Good nutrition is important for health and feeling well.

Because of poor nutrition (too much sugar, salt and fat intake) and lower activity, youth today may likely have shorter lives than

their parents, the first reversal of the trend to live longer in developed countries.

Many health problems can be linked to poor nutrition.

• Diabetes is often inherited but is also linked to diets high in refined sugars to over-weight conditions.

• Kidney problems are linked to diets high in salt and processed foods.

• Heart attacks and stroke are linked to diets high in saturated fats.

Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 1

• Eat a variety of foods.

Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 2• Balance the food you eat with physical activity. Maintain or

improve your weight.

Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 3

• Choose a diet with plenty of plant products like grain products, vegetables, and fruits.

Plant products are a good source of carbohydrates.

• Carbohydrates should supply about 60% of the daily calorie requirement.

Plant products are an excellent source of fiber. Different plants supply different beneficial fibers.

Plant products are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals. Some nutrients like vitamin C and beta carotene

are found only in fruits and vegetables.

• Choosing plant products with a wide range of colors seems to be a good method of insuring a balance of nutrients.

Most plant products are low in fat. Eating them helps control weight as long as they are not served with excess

butter, sour cream or rich sauces.

Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 4• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

On third or less of daily calories should come from fat. Land animal fats and palm oils have high saturated fat

levels. Limit foods high in cholesterol.

Fried foods and baked goods often are high in fat as are whole milk and egg yolks.

Since cheeses typically are high in fat, they should be eaten occasionally or in smaller amounts.

Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 5• Choose a diet moderate in sugars.

Candies, desserts and baked goods are often high in sugar. Refined sugar provides empty calories without further nutrition

value. Soda drinks, ketchup, salad dressings and peanut butter often contain refined sugars.

Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 6Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.

If using salted butter, the salt in a recipe can be reduced.

When adding salt shake once, not twice.

Only occasionally choose salted snacks.

Go easy on processed foods which as a rule have very high salt contents.

Check labels for sodium (salt) content and choose products with less sodium.

The Food Guide Pyramid

• The food guide pyramid helps persons to plan their eating to provide healthy nutrition.

The Five Food Groups in the Food Guide Pyramid

• The breads, cereals, rice and pasta group

• The vegetable group

• The fruit group• The milk and milk

product group• The meat, beans

eggs and nuts group

An Alternate Food Guide Pyramid

• This Food Guide Pyramid includes water as an essential requirement each day.

Alternate Guide to Healthy Eating

• This general guide recognizes the value of exercise, moderate alcohol consumption (1/2-1 glass daily) and vitamin supplements.

A Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid

• A vegetarian food guide replaces milk and meat with soy and bean products and may supplement the diet with vitamins. The grain, quinoa, may be used in grain products.

Alcohol or drug consumption for a pregnant woman or woman attempting pregnancy is devastating.

• A developing baby is severely damaged by alcohol including deformities as well as lifelong reduced mental and social capacities.

Serving Sizes for Food Groups

Serving Sizes for Food Groups

Food portions change with age and gender.

• Children require slightly less grain, veggies, fruits and meats as teens and adults.

• Children require about the same dairy product intake as adults while teens need a bit more dairy or dairy alternatives.

• Teens require the same intake of veggies, fruits, grain products, and meats as adults.

Other Important Food Considerations

• Does the food have herbicide (weed killer) and pesticide (animal pest poisons) residues on the food? In some parts of the world the use of these chemicals is not controlled (ex: China). Consumers need to know where their food is coming from to assess how safe it is. Washing all produce and fruit is a precaution against chemicals that might be on the outside of plant products.

Industrial Farming

• Mass produced plant products (like corn) often require extensive application of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides to grow well.

• Over the past 150 years, soil fertility (without the addition of chemicals) has decreased and one half of the topsoil layer (black earth) has been lost through erosion.

Other Important Food Considerations

• Mass produced meats (beef, chicken and pork) often have growth hormones, antibiotics and other synthetic chemicals that the animal obtained through what it was fed.

Large-scale feed lots• Large scale feed lots are organized for economy, not necessarily in

terms of what is natural for the animal or its health requirements.

• Beef cows naturally graze on grass.• Prolonged feeding of corn to beef

causes acidic stomach conditions and consequent health problems.

“Organically Grown” Plant Products

• Organically grown plant products have been grown without pesticides or herbicides. Chemical fertilizers may have been used.

• Organically grown products are often more expensive but not necessarily.

“Organically Grown” Animals II• Organically grown animals have been grown without growth additives or

antibiotics. They still likely have been grown in an “industrial” way in some large operation. The humane and natural treatment of the animal (which for many consumers is important) is thus not guaranteed by the label, “organically grown”.

Ecological, Sustainable Farming Operations

• A number of farmers are growing plants and animals in ways that allow the animals and plants to do what they naturally would do.

• Farming ecologically works with natural cycles and processes and makes the land better over time.

Joel Salatin, a Christian farmer advocates Sustainable farming as a practice based on his beliefs.

Benefits of Sustainable Farming

• Sustainable farming leaves the land better each year than before.• Sustainable farming lets animals and plants be natural, do what they

were made to do.• Sustainable farming uses less fuel since less machine power is required

and no fertilizers or pesticides. Fuel is also saved since the produce is always sold locally.

• Typically foods grown sustainably are more nutritious and taste better.

A good reference for the main ways in which North American food is produced.