N.J. Admin. Code § Tit. 5, ch. 27A, app B
A DAILY FOOD GUIDE
MEAT GROUP
Foods Included: Beef; veal; lamb; pork; variety meats, such as liver, heart, kidney. Poultry and eggs. Fish and shellfish. As alternates-dry beans, dry peas, lentils, nuts, peanuts, peanut butter.
Amounts Recommended: Choose 2 or more servings every day. Count as a serving: 2 to 3 ounces of lean cooked meat, poultry or fish-all without bone; 1 egg, 1/2 cup cooked dry beans, dry peas, or lentils; 2 tablespoons peanut butter may replace one-half serving of meat.
VEGETABLE-FRUIT GROUP
Foods Included: All vegetables and fruits. This guide emphasizes those that are valuable as sources of vitamin C and vitamin A.
Sources of Vitamin C: Good sources-Grapefruit or grapefruit juice; orange or orange juice; cantaloupe; guava; mango; papaya; raw strawberries; broccoli; brussels sprouts; green pepper; sweet red pepper. Fair sources-Honeydew melon; lemon; tangerine or tangerine juice; watermelon; asparagus tips; raw cabbage; collards; garden cress; kale; kohlrabi; mustard greens; potatoes and sweet potatoes cooked in the jacket; spinach; tomatoes or tomato juice; turnip greens.
Sources of Vitamin A: Dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables and a few fruits, namely: Apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, chard, collards, cress, kale, mango, persimmon, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnip greens and other dark-green leaves, winter squash.
Amounts Recommended: Choose 4 or more servings each day, including: 1 serving of a good source of vitamin C or 2 servings of a fair source. 1 serving, at least every other day, of a good source of vitamin A. If the food chosen for vitamin C is also a good source of vitamin A, the additional serving of a vitamin A food may be omitted.
The remaining 1 to 3 or more servings may be of any vegetable or fruit, including those that are valuable for vitamin C and for vitamin A.
Count as 1 serving: 1/2 cup of vegetable or fruit; or a portion as ordinarily served, such as 1 medium apple, banana, orange, or potato, half a medium grapefruit or cantaloupe, or the juice of 1 lemon.
MILK GROUP
Foods Included: Milk-fluid whole, evaporated, skim, dry, buttermilk. Cheese-cottage; cream; Cheddar-type, natural or process. Ice cream.
Amounts Recommended: Some milk every day for everyone.
Recommended amounts are given below in terms of 8-ounce cups of whole fluid milk:
| Children under 9..............2 or 3 |
| Children 9 to 12..............3 or more |
| Teenagers.....................4 or more |
| Adults........................2 or more |
| Pregnant women................3 or more |
| Nursing mothers...............4 or more |
Part of all of the milk may be fluid skim milk, buttermilk, evaporated milk, or dry milk.
Cheese and ice cream may replace part of the milk. The amount of either it will take to replace a given amount of milk is figured on the basis of calcium content. Common portions of cheese and ice cream and their milk equivalents in calcium are:
| 1-inch cube Cheddar-type cheese | 1/2 cup milk |
| 1/2 cup cottage cheese | 1/3 cup milk |
| 2 tablespoons cream cheese | 1 tablespoon milk |
| 1/2 cup ice cream | 1/4 cup milk |
BREAD-CEREAL GROUP
Foods Included: All breads and cereals that are whole grain, enriched, or restored; check labels to be sure. Specifically, this group includes: Breads; cooked cereals; ready-to-eat cereals; cornmeal; crackers; flour; grits; macaroni and spaghetti; noodles; rice; rolled oats; and quick breads and other baked goods if made with whole-grain or enriched flour. Bulgur and par-boiled rice and wheat also may be included in this group.
Amounts Recommended: Choose 4 servings or more daily. Or, if no cereals are chosen, have an extra serving of breads or baked goods, which will make at least 5 servings from this group daily.
Count as 1 serving: 1 slice of bread; 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal; 1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked cereal, cornmeal, grits, macaroni, noodles, rice or spaghetti.
OTHER FOODS
To round out meals and meet energy needs, almost everyone will use some foods not specified in the four food groups. Such foods include: unenriched, refined breads, cereals, flours; sugars; butter, margarine, other fats. These often are ingredients in a recipe or added to other foods during preparation or at the table.
Try to include some vegetable oil among the fats used.
INTRODUCTION
Food alone cannot make anyone healthy. Good health also depends on heredity, environment, and health care, that is, exercise, habits, smoking, etc., affect health status. Lifestyle is also important to health. But a diet based on these guidelines can help promote good health.
When planning your facility's menu incorporate the following Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
| 1. | Serve a variety of foods |
| 2. | Prepare a diet moderate low in fat, saturated fat |
| and cholesterol. | |
| 3. | Offer a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and |
| whole grain products. | |
| 4. | Use salt and sodium in moderation when preparing foods. |
| 5. | Offer foods high in sugars in moderation. |
#1 EAT A VARIETY OF FOODS
These guidelines call for moderation avoiding extremes in diet. More than 40 different nutrients are essential for good health. Essential nutrients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids from protein, certain fatty acids from fat, and sources of calories (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). These nutrients should come from a variety of foods, not from a few highly fortified foods or supplements. Any food that supplies calories and nutrients can be part of a nutritious diet. The content of the total diet over a day or more is what counts.
Many foods are good sources of several nutrients. For example, vegetables and fruits are important for Vitamins A and C, folic acids, minerals, and fiber. Breads and cereals supply B vitamins, iron, and protein; whole-grain types are also good sources of fiber. Milk provides protein, B vitamins, vitamins, vitamins A and D, calcium, and phosphorus. Meat, poultry, and fish provide protein, B vitamins, iron and zinc.
No single food can supply all nutrients in the amounts needed. For example, milk supplies calcium but little iron; meat supplies iron but little calcium. Diets should be adjusted to meet individual factors and needs such as healthy weight, cholesterol and blood pressure levels, etc. For a nutritious diet, consume a variety of foods.
#2 CHOOSE A DIET LOW IN FAT, SATURATED FAT AND CHOLESTEROL
Most health authorities recommend an American diet with less fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Populations like ours with diets high in fat have more obesity and certain types of cancer. The higher levels of saturated fat and cholesterol in our diets are linked to our increased risk of heart disease.
A diet low in fat makes it easier to include the variety of foods you need for nutrients without exceeding calorie needs because fat contains over twice the calories of an equal amount of carbohydrates or protein. A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol can help maintain a desirable level of blood cholesterol. For adults this level is below 200 mg/dl. As blood cholesterol increases above this level, greater risk for heart disease occurs. Risk can also be increased by high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, a family history of premature heart disease, obesity, and being a male.
The way diet affects blood cholesterol varies among individuals. However, blood cholesterol does increase in most people when they eat a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol and excessive in calories. Of these, dietary saturated fat has the greatest effect; dietary cholesterol has less.
Total fat. An amount that provides 30 percent or less of calories is suggested. Thus, the upper limit on the grams of fat in the diet depends on the calories needed. For example, at 2,000 calories per day, your suggested upper limit is 600 calories from fat (2,000 x .30). This is equal to 67 grams of fat (600/9), the number of calories each gram of fat provides).
Saturated fat. An amount that provides less than 10 percent of calories (less than 22 grams at 2,000 calories per day) is suggested. All fats contain both saturated and unsaturated fat (fatty acids). The fats in animal products are the main sources of saturated fat in most diets, with tropical oils (coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils) and hydrogenated fats providing smaller amounts.
Cholesterol. Animal products are the source of all dietary cholesterol. Eating less fat from animal sources will help lower cholesterol as well as total fat and saturated fat in your diet.
FOR A DIET LOW IN FAT, SATURATED FAT, AND CHOLESTEROL
Use fats and oils sparingly in cooking.
| . | Use small amounts of salad dressings and spreads, such as |
| butter, margarine, and mayonnaise. One tablespoon of most of | |
| these spreads provides 10 to 11 grams of fat. | |
| . | Choose liquid vegetable oils most often because they are lower |
| in saturated fat. | |
| . | Check labels on foods to see how much fat and saturated fat are |
| in a serving. | |
| . | Choose lean meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, and eggs as protein |
| sources. |
CHOOSE A DIET WITH PLENTY OF VEGETABLES, FRUITS & GRAIN PRODUCTS
This guideline recommends that adults eat at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits daily. It recommends at least six servings of grain products, such as breads, cereals, pasta, and rice, with an emphasis on whole grains.
Vegetables, fruits and grain products are emphasized in this guideline especially for their complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and other food components linked to good health.
These foods are generally low in fats. By choosing the suggested amounts of them, you are likely to increase carbohydrates and dietary fiber and decrease fat in the diet, as health authorities suggest.
Complex carbohydrates, such as starches, are in breads, cereals, pasta, rice, dry beans and peas, and other vegetables, such as potatoes and corn. Dietary fiber-a part of plant foods-is in whole-grain breads and cereals, dry beans and peas, vegetables, and fruits. It is best to eat a variety of these fiber-rich foods because they differ in the kinds of fiber they contain.
Eating foods with fiber is important for proper bowel function and can reduce symptoms of chronic constipation, diverticular disease, and hemorrhoids. Populations like ours with diets low in dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates and high in fat, especially saturated fat, tend to have more heart disease, obesity, and some cancers. Just how dietary fiber is involved is not yet clear.
Some of the benefit from a higher fiber diet may be from the food that provides the fiber, not from fiber alone. For this reason, it's best to get fiber from foods rather than from supplements. In addition, excessive use of fiber supplements is associated with greater risk for intestinal problems and lower absorption of some minerals.
Advice for today: Eat more vegetables, including dry beans and peas; fruits; and breads, cereals, pasta, and rice. Increase your fiber intake by eating more of a variety of foods that contain fiber naturally.
USE SALT AND SODIUM ONLY IN MODERATION
Table salt contains sodium and chloride-both are essential in the diet. However, most Americans eat more salt and sodium than they need. Food and beverages containing salt provide most of the sodium in our diets, much of it added during processing and manufacturing.
In populations with diets low in salt, high blood pressure is less common than in populations with diets high in salt. Other factors that affect blood pressure are heredity, obesity, and excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages.
In the United States, about one in three adults has high blood pressure. If these people restrict their salt and sodium, usually their blood pressure will fall.
| . | Use salt sparingly, if at all, in cooking and at the table. |
| . | When planning meals, consider that: |
| --fresh and plain frozen vegetables prepared without | |
| salt are lower in sodium than canned ones. | |
| --cereals, pasta, and rice cooked without salt are lower | |
| in sodium than ready-to-eat cereals. | |
| --milk and yogurt are lower in sodium than most | |
| cheeses. | |
| --fresh meat, poultry, and fish are lower in sodium than | |
| most canned and processed ones. | |
| --most frozen dinners and combination dishes, | |
| packaged mixes, canned soups, and salad dressings | |
| contain a considerable amount of sodium. | |
| --so do condiments, such as soy and other sauces, | |
| pickles, olives, catsup, and mustard. | |
| . | Use salted snacks, such as chips, crackers, pretzels, and |
| nuts sparingly. | |
| . | Check labels for the amount of sodium in foods. |
| Choose those lower in sodium most of the time. |
USE SUGARS ONLY IN MODERATION
Americans eat sugars in many forms. Sugars provide calories and most people like their taste. Some serve as natural preservatives, thickeners, and baking aids in foods. The guideline cautions about eating sugars in large amounts and about frequent snacks of foods containing sugars and starches.
Sugars and many foods that contain them in large amounts supply calories but are limited in nutrients. Thus, they should be used in moderation by most healthy people and sparingly by people with low calorie needs. Both sugars and starches-which break down into sugars-can contribute to tooth decay. Sugars and starches are in many foods that also supply nutrients-milk; fruits; some vegetables; and breads, cereals, and other foods with sugars and starches as ingredients.
Adapted from Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans; Third Edition, 1990; U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services acknowledge the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee-the basis for this edition. The Committee consisted of Malden C. Nesheim, Ph.D. (chairman); Lewis A. Barness, M.D.; Peggy R. Borum, Ph.D.; C. Wayne Callaway, M.D.; John C. LaRosa, M.D.; Charles S. Lieber, M.D.; John A. Milner, Ph.D.; Rebecca M. Mullis, Ph.D., and Barbara O. Schneeman, Ph.D.
N.J. Admin. Code Tit. 5, ch. 27A, app B