FOOD, NUTRITION & CULTURE

“Feeding oneself and one’s offspring is the first concern of all living creatures”

- Frances Moore Lappe & Anna Lappe

WHY IS THE ACQUISITION OF FOOD SO IMPORTANT?

• Question answered by the old adage “We are what we eat.”

• All living creatures need to “take in nutrients to live.”

• Nutrition – the science that deals with the body’s ability to transform nutrients found in “FOOD” into “FUEL & FLESH.”

Calories

Muscle&

Tissue

PERSPECTIVES ON NUTRITION

• To scientists, nutrition is the study of:– The nutrients found in foods – The body’s handling of

nutrients to maintain health

• Nutrients (some of which provide energy for processes in the body) are substances that can promote:– Growth – Maintenance– Repair

For many, nutrition is all about losing

weight!

OCTOPUS

MEXICAN FOODS

ACKEE AND

BREADFRUIT

PEARBUSH BUDS

WHAT IS FOOD?• Food is a conduit for nutrients.• It is one central thing about human experience that

can open up both our senses and our experiences to our place in the world.

– Alice Waters

Food is culturally defined, what is considered a food in

Culture A is not necessarily a food in Culture B.

THE NUTRIENTS• Whereas there are many different

foods. There are only six classes of nutrients namely:– carbohydrates (CHO)– proteins – fats – vitamins – minerals – water

• Usually, more than one class of nutrients is represented in a food (e.g., (CHO, fats, proteins, water, minerals [e.g., Ca] and vitamins [e.g., Vitamin D] are in milk.

TYPES OF NUTRIENTS protein

Vitamin c

Fatty acids

–Organic (with C- C or C- H bonds)

•CHO,

•Proteins

•Fats

•Vitamins

waterSodium and Chlorine ions

–Inorganic

•Water

•Minerals.

ENERGY YIELDING NUTRIENTS

• Carbohydrates– glucose, (preferred

energy source) fructose and galactose

• Fats– fatty acids and

glycerol

• Proteins– amino acids

• Vitamins - only organic nutrient that does not supply energy but is needed to get energy from foods.

• Essential nutrient - body cannot make enough of and must get from food.

• Some dietary and lifestyle practices (smoking, inactivity, drinking alcohol) are risk factors for many health conditions.

• Substances (non-nutrients) in foods are phytochemicals that give foods the characteristic taste and smell.

MORE FOOD RELATED FACTS ….

FOOD CHOICES

• Advertising• Availability• Convenience• Economy• Comfort• Ethnicity• Habit

• Personal Preference• Positive Associations• Geographical

location• Social Pressure• Values and beliefs• Body weight

• Select foods to provide adequate amounts of nutrients and energy!

• When humans eat, foremost in their minds is that they are consuming foods, not nutrients!

• The following influence food choices:

pizz

a

• Nutritional Value

CHALLENGE OF CHANGING FOOD HABITS

• Food is about more than feeding the body. It is embedded in family life, culture and religious ritual.

• Food has always been the most direct, intimate tie to a nurturing earth and a primary means of bonding with each other.

• Food has helped us to know where and who we are.

• Digestion – process of breaking food into small substances to be absorbed by the body and subsequently used for fuel, growth, maintenance and repair.

RELEASING NUTRIENTS FROM FOOD

Simple (e.g., phagocytosis- engulf and form food vacuoles in which food is broken down in the unicellular amoeba).

Complex (e.g., cooking and chewing food before introducing it to the sophisticated multi-organ, digestive system in multi-cellular humans).

PRODUCTS OF DIGESTION(Energy Nutrients)

CHO

FATS

PROTEINS

GLUCOSEFRUCTOSEGALACTOSE

FATTY ACIDS

GLYCEROL

AMINO ACIDS

Gastro-intestinal

System

• Food energy measured in calories.

• A calorie is not a component of food.

1g fat =

9 calorie

s

1g CHO = 4 calories

1g protein = 4

calories

1 g alcohol =

7 calorie

s

(alcohol is

not a

nutrient)

MEASURING FOOD ENERGY

ENERGY

• Plants use the sun’s energy to combine carbondioxide and water to form glucose and oxygen.

6H2O + 6CO2 = C6H12O6 + 6O2

• Plants store energy as starch.

• Humans eat plants and other animals that have also eaten plants.

The Cycle of life begins with

the sun!

The Energy Cycle

THE ABC….. OF A NUTRITIOUS DIET

• Adequacy• Balance• Calorie control• Moderation• Nutrient Density• Variety

DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS

I am inebriated!

Not to be emulated!

NUTRITION AND HEALTH• Health professionals agree that the overall

composition of the diet has an important effect on health.

• Eating too much fat, sat. fat and cholesterol and not eating enough vegetables, fruits, and fiber has been linked to an increase in heart disease and other cancers.

• The federal government constantly revises its official U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans to help consumers choose a healthy diet.

• These guidelines make Recommendations for Americans 2 years of age and older.

NUTRITION GOALS FOR THE USA

Disease Related• Reduce coronary heart disease;• Reduce cancer deaths;• Decrease incidence of diabetes;• Reduce prevalence of

osteoporosis; and• Reduce dental caries.

HOW MUCH FOOD DO WE NEED?

RDA (recommended dietary allowances)

• Primary nutrient intake standards for US for many years.

DRI (dietary reference intake)

• Recently replaced RDA as primary standards

• Expands on RDAs

DRI GROUPS• Recommendations made for

various age and gender groups as follows: – Men– Women– Pregnant and lactating women– Children– teens– elderly

MEAL PLANNING GUIDES

• Food group plan

• Exchange system

•Daily Food Guide – (Food Pyramid)

EXCHANGE SYSTEM

• Originally developed for diabetics• Lists of foods that can be

exchanged• Food values are approximations• User makes an educated

approximation

= =

• Let the Pyramid guide your food choices.

• Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole

grains.• Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.• Keep food safe to eat!

CHOOSING FOODS ………

FOOD LABELS• Food labels provide the following

information:– Common name of product.– Name and address of

manufacturer, packer or distributor.– Net contents (wt, measure or

count).– Nutrient content of product– Serving size– Servings per container– Calories/calories from fat– Nutrient amounts and percentages

of Daily Values– Daily values and calories/gram

reminder– Ingredients

CHECK THE FOOD LABEL BEFORE YOU BUY

• Food labels have several parts:– Front panel,

• Added nutrients (e.g., “enriched grain/pasta” means thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, and folic acid have been added.

– Nutrition Facts, – Ingredients list,

•What’s in the food including e.g., added fats, or sugars.

• Ingredients listed in descending order by weight.

USING THE NUTRITION FACTS

– Look at the % Daily Value (%DV) column to see whether a food is high or low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium.

– If you want to consume more of a nutrient (e.g., Calcium), choose foods with a higher %DV.

– Foods with 5%DV or less contribute a small amount of that nutrient. Those with 20% or more contribute a large amount.

• Nutrition Facts serving sizes may differ from Food Guide Pyramid (e.g., 2 ozs of dry macaroni yields about 1 cup cooked, or two [½ cup] Pyramid servings).

HELPFUL HINTS

•    Use the Food Guide Pyramid to help select healthy foods.

•    Eat a variety of plant foods, including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

•   Eat some low-fat dairy products and low- fat foods from the meat and beans group.

•  Enjoy fats and sweets occasionally.

DIETARY ASSESSMENT

The following dietary assessment methods are used:

• 24 Hour recall• Food Record/Diary• Food Frequency Questionnaire

KEEPING TRACK………Food Record

Do the following:• Record everything you

eat and drink for 3 consecutive days

• Amount (ozs, g)– Time eaten– Mood before and after each meal

• Note other things you did that same day

Chicken

Bread

QUIZHow many calories does this meal of 110 g of carbohydrates, 25 g of protein, 20 g of fat, and 5 g of alcohol?

a. 160 b. 345c. 560 d. 755

The Exchange System of

meal planning was

originally developed for

people with

a. terminal diseases.

b. diabetes.

c. cardiovascular disease.

d. life- threatening

obesity.

Gram for gram, which of the following provides the most energy?

a. fatsb. alcoholc. proteinsd. carbohydrates

Teacher’sPet

THE END

Assignment: Continue being exceptional educators!

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Thank You

REFERENCES

• Whitney E, Rolfes S. Understanding Nutrition. 7 th ed. New York: West Publishing Company; 1996.

• Lappé F, Lappé A. Hopes Edge: The Diet of a Small Planet. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putman, 2002.

• Google Image Search. Available at: http://www.google.com. Accessed June 2004.