A Healthful DietA Healthful DietThe ABC’s and DMV’s The ABC’s and DMV’s

of healthy eating.of healthy eating.

Diet DefinedDiet Defined

Diet refers to the Diet refers to the patternpattern of food of food consumption followed by an consumption followed by an individualindividual..

Your diet can include both Your diet can include both healthyhealthy and and unhealthy eating unhealthy eating behaviorsbehaviors..

Dieting refers to changing one’s Dieting refers to changing one’s usualusual pattern of eating. Often dieting pattern of eating. Often dieting includes includes reductionreduction of unhealthy of unhealthy nutrients like saturated fats, nutrients like saturated fats, sodiumsodium, , or sugar.or sugar.

The ABC’s and DMV of Healthy The ABC’s and DMV of Healthy Eating PatternsEating Patterns

Six concepts can help you to Six concepts can help you to improveimprove your diet. your diet.

ABCABC: : AAdequacy, dequacy, BBalance, alance, CCalorie alorie controlcontrol

DMVDMV: : DDense with ense with nutrientsnutrients, , MModeration, and oderation, and VVariety.ariety.

Small Small changeschanges in eating patterns in eating patterns can cause great can cause great benefits in long benefits in long term term healthhealth..

A: AdequacyA: Adequacy

AdequacyAdequacy: your diet provides : your diet provides enoughenough of of each of the 6 nutrients (carbohydrates, each of the 6 nutrients (carbohydrates, proteinprotein, fat, vitamins, , fat, vitamins, mineralsminerals, and water) , and water) essential for maintaining good health. essential for maintaining good health.

If your body does not provide enough If your body does not provide enough nutrients nutrients deficienciesdeficiencies could result. could result.

Remember that some nutrients are Remember that some nutrients are storedstored in the body (protein, fat, in the body (protein, fat, calciumcalcium) and ) and others must be replaced each others must be replaced each dayday (carbohydrates, (carbohydrates, ironiron, , vitamin C & others)vitamin C & others)

Energy Yielding Nutrient Energy Yielding Nutrient Components of a Healthful DietComponents of a Healthful Diet

Carbohydrates58%

Protein 12%

Fat 30%

Your diet should be comprised of approximately 58% carbohydrate foods

(fruits, vegetables, and grains), 12% protein (meat, dairy, beans, nuts), and 30% fat

(meat, dairy, nuts).

B: BalanceB: Balance

BalanceBalance: your diet does not : your diet does not overemphasize any food overemphasize any food typetype or or nutrient at the nutrient at the expenseexpense of another. of another. Your diet contains a Your diet contains a balancebalance from the from the food guide food guide pyramidpyramid..

Too much or too Too much or too littlelittle of one nutrient of one nutrient may cause health may cause health problemsproblems..

Too Too muchmuch of a nutrient may cause a of a nutrient may cause a deficiency in consumption or deficiency in consumption or absorptionabsorption of other nutrients. of other nutrients.

C: Calorie ControlC: Calorie Control

Calorie ControlCalorie Control: your diet supplies : your diet supplies enough enough caloriescalories to maintain your to maintain your weightweight, not too much or too , not too much or too littlelittle..

Foods should be Foods should be selectedselected to balance to balance each other in each other in totaltotal calorie content. calorie content.

For example if you wish to eat a For example if you wish to eat a sweetsweet food with excess calories then food with excess calories then you should choose a meal that is you should choose a meal that is lowlow in calories but high in in calories but high in nutrientsnutrients..

The four slices of bread and ½ of a blueberry muffin both have 200 calories

D: Dense with NutrientsD: Dense with Nutrients

Dense with nutrientsDense with nutrients: or nutrient dense : or nutrient dense foods, are those that provide a lot of foods, are those that provide a lot of nutrientsnutrients but relatively few but relatively few caloriescalories..

Examples of nutrient dense foods are Examples of nutrient dense foods are spinach, spinach, broccolibroccoli, beans, small white , beans, small white fish, fish, orangesoranges, green pepper, skim milk, , green pepper, skim milk, cottage cheese, light meat of cottage cheese, light meat of poultrypoultry, , watermelon.watermelon.

WholeWhole unprocessed foods tend to be unprocessed foods tend to be more nutrient dense than more nutrient dense than preparedprepared processed foods.processed foods.

M: ModerationM: Moderation ModerationModeration: your diet is relatively low in : your diet is relatively low in

fat, fat, sugarsugar, and salt., and salt. Too much Too much fatfat, sugar, and salt in the diet , sugar, and salt in the diet

are associated with many types of are associated with many types of cancercancer, , heart disease, heart disease, obesityobesity, diabetes, and high , diabetes, and high blood pressure.blood pressure.

Moderation is best learned at a Moderation is best learned at a youngyoung age age since it is easier to maintain a healthy since it is easier to maintain a healthy habithabit than to create a new one. than to create a new one.

Foods to avoid include, Foods to avoid include, candycandy, pastries, , pastries, fried foods, red meats, fried foods, red meats, pickledpickled foods, and foods, and processed foods like microwave processed foods like microwave dinnersdinners..

V: VarietyV: Variety

VarietyVariety: your diet provides a variety of : your diet provides a variety of differentdifferent foods from each section of foods from each section of the food the food guideguide pyramid. pyramid.

You eat many different types of You eat many different types of fruitsfruits rather than just apples, grapes and rather than just apples, grapes and bananas.bananas.

The more variety from each The more variety from each sectionsection you eat the better your changes are of you eat the better your changes are of getting enough of all the getting enough of all the nutrientsnutrients..

Variety helps to make foods Variety helps to make foods interestinginteresting..