NUTRITION TOOLS, STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES TO NUTRIENT RECOMMENDATIONS

DIETARY STANDARDS

Dietary standards are compilations of nutrient requirements or allowances in specific quantities.

They are tentative and may be changed, as newer findings from researches unveil.

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS

These are minimum amounts needed for essential nutrients to attain good health under specific
age, sex, weight, physical activity, physiological conditions, state of health, etc.

DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES

 Standards developed by the Institute of Medicine of the national Academies to guide safe and
adequate intake of essential nutrients for healthy humans.
 Designed to promote optimal function and health for people.
 Specific for groups of people based on life stage, gender, conditions of pregnancy & lactation.
 Adequate for moderately active people.

TYPES OF DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES

 ESTIMATED AVERAGE REQUIREMENT (EAR)

– A daily nutrient intake value that is estimated to meet the requirement half of the healthy
individuals in a life stage and gender group.
– Intake that meets the estimated nutrient needs of 50% of the individuals in the defined group.

 RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCES (RDA)

– Intake that meets the needs of 97% to 98% of individuals in the defined group.
– Intended for use as a goal for daily intake by individuals, not for assessing the adequacy of an
individual’s nutrient intake.

 ADEQUATE INTAKE (AI)

– A recommended intake value based on observed or experimentally determined estimates of
nutrient intake by a group of healthy people that are assumed to be adequate.
– Used if an EAR or RDA cannot be set because of lack of information.

 TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS (UL)

– The highest level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk or adverse health effects in
almost all individuals in the general population.
– Designed for the general population and may be exceeded under medical supervision in clients
with special needs.
DIETARY GUIDELINES AND FOOD GUIDES
FOOD PYRAMID
 These are developed by nutrition educators or nutrition experts as a qualitative
tool in planning nutritious diets for masses.
 It shows foods containing high levels of certain nutrients are grouped together
and the serving portions are stated in household measures for the layman to
understand.

FOR REGULAR HEALTHY ADULT

The healthy food plate for Filipino adults (Pinggang Pinoy) completes the messages of the pyramid
by showing adequate distribution of nutritious foods in a meal.

FOOD EXCHANGE LIST

 one of the basic tools in nutrition and dietetics developed by DOST-FNRI.
 Tool for quick estimation of the energy and macronutrients for use in planning
meals of individual clients.
 Provides greater flexibility in meal planning and assists in meeting dietary
management goals of clients.
 Includes 200 new food items based on the updates of the Food Composition
Tables, new food and food products in the market, commonly-consumed food
items from the 2013 National Nutrition Survey.
FOOD COMPOSITION TABLE

 It shows each food item with descriptions and equivalent local names followed by
its composition per 100 grams edible portion.
 The nutrient contents include: ENERGY, CARBOHYDRATES, PROTEINS, FATS,
DIETARY FIBER, CALCIUM, PHOSPHORUS, IRON, FOLATE, RIBOFLAVIN,
THIAMINE and VITAMINS A & C.

FOOD and NUTRITION LABELS

Nutrition claim – representation that states, suggests, or implies that a food has
particular nutritional properties. It refers to statements describing the presence,
absence, or level of a nutrient.
2 types of Nutrition Claims:
 Nutrient content claim (e.g., high in Vit. C; cholesterol-free)
 Comparative claim (e.g., more protein, less sodium)
Ingredients lists – all ingredients of a particular food product are listed by weight, from
the most to the least amount (the ingredient that is in the largest amount is listed first).
Nutrition labeling – printed in food labels as “Nutrition Facts”.
Nutrition facts – information on food labels indicating nutrient/s and the quantity of said
nutrient found or added in the food.
NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR FILIPINOS
 Primary recommendations to promote good health habits through proper
nutrition.