NUTRITION AND DIETETICS

WHAT IS NUTRITION AND DIETETICS

 Program teaches students the principles and procedures of the use of food
for therapeutic purposes in the management of persons suffering from a
disease.
 Students of this program are also taught techniques and management of
food production, particularly the phases of the food service cycle: menu
planning, purchasing, receiving, storage and issuance, pre- preparation,
production, merchandising and service, food safety and sanitation and cost
control.
 DIETETICS

 Dietetics is the interpretation and communication of the

science of nutrition; it helps people make informed and
practical choices about food and lifestyle in both health and
disease.
 Dietitians work in a variety of areas, from private practice to
healthcare, education, corporate wellness, and research, while
a much smaller proportion work in the food industry.
NUTRITION

 Nutrition is the study of nutrients in food, how the body uses

nutrients, and the relationship between diet, health, and
disease.
 It may also work in journalism, education, and research.
Many nutritionists work in the field of food science and
technology
 WHY TAKING THIS COURSE
 Dietetics is the science of how food and nutrition affects
human health. The field of dietetics has a strong
emphasis on public health and a commitment to
educating all Americans about the importance of making
proper dietary choices.
 Dietitian nutritionists use nutrition and food science to
help people improve their health. Nutrition and dietetic
technicians work with dietitian nutritionists to provide
care and consultation to patients
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 Both dietitian nutritionists and nutrition and dietetic

technicians may also provide general nutrition education. Both
are nationally credentialed and are an integral part of health
care and foodservice management teams.
 THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A NUTRITIONIST-
DIETITIAN
 Assessing nutritional needs, diet restrictions and current health
plans to develop and implement dietary- care plans and
provide nutritional counseling.
 Consulting with physicians and health care personnel to
determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patient or
client.
 Counseling individuals and groups on basic rules of good
nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to
improve their quality of life.
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 Preparing and administering budgets for food, equipment and
supplies.
 Managing quantity food service departments or clinical and
community nutrition services.
 Testing new food products and equipment.
 CLINICAL DIETITIANS AND NUTRITIONISTS
 Provide medical nutrition therapy. They work in hospitals,
long-term care facilities, clinics, private practice, and other
institutions.
 They create nutritional programs based on the health needs of
patients or residents and counsel patients on how to lead a
healthier lifestyle.
 Clinical dietitians and nutritionists may further specialize,
such as working only patients with kidney diseases or those
with diabetes.
COMMUNITY DIETITIANS AND
NUTRITIONISTS
 Develop programs and counsel the public on topics related to
food and nutrition.
 They often work with specific groups of people, such as
adolescents or the elderly.
 They work in public health clinics, government and nonprofit
agencies, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and
other settings.
 MANAGEMENT DIETITIANS
 Plan meal programs.
 They work in food service settings such as cafeterias, hospitals
and schools.
 They may be responsible for buying food and for carrying out
other business-related tasks such as budgeting.
 Management dietitians may over see kitchen staff or other
dietitians.
 IMPORTANCE
 Nutritional science studies how the body breaks food down
(catabolism) and how it repairs and creates cells and tissue
(anabolism).
 Catabolism and anabolism combined can also be referred to as
metabolism.
 Nutritional science also examines how the body responds to
food.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
 Dietitians and nutritionists work in hospitals, nursing homes,
cafeterias, and schools. The industries that employed the most
dietitians and nutritionists
Hospitals; state, local, and private 31%
Government 13
Nursing and residential care facilities 9
Offices of health practitioners 7
Outpatient care centers 7
FACTOR TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE PLANNING
1. Nutritional adequacy — The provision of palatable foods
that are rich in essential nutrients. Nutrients needs of an
individual are affected by age, sex, body build and activities
engaged in by the individual.
2. The Food Budget — The food budget is influenced by the
family income, knowledge of the market shopper's shopping
skills, family food likes and dislikes and their goals and
values.
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3. Differences in food habits — This includes the dietary

habits of nationality groups, regional food patterns, cultural
and religious food patterns and the socio-economic
background.
4. The time and skill of the meal manager — The length of
meal preparation, the amount of experience and the time
available are to be considered.
5. Suitability, availability and quality of the food to be served.
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6. Aesthetic (concerned) and psychological aspects of food

The proper combination of flavor, texture and shapes as well
as variety in color, form and arrangement.
7. Equipment available for food preparation.
PLANNING A HEALTHY DIET
Principles and Guidelines.
 Most of the foods we eat, provide several nutrients. So to make a
wiser diet plan, it is prudent to select a combination of foods that
deliver a full contingent of nutrients for good health.
 Our major focus should be on selecting foods that will deliver all
the essential nutrients without excessive energy intake.
 Food choices made over years influence the body’s health, and
consistently poor choices increase the risks of developing chronic
diseases.
 Diet-planning principles and dietary guidelines are key concepts to
keep in mind whenever selecting foods.
DIET PLANNING PRINCIPLES

Six Basic Diet-Planning Principles: ABCDMV planning

• Adequacy
• Balance
• Calorie (energy) control
• Nutrient Density
• Moderation
• Variety
DIET-PLANNING PRINCIPLES
1. Adequacy: means that the diet should provide sufficient
energy and enough of all the nutrients required by the healthy
people.
2. Balance: The art of balance means use enough - but not
too much - of each type of food while planning a diet.
• e.g. meat, fish and poultry are rich in iron but poor in calcium
and dietary fiber; milk and milk products are rich in calcium
but poor in iron and dietary fiber.
• Grains, fruits and vegetables are rich in many vitamins,
minerals and dietary fiber but low in good quality proteins.
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Consuming any one food may results in deficiency of a nutrient
lacking in that food, but create a balance among all these foods
to provide all essential nutrients in your diet.
Balance in the diet helps to ensure adequacy
3. Calorie (Energy) Control: It is the management of food
energy intake. So, it is very important to design an adequate,
balanced diet without overeating. For this purpose, the basic
rule is to select foods of high nutrient density.
4. Nutrient Density : It is measure of the nutrients a food
provides relative to the energy it provides.
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• Nutrient density promotes adequacy and calorie control. The
more the nutrients and the fewer calories, the higher is the
nutrient density of food.
• Select foods that supply the most nutrients but the least amount
of food energy (calories).
5. Moderation: is the key for good diet planning and means
providing enough but not too much of a nutrient.
Moderation contributes to adequacy, balance and kcalorie
control.
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• Although, foods rich in fat sugar provide greater enjoyment and
energy, but these provide relatively few nutrients.
• So, eat sparingly foods that are rich in fat and sugar, and select
foods that are low in fat and sugar.
Moderation contributes to adequacy, balance, and calorie
control.
6. Variety: means eating a wide selection of foods within and
among the major food groups.
• A diet may have all the nutrients but may still lack variety, if a
person eats same foods day after day.
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• One can choose among various fruits, vegetables, meat,
poultry, eggs, fish dishes to create variety.
• Select foods form each of the food groups daily and vary
choices within each group. 
 DIET PLANNING GUIDES
 Food Group Plans: is a diet – planning tool that sorts food of
similar origin and nutrient content into groups and then
specify that people should eat certain number of serving from
each of these groups to create a balanced diet.
 Beauty lies in its simplicity and flexibility. E.g. milk can be
substitute for cheese.
 USDA’s Daily Food Guide, a food group plan: It assigns all
foods to five major food groups.
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Recommended Serving: all food groups offer valuable nutrients, and people
should make selections from each group daily.
The recommended numbers of daily servings are expressed as ranges:
- 6 to 11 servings of breads and cereals.
- 3 to 5 servings of vegetables.
- 2 to 4 servings of fruits.
- 2 to 3 servings of meats and meat alternates.
- 2 servings of milk and milk products (Older children, young adults, women who
are pregnant or breastfeeding, and older adults are advised to have 3 servings).
- Foods that are high in fat, sugar, or alcohol provide energy, but too few
nutrients. Should be used sparingly.