference Values (DRVs)

energy density

a measure of a food's energy content per gram of weight- energy dense foods are high calorie but weigh very little such as nuts, bacon, fried foods, etc.

healthy

a nutrient claim requiring a food contain < 3 g of fat, < 1 g saturated fat, < 20 mg cholesterol, AND < 140 mg sodium, AND > 10% DV of Vitamin A, C, iron, calcium, protein, OR fiber

good source

a nutrient claim that requires a nutrient provide 10-19% of the DV for that nutrient

high/excellent source

a nutrient claim that requires a nutrient provide greater than 20% of the DV for that nutrient

partially hydrogenated

a phrase found in the ingredients section of a nutrition label that signifies a product contains trans fats; even if says 0 g trans fats may contain up to 0.5 g of trans fats/serving

Nutrition Claims

a statement made by manufacturers on the label of a product about the benefits of a given nutrient such as "good source of..." or "may reduce the risk of..."- must follow legal definitions and discussed nutrients must be included on nutrition label

nutrient density

amount of nutrient contained in a serving of a food, foods that provide more nutrients/calorie are considered more nutrient dense

nutrient density

an assessment of the nutritional quality of an individual food determined by dividing the amount of a nutrient (protein, carbohydrates, vitamin, mineral) in a serving of food by the daily recommended intake (AI, RDA, etc.) and dividing the calories in a serving of food by your daily calorie need (EER), then comparing these two values to see if nutritional value exceeds caloric value

health claims

claims that describe a disease's relationship with a nutrient, food, or food constituent- must use "may" or "might" as qualifier in statement such as "a diet rich in calcium may reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis" and must be backed up with scientific evidence

nutrient content claims

claims that describe all the nutrients in a food such as "low in fat" or "rich in vitamin A"- must comply with FDA regulations

structure/function claims

claims that describe how a specific nutrient affects the structure or function of the body such as "iron builds strong blood"- not focused on how nutrients affect risk of disease as health claims do and also not regulated by FDA

nutrient databases

databases that make information available about estimating the calories in foods, how closely intake matches RDA and DV, and can be used to determine the nutrient and energy density of foods

AI

estimated daily nutrient intake for nutrients with data insufficient to set an EAR because they have no functional marker (fiber, fluoride, essential fatty acids, B-vitamins)

functional markers

evaluate the activity of an enzyme in the body or the ability of a cell or an organ to maintain a function in the body

empty-calorie foods

foods that are not nutrient dense like sugared drinks, chips, and cookies because they contain calories that are "empty" of nutrients

high energy density

foods that have a lot of calories/g such as cakes, cookies, nuts

high nutrient density

foods that have a lot of nutrients per serving such as fruits and vegetables

UL

maximum daily levels of nutrients that should be taken in by individuals in a given life stage (97-98%) without causing adverse effects to health

AMDR

not a DRI but established as way to recommend daily intakes of carbs, lipids, and proteins to prevent onset of chronic diet-related illness

Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs)

part of the DV, generic nutrient standard set for vitamins and minerals except for sodium and potassium- these nutrients have established nutrient standards such as RDAs

Daily Reference Values (DRVs)

part of the DV, the generic nutrient standard set for energy-producing nutrients such as fats, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, cholesterol, sodium and potassium- many of these nutrients do not have RDAs or other established nutrient standard

dietary guidelines

promote the consumption of food to meet the nutrient needs since dietary supplements are not an adequate substitute for a healthy diet

low energy density

refers to foods that weigh more but contain fewer calories, typically due to a higher water content such as vegetables: foods with low energy density help people stay full at a lower level of caloric intake

EER

sets an average energy or calorie need for each life group

DRI

sets recommended intakes for various nutrients

serving size

the amount of food that a nutrition facts label is based on, regulated by the FDA, to provide a reference point when evaluating the information on the rest of the label- only a recommendation not a requirement

portion size

the amount of food that an individual chooses to eat- may be more or less than a serving size; typically a RECOMMENDED amount by the USDA

EAR

the estimated nutrient requirements designed to meet 50% of people's needs within a certain life stage

Dietary Guidelines

the foundations of the US government's nutrition policy and education that reflect what experts believe to be the most accurate and up-to date knowledge about nutritious diets, physical activity, and related healthy lifestyle choices- designed to meet nutrient needs and reduce risk of obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, alcoholism, and food borne illness