BASIC TOOLS IN

NUTRITION
BASIC TOOLS IN NUTRITION
› Serve as dietary guides in planning for a healthy diet.
› They are applicable for healthy individuals and serve as a
basis for diet modifications in case of illness or disease.

DIETARY GUIDES
› Tools devised to aid in planning, procuring, preparing and
consuming meals for normal and therapeutic diets of
individuals or groups.
COMMONLY USED TOOLS IN NUTRITION
› Food Guide Pyramids
› Nutritional Guidelines
› Phil Dietary Ref. Intake/PRDI or RENI
› Food Exchange List (FEL)
› Plate Model / Pinggang Pinoy
› Food Composition Table (FCT)
› Food Labelling
› Your Guide to Good Nutrition (YGGN)
3 BASIC FOOD GROUP
3 BASIC FOOD GROUPS
› Also known as “Your Guide to Good Nutrition” (YGGN).
› A practical guide in planning meals / diets for Filipinos.
› The simplicity of the design enables individuals to select
the right guide of food to eat daily
› Based on the food’s physiological function:
– ENERGY GIVING
– BODY BUILDING
– BODY PROCESS REGULATING
BODY BUILDING
› These are foods rich in
PROTEIN AND MINERALS.
› To build and repair body
tissues.
ENERGY GIVING
› Foods are high in
carbohydrates and fats.
› Contributes bulk of
calories.
BODY REGULATING
› Foods that are rich in
vitamins, minerals, fiber
and water.
› A balanced diet may be planned using this tool by
combining foods from each category so that each food
group has a representative.
THE FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID
› It teaches the principle of eating a variety of foods
everyday.
› The need for moderation in some food groups while
emphasizing the importance of other food items.
› The size of each section (from broad base to apex)
represents the recommended amount.
› BROAD BASE (bottom part) – should form the foundation
of healthy diet; must be taken abundantly.
› APEX (top part) – should be eaten sparingly.
FNRI Food Guide Pyramid
› Launched by Dr. Rodolfo F. Florentino during the FNRI
Seminar Series held last July 1996.

› A simple and easy-to-follow daily eating guide for

Filipinos.

› A graphic translation / representation of the current

“Your Guide to Good Nutrition” based on the usual
dietary pattern of Filipinos in General.
LACTATING PREGNANT
ELDERLY (60-69) ADULT (20-39)
TEEN (13-19) KIDS (7-12 y.o)
TODDLER (1-6 years old)
USDA FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID
CANADIAN FOOD GUIDE
› Grains: 5-12 servings of
grains / day; whole grain
and enriched products
› Vegetable and Fruit: 5-10
servings / day; dark green
and orange vegetables /
orange fruits
› Dairy: choose Low-Fat milk
2-4 servings per day.
› Meat: 2-3 servings / day;
choose leans meat
FOOD PORTION SIZES
› Portion size - is the amount of a food that you choose to
eat at any one time. A portion size is also the amount of
food you are served in a restaurant.
› Serving size - is a standard measurement of food that is
recommended in
› Guidelines for special diets also use serving sizes to
describe the amount of food you should eat. It is
important to know what an actual serving size looks like.
How do I figure out serving sizes if I am away
from home?

› ½ cup of rice, pasta, cooked vegetables, or fruit is about

the size of half of a baseball.
› 1 cup of cereal is about the size of a baseball.
› 1 small fruit, such as an orange or apple, is about the size
of a tennis ball.
› 1½ ounces of hard cheese is about the size of 4 stacked
dice.
› 1 teaspoon of margarine or spread is about the size of 1
dice.
› 3 ounces of cooked meat, fish, or poultry is about the
size of a deck of cards / cassette tape.
› 2 tablespoons of peanut butter is about the size of a
ping-pong ball.
10 NUTRITIONAL
GUIDELINES FOR
FILIPINOS
10 NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR FILIPINOS
› Is a set of dietary guidelines based on the eating
pattern, lifestyle, and health status of Filipinos.
› The NGF contains all the nutrition messages to healthy
living for all age groups from infants to adults, pregnant
and lactating women, and the elderly.
› The first NGF released in 1990 was composed of five
messages called “Dietary Guidelines for Filipinos.”
› In 2000, a revised nutritional guidelines composed of
ten messages was released and it was called the
Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos.
› The revision was in response to the changes in the nutrition
situation of the country based on the previous result of
NNS.
1. Eat a variety of foods everyday to get the nutrients
needed by the body.
2. Breastfeed infants exclusively from birth up to six months
and then give appropriate complementary foods while
continuing breastfeeding for two years and beyond for
optimum growth and development.
3. Eat more vegetables and fruits to get the essential
vitamins, minerals, and fiber for regulation of body
processes.
4. Consume fish, lean meat, poultry, egg, dried beans or
nuts daily for growth and repair of body tissues.
5. Consume milk, milk products, and other calcium-rich
food such as small fish and shellfish, everyday for
healthy bones and teeth.
6. Consume safe foods and water to prevent diarrhea
and other food-and water-borne diseases.
7. Use iodized salt to prevent Iodine Deficiency
Disorders.
8. Limit intake of salty, fried, fatty, and sugar-rich foods
to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
9. Attain normal body weight through proper diet and
moderate physical activity to maintain good health
and help prevent obesity.
10. Be physically active, make healthy food choices,
manage stress, avoid alcoholic beverage, and do not
smoke to help prevent lifestyle-related non-
communicable disease.
RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCE
› RDA were intended to promote optimal health by
establishing nutrient intakes that would lower the risk of
nutrient deficiencies.
› Defined as levels of intakes if energy and nutrients which
is considered adequate for the maintenance of health
› It emphasizes that the standards are in terms of nutrients
and NOT FOODS or DIETS.
› Established as QUANTITATIVE TOOL in the assessment of
nutrition for population group.
NUTRIENTS COVERED FOR RENI / RDA
1. Energy
2. Macronutrients
3. Minerals
4. Vitamins
5. Water
6. Electrolytes
PURPOSE AND APPLICATION OF RENI
1. As a GOAL FOR ENERGY AND NUTRIENTS INTAKES of
group and individuals
2. As a REFERENCE STANDARD for the assessment of the
habitual energy and nutrient intakes of the population
or population sub-group.
3. As a reference standard for assessment of the
ADEQUACY OF FOOD SUPPLIES.
4. As a tool for nutrition EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY.
5. As a basis for PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD AND
NUTRITION POLICIES (eg. Food Fortification, Food
Labelling)
PHILIPPINE FOOD EXCHANGE LIST (FEL)
› FEL is based on the principle that good nutrition is
applicable to everyone.
› It is composed of seven (7) food groups:
– FRUIT, VEGETABLES, RICE, MEAT, SUGAR, FATS, MILK
› EXCHANGE: wherein each food within the list can be
traded or substituted with another food for the same
energy and macronutrient intakes.
› Primarily used by RND’s and other HCP for nutrition
education and as a guide in medical nutrition therapy.
HISTORY OF FOOD EXCHANGE LIST
› First published in 1953 by Corpuz which was designed
primarily for Diabetic Diet.
› Revised in 1965 by Madlangsakay for both normal and
therapeutic diet.
› 3rd revision was done at DOST-FNRI by Tanchoco et.al in
1994.
› 4th revision was done at DOST-FNRI in 2016.
3RD EDITION OF FEL
4TH EDITION OF FEL
THE PLATE MODEL (PINGGANG PINOY)
› Illustrate the type of food needed for a healthy diet and
the proportions that should be eaten everyday.
› Developed by DOST-FNRI in 2014.
› Aim in creating a food guide that aligns with the
nutritional food pyramid and that fits the eating habits of
an average Filipino.
› Pinggang Pinoy takes into consideration the normal
consumption and available products for the average
Filipino family.
FOOD COMPOSITION TABLE (FCT)
› Means of knowing the chemical composition of a food.
› Useful in prescribing diets with nutrient restriction or
modification, and in interpreting dietary histories.

IMPORTANCE OF FCT:
1. To compare the nutritive value of one food with another.
2. To calculate the nutritive value of any diet.
3. To plan diet that must meet specific requirements.
4. To provide a ready reference to answer hundred of
question.
FCT TIMELINE
What is GLYCEMIC INDEX?

is a numerical scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich

foods by how much they raise blood sugar levels.

this tool can help greatly in planning diabetic diets

but sometimes the selection is limited and foreign.
 What is GLYCEMIC INDEX?
GI uses a scale of

0-100

higher the
The
number, the greater
the blood sugar
response.

A low GI food will

cause a small rise.

A high GI food will

trigger a spike in the
blood sugar.
 FOOD
LABELLING
A useful tool to
compare nutrient values of
food and learn valuable
sources of nutrients
FUNCTIONS:
1. To assist consumer to
select foods with the
most health providing
qualities.
2. To motivate the food
companies to enhance
the nutritional value of
food products because
it reveals ingredients
and nutrient content.
INFORMATION ON FOOD LABEL
› NAME OF THE PRODUCT – this tells the consumer what
they are buying and mustn’t give a false information.
› NAME AND ADDRESS OF MANUFACTURER, OR
DISTRIBUTOR.
› INGREDIENTS – listed in order of quantity (weight)
› PLACE OF ORIGIN
› PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
› DAILY VALUES / PORTION SIZE
› STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS.
OPEN-DATE MARKINGS
› “CONSUME BEFORE” / “USE BEFORE” / “EXPIRATION
DATE” – signifies the end of the estimated shelf life of a
product beyond certain quality attributes become
significantly impaired.

› “BEST USE BY” – indicates the end of a period after

which certain qualities of the product must be expected
to deteriorate; remains consumable, presumably no
longer guarantee its best quality.
CALORIE
General guide to calories in food label

VALUE INTERPRETATION
Less than 40 – 70 calories Calories is LOW
71 – 250 calories Calories is MODERATE
251 – 400 above calories Calories is more or HIGH

• This guide is based on 2000 calorie diet

• Eating too many calories per day linked to OVERWEIGHT AND
OBESITY.
DAILY VALUE (DV)
› The recommended amounts of nutrients to consume or
not to exceed each day.

QUICK GUIDE

› 5% DV or less – LOW
› 20% DV or more - HIGH
References / Sources:
• Cataldo et al. Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition. 6th ed. 2002
• Tanchoco, Celeste C., Jamorabo-Ruiz, Adela. Diet Manual 5th Ed. 2010.
• Tanchoco, Celeste C., Serra, Nieves C. Fundamentals in Medical Nutrition Therapy .
2009.
• Sheps, Sheldon G. (2013, July 13). Warfarin. Mayoclinic.com. Retrieved March 16,
2016, from www.mayoclinic.com
• The American Heart Association’s Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations. Heart.org.
Retrieved March 16, 2016, from www.heart.org
• Understanding Food and Nutrition Labels. Heart.org. Retrieved March 16, 2016, from
www.heart.org
• https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/healthy-
cooking-oils
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.