Chapter 8 Making Healthy Choices 137
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Many diseases caused by unhealthy habits
can lead to secondary health risks. For instance,
someone who makes the unhealthy choice to
smoke tobacco may get cancer. Chemotherapy
drugs used to treat the cancer could produce side
effects that include nausea and lack of appetite.
In response to these symptoms, the patient may
be unwilling or unable to eat a healthy diet. This,
in turn, will create a secondary health risk for
nutrition-related problems.
Resources for Making
Healthy Food Choices
Many reports about health issues are linked
to nutrients. Supermarkets, health food stores, and
pharmacies all have shelves lined with bottles of
nutrient supplements. Food packages make claims
about the nutrient content of products.
Having some tools can help people sort out all
the nutrition information they encounter. Standards
are available to help people know how much of
each nutrient they should consume each day.
General guidelines exist to make it easier to choose
a healthy diet. A model has been developed to help
plan nutritious meals. Using these resources can
assist people in making healthy food choices.
Dietary Reference Intakes
People need a way to tell if they are meeting
their nutrient needs. The Institute of Medicine
developed a set of values to help. This set of
values is called the Dietary Reference Intakes
(DRIs). These are estimated nutrient intake
levels used for planning and evaluating the diets
of healthy people. They are standards against
which the nutritional quality of a diet can be
measured. The DRIs are designed to help prevent
diseases caused by a lack of nutrients. They
are also designed to reduce the risk of diseases
linked to nutrition. Such diseases include heart
disease, some types of cancer, and osteopo-
rosis. Figure 8.3 shows DRIs for teens for select
nutrients.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
A key resource for planning a healthy diet
is the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It is
the federal government’s nutritional advice. It is
intended to promote health and reduce the risk
of chronic (long-term) diseases. This resource
urges people to adopt dietary patterns and phys-
ical activity levels to reach these goals. A dietary
pattern is a mix of foods and beverages that
make up a person’s total dietary intake over time.
The Dietary Guidelines focuses on dietary patterns
rather than individual nutrients.
The Dietary Guidelines is published by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS). It is based on scientific evidence and
is revised every five years to reflect new find-
ings about health and nutrition. The 2020–2025
Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides the
following four guidelines that promote healthy
dietary patterns:
• Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every
life stage.
• Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense
food and beverage choices to reflect personal
preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary
considerations.
• Focus on meeting food group needs with
nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay
within calorie limits.
• Limit foods and beverages that are higher
in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and
limit alcoholic beverages.
DRIs for Teens
Nutrient Males
14–18 years
Females
14–18 years
Protein 52 g 46 g
Carbohydrate 130 g 130 g
Fiber 38 g 26 g
Vitamin A 900 µg 700 µg
Vitamin C 75 mg 65 mg
Vitamin D 15 µg 15 µg
Calcium 1,300 mg 1,300 mg
Iron 11 mg 15 mg
Potassium 3,000 mg 2,300 mg
Figure 8.3 Most healthy teens who consume these
amounts of nutrients through their daily food choices
are eating nutritionally adequate diets.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Many diseases caused by unhealthy habits
can lead to secondary health risks. For instance,
someone who makes the unhealthy choice to
smoke tobacco may get cancer. Chemotherapy
drugs used to treat the cancer could produce side
effects that include nausea and lack of appetite.
In response to these symptoms, the patient may
be unwilling or unable to eat a healthy diet. This,
in turn, will create a secondary health risk for
nutrition-related problems.
Resources for Making
Healthy Food Choices
Many reports about health issues are linked
to nutrients. Supermarkets, health food stores, and
pharmacies all have shelves lined with bottles of
nutrient supplements. Food packages make claims
about the nutrient content of products.
Having some tools can help people sort out all
the nutrition information they encounter. Standards
are available to help people know how much of
each nutrient they should consume each day.
General guidelines exist to make it easier to choose
a healthy diet. A model has been developed to help
plan nutritious meals. Using these resources can
assist people in making healthy food choices.
Dietary Reference Intakes
People need a way to tell if they are meeting
their nutrient needs. The Institute of Medicine
developed a set of values to help. This set of
values is called the Dietary Reference Intakes
(DRIs). These are estimated nutrient intake
levels used for planning and evaluating the diets
of healthy people. They are standards against
which the nutritional quality of a diet can be
measured. The DRIs are designed to help prevent
diseases caused by a lack of nutrients. They
are also designed to reduce the risk of diseases
linked to nutrition. Such diseases include heart
disease, some types of cancer, and osteopo-
rosis. Figure 8.3 shows DRIs for teens for select
nutrients.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
A key resource for planning a healthy diet
is the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It is
the federal government’s nutritional advice. It is
intended to promote health and reduce the risk
of chronic (long-term) diseases. This resource
urges people to adopt dietary patterns and phys-
ical activity levels to reach these goals. A dietary
pattern is a mix of foods and beverages that
make up a person’s total dietary intake over time.
The Dietary Guidelines focuses on dietary patterns
rather than individual nutrients.
The Dietary Guidelines is published by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS). It is based on scientific evidence and
is revised every five years to reflect new find-
ings about health and nutrition. The 2020–2025
Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides the
following four guidelines that promote healthy
dietary patterns:
• Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every
life stage.
• Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense
food and beverage choices to reflect personal
preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary
considerations.
• Focus on meeting food group needs with
nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay
within calorie limits.
• Limit foods and beverages that are higher
in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and
limit alcoholic beverages.
DRIs for Teens
Nutrient Males
14–18 years
Females
14–18 years
Protein 52 g 46 g
Carbohydrate 130 g 130 g
Fiber 38 g 26 g
Vitamin A 900 µg 700 µg
Vitamin C 75 mg 65 mg
Vitamin D 15 µg 15 µg
Calcium 1,300 mg 1,300 mg
Iron 11 mg 15 mg
Potassium 3,000 mg 2,300 mg
Figure 8.3 Most healthy teens who consume these
amounts of nutrients through their daily food choices
are eating nutritionally adequate diets.