Eating the DietaryGuidelines Way

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Dietary Guidelines

• Advice about food choices for all healthy people age 2 or over

• Eating plan is also called a diet• (includes everything you eat or drink)

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• Follow the guidelines now as a teen and you decrease your chances of developing some health problems when you are older

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• As a teen your body is growing rapidly

• As you get older being overweight increases your chance of heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis and other health problems

The Dietary GuidelinesRevised Every 5 Years

The Dietary Guidelines1. Eat Nutrient Dense Foods• What does “Nutrient Dense” mean?• Foods that have a lot of vitamins, minerals or other

important nutrients and few calories are considered nutrient dense.

• Choosing foods that are nutrient dense are better for your overall health.

Which is more Nutrient Dense?

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2. Balance Calories to Manage Weight• Control total calorie intake to manage body weight.• Increase physical activity and reduce “screen time”.

Intake Output

3. Reduce sodium, fats and added sugars, refined grains and alcohol. • Reduce sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams per day

• That’s only about ½ tsp.! • Too much sodium increase the risk of high blood pressure• Sodium is usually added to processed foods, beverages

and diet drinks

4. Increase vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk, seafood and use oils in place of solid fats. • Choose 8 oz. of seafood products in the place of some

meat and poultry per week.

5. Build healthy eating patterns that meet nutritional needs over time at an appropriate calorie level. • Building healthy habits NOW will affect you LATER!

6. Include physical exercise as part of healthy eating patterns. • 6-17 year olds should be active at least 60 minutes or

more each day

Determining Daily Servings

• Range of servings (teen males need most)• Number of servings depends on:– Age, sex, size, activity level

• Teens need more than adults• Senior citizens need less• Females generally require fewer servings• Active people need more• To reduce weight, reduce servings

• Video – dietary guidelines

• Web search – dietary guidelines