Food, nutrition and culture internet

• The following influence food choices: pizza • Nutritional Value... CHALLENGE OF CHANGING FOOD HABITS • Food is about more than feeding the body.. RELEASING NUTRIENTS FROM FOOD Simple

FOOD, NUTRITION & CULTURE

“Feeding oneself and one’s offspring is the

first concern of all living creatures”

- Frances Moore Lappe & Anna Lappe

WHY IS THE ACQUISITION OF FOOD

SO IMPORTANT?

• Question answered by the old adage “We are what

we eat.”

• All living creatures need to “take in nutrients to live.”

• Nutrition – the science that deals with the body’s

ability to transform nutrients found in “FOOD” into

“FUEL & FLESH.”

PERSPECTIVES ON NUTRITION

• To scientists, nutrition is the

study of:

– The nutrients found in foods

– The body’s handling of

nutrients to maintain health

• Nutrients (some of which

provide energy for processes

in the body) are substances

that can promote:

– Growth

– Maintenance

– Repair

For many, nutrition is all about losing weight!

• Food is a conduit for nutrients.

• It is one central thing about human experience that

can open up both our senses and our experiences to our place in the world

– Alice Waters

Food is culturally defined, what is considered a food in

Culture A is not necessarily a food in Culture B

THE NUTRIENTS

• Whereas there are many different foods

There are only six classes of nutrients

(CHO, fats, proteins, water,

minerals [e.g., Ca] and vitamins

[e.g., Vitamin D] are in milk

TYPES OF NUTRIENTS

protein

Vita min c

ENERGY YIELDING NUTRIENTS

• Vitamins - only organic nutrient that

does not supply energy but is needed to

get energy from foods

• Essential nutrient - body cannot make

enough of and must get from food

• Some dietary and lifestyle practices

(smoking, inactivity, drinking alcohol) are

risk factors for many health conditions

• Substances (non-nutrients) in foods are

phytochemicals that give foods the

characteristic taste and smell

MORE FOOD RELATED

FACTS ….

• When humans eat, foremost in their minds is that

they are consuming foods, not nutrients!

• The following influence food choices:

pizza

• Nutritional Value

CHALLENGE OF CHANGING FOOD

HABITS

• Food is about more than feeding the body It is

embedded in family life, culture and religious ritual.

• Food has always been the most direct, intimate tie to

a nurturing earth and a primary means of bonding

with each other.

• Food has helped us to know where and who we are.

• Digestion – process of breaking food into small substances

to be absorbed by the body and subsequently used for fuel, growth, maintenance and repair

RELEASING NUTRIENTS FROM FOOD

Simple (e.g., phagocytosis-

engulf and form food

vacuoles in which food is

broken down in the

FATTY ACIDS GLYCEROL

AMINO ACIDS

intestinal System

Gastro-• Food energy measured

tein =

4 c alo rie s

• Humans eat plants and

other animals that have

also eaten plants

The Cycle of life

begins with the

sun!

The Energy Cycle

THE ABC… OF A NUTRITIOUS DIET

DIETARY

GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS

NUTRITION AND HEALTH

• Health professionals agree that the overall composition

of the diet has an important effect on health

• Eating too much fat, sat fat and cholesterol and not

eating enough vegetables, fruits, and fiber has been

linked to an increase in heart disease and other cancers

• The federal government constantly revises its official

U.S Dietary Guidelines for Americans to help consumers choose a healthy diet

• These guidelines make Recommendations for Americans

NUTRITION GOALS FOR THE USA

Disease Related

• Reduce coronary heart disease;

• Reduce cancer deaths;

• Decrease incidence of diabetes;

• Reduce prevalence of

osteoporosis; and

• Reduce dental caries.

HOW MUCH FOOD DO WE NEED?

RDA (recommended dietary allowances)

• Primary nutrient intake standards for US for

many years.

DRI (dietary reference intake)

• Recently replaced RDA as primary standards

• Expands on RDAs

DRI GROUPS

• Recommendations made for various age and gender groups as follows: – Men

MEAL PLANNING GUIDES

• Food group plan

• Exchange system

• Daily Food Guide

– (Food Pyramid)

EXCHANGE SYSTEM

• Originally developed for diabetics

• Lists of foods that can be exchanged

• Food values are approximations

• User makes an educated approximation

• Let the Pyramid guide your

food choices

• Choose a variety of grains

daily, especially whole grains

• Choose a variety of fruits and

vegetables daily

• Keep food safe to eat!

CHOOSING FOODS ………

FOOD LABELS

• Food labels provide the following

information:

– Common name of product

– Name and address of manufacturer, packer or distributor

– Net contents (wt, measure or count).– Nutrient content of product

– Serving size

– Servings per container

– Calories/calories from fat

– Nutrient amounts and percentages of Daily Values

– Daily values and calories/gram

reminder

CHECK THE FOOD LABEL

BEFORE YOU BUY

• Food labels have several parts:

– Front panel,

• Added nutrients (e.g.,

“enriched grain/pasta” means thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, and folic acid have been added.

USING THE NUTRITION FACTS

– Look at the % Daily Value (%DV) column to

see whether a food is high or low in

saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium

– If you want to consume more of a nutrient

(e.g., Calcium), choose foods with a higher

%DV

– Foods with 5%DV or less contribute a small

amount of that nutrient Those with 20% or

more contribute a large amount

• Nutrition Facts serving sizes may differ from Food Guide Pyramid (e.g., 2 ozs of dry macaroni yields about

1 cup cooked, or two [½ cup] Pyramid servings).

HELPFUL HINTS

• Use the Food Guide Pyramid to help select

healthy foods.

• Eat a variety of plant foods, including whole

grains, fruits, and vegetables.

• Eat some fat dairy products and

low-fat foods from the meat and beans group.

• Enjoy fats and sweets occasionally.

• Note other things you did that same day

Chic ken ad

originally developed for

• Whitney E, Rolfes S Understanding Nutrition 7 th ed New

York: West Publishing Company; 1996

• Lappé F, Lappé A Hopes Edge: The Diet of a Small Planet New

York: Jeremy P Tarcher/Putman, 2002

• Google Image Search Available at: http://www.google.com

Accessed June 2004