III. What are current nutrition/food recommendations for healthy eating?

• Research has indicated that between half and three-quarters of teenagers do not meet the requirements for consuming the recommended amounts of variety of foods and nutrients (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005).
• Research-based food recommendations can serve as guides for healthy eating. It is key to remember that these guides are not absolute diet prescriptions. The most current example of a research-based guide would be MyPyramid. MyPyramid is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and promotes several positive sound bites such as "make half your grains whole," "vary your veggies," "focus on fruits," "know your fats," and "get your calcium-rich foods." This guide can be easily accessed at MyPyramid.gov (USDA, 2009).
• The emphasis on amount of calories should be replaced with an emphasis on nutrient density (the amounts of nutrients per calorie) and overall balanced nutrition (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005).
• Healthy eating promotes eating balanced meals. A recommended kilocalorie distribution could be 15-20% protein, 25-35% fat, and 50-55% carbohydrate. To attain this balance, include protein-rich food, carbohydrates from grains, fruits, and vegetables, and some fat at each meal (Satter, 2008 & USDHHS, 2005).
• It is important to include high quality protein in major meals such as eggs, fish, lean beef, poultry, milk, and soy products. High quality protein will help keep the body full and prevent cravings and overeating (Travis, 2009).
• Fat should not be stereotyped as "bad," nor should it be eliminated from the diet. Moderate amounts of fat are actually essential to maintain normal body functions. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (found in vegetable oils, fish, nuts, seeds, etc.) are heart-healthy foods and need to be incorporated into the diet (Travis, 2009).
• One should never ignore hunger. Hunger is a normal and healthy body function and when ignored can lead to dysfunctional eating (Travis, 2009).

Back