Module 3 - Activity 3

Activity 1 : : Activity 2 : : Activity 3 : : Activity 4

Activity 3: Interactive Learning Resources

Introduction to Nutrition

Visit the American Dietetic Association website for information regarding the education and professional requirements for an RD and a DTR:

• RD: www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/SID-5303FFEA-B220519B/ada/hs.xsl/CADE_748_ENU_HTML.htm
• DTR: www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/SID-5303FFEA-B220519B/ada/hs.xsl/CADE_747_ENU_HTML.htm

Public Source of Nutrition Information

• Where do we get our nutrition information from?
• Is nutrition a science? An art? A way of life?

Go to www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14856571/ to review Dateline news broadcast regarding the making of an infomercial. Read the short article and launch the accompanying video. How much of the general publics nutrition information comes from sources similar to this?

Nutrients

Review the Nutrient Information page provided by the Journal of Nutrition: http://jn.nutrition.org/nutinfo/

Identify the 6 classes of nutrients along with dietary sources, primary functions, and daily needs in a balanced diet.

• Define a kcalorie. Which of these nutrients provide kcalories?
• What are the fuel factors for each?

Review the Nutrition Facts brochure by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/nutfacts.pdf

Take note of the nutrients you consume by reading the Nutrition Facts label on packaged food products.

Roughly identify what nutrients are provided in each food group. Go to: www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/grains_why.html

Dietary Guidelines

Explore the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005: http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=256&topic_id=1332&placement_default=0

Review the nutrition related objectives outlined in the Healthy People 2010 report: www.healthypeople.gov/hpscripts/KeywordResult.asp?n355=355&Submit=Submit

Go to www.mypyramid.gov/, click on MyPyramid Plan, fill in your personal information and get a guideline for your daily nutrient needs based on your information.

• Consider how this diet would vary among various cultural and ethnic groups.

• Define Dietary Reference Intake and the four categories of nutrient recommendations included within (RDA, EAR, AI, and UL).
• Who and how were these recommendations established?

• Distinguish between reputable sources of information regarding diet and nutrition from sources of fad diets and/or misinformation.

See the American Dietetic Associations statements regarding junk science and misinformation:

• www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_3311_ENU_HTML.htm
• www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_10278_ENU_HTML.htm

Diet Analysis Activity

Go to MyPyramid Tracker: www.mypyramidtracker.gov/ and using the tools provided analyze the adequacy of your typical diet. Do not modify your usual intake as this should be a true assessment of your diet.

After analysis identify strengths and weakness in your diet.

• What nutrients are you getting too little of? Too much of?
• What are the potential results of such imbalances?

Go back into your Tracker and make changes to your current diet to correct for any existing imbalances.