Diet planning

principles
Planning healthy diet
Diet panning guide:

Refer Notes for Different food groups

7- group plan:
S.NO Food Group Main nutrients contributed

1. Green and yellow vegetables Carotene (Provitamin A), Ascorbic acid, and Iron

2. Oranges, grapefruit, tomato or Ascorbic acid

raw cabbage, or salad greens
3. Potatoes and other vegetables Vitamins, Minerals and starch

4. Milk and milk products Calcium, phosphorus, proteins and vitamins

5. Meat, poultry, fish and eggs Proteins, Phosphorus, Iron and B- Vitamins

6. Bread, flour, and cereals Thiamine, Niacin, Riboflavin, iron, Carbohydrate and cellulose
(whole grain)
7. Butter Vitamin A and fat
 11-Food group plan
S.NO Food Group Main nutrients contributed

1. a) Milk and Cheese Calcium, phosphorus, proteins and vitamins

b) Ice-Cream Fat and carbohydrates

2. Meat, poultry and fish Proteins, Phosphorus, Iron and B- Vitamins

3. Eggs Proteins, fats, vitamins, iron and phosphorus

4. Dry beans, peas and nuts Proteins and B- Vitamins

5. Bread, flour, and cereals Thiamine, Niacin, Riboflavin, iron, Carbohydrate and cellulose
(whole grain)
6. Potatoes Carbohydrate and Ascorbic acid
7. Citrus fruits and tomatoes Ascorbic acid and potassium
8 Dark green and deep-yellow Provitamin A, Iron and ascorbic acid
vegetables
9. Other vegetables and fruits Ascorbic acid and cellulose
10. Fats and oils EFA and Vitamin E
11. Sugar, Syrups and preserves Carbohydrates
4- Food group

S.NO Food Group Main nutrients contributed

1. Green and yellow vegetables Carotene (Provitamin A), Ascorbic acid, and Iron

2. Milk and milk products Calcium, phosphorus, proteins and vitamins

5. Meat, poultry, fish and eggs Proteins, Phosphorus, Iron and B- Vitamins

6. Bread, flour, and cereals Thiamine, Niacin, Riboflavin, iron, Carbohydrate and cellulose
(whole grain)
Dietary Goals
Dietary goals provide the basis of a healthy balanced diet which is essential to reduce
diet related conditions such as obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and
some cancers.
1. Maintenance of a state of positive health and optimal performance in
populations at large by maintaining ideal body weight.
2. Ensuring adequate nutritional status for pregnant women and lactating mothers.
3. Improvement of birth weights and promotion of growth of infants, children and
adolescents to achieve their full genetic potential.
4. Achievement of adequacy in all nutrients and prevention of deficiency diseases.
5. Prevention of chronic diet-related disorders.
6. Maintenance of the health of the elderly and increasing the life expectancy.
Dietary guidelines
Right nutritional behavior and dietary choices are needed to achieve dietary goals. The following 15 dietary guidelines
provide a broad framework for appropriate action:
1. Eat variety of foods to ensure a balanced diet.
2. Ensure provision of extra food and healthcare to pregnant and lactating women.
3. Promote exclusive breastfeeding for six months and encourage breastfeeding till two years or as long as one can.
4. Feed home based semi solid foods to the infant after six months.
5. Ensure adequate and appropriate diets for children and adolescents, both in health and sickness.
6. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
7. Ensure moderate use of edible oils and animal foods and very less use of ghee/ butter/ vanaspati.
8. Avoid overeating to prevent overweight and obesity.
9. Exercise regularly and be physically active to maintain ideal body weight.
10. Restrict salt intake to minimum.
11. Ensure the use of safe and clean foods.
12. Adopt right pre-cooking processes and appropriate cooking methods.
13. Drink plenty of water and take beverages in moderation.
14. Minimize the use of processed foods rich in salt, sugar and fats.
15. Include micronutrient-rich foods in the diets of elderly people to enable them to be fit and active
 Guideline 1: Eat variety of foods to ensure a balanced diet

Nutritionally adequate diet should be consumed through a wise choice

from a variety of foods
Why do we need nutritionally adequate foods?
• Nutrients that we obtain through food have vital effects on physical growth and
development, maintenance of normal body function, physical activity and health.
• Nutritious food is, thus needed to sustain life and activity. Our diet must provide all
essential nutrients in the required amounts.
• Requirements of essential nutrients vary with age, gender, physiological status and
physical activity.
• Dietary intakes lower or higher than the body requirements can lead to undernutrition
(deficiency diseases) or over nutrition (diseases of affluence) respectively
• An adequate diet, providing all nutrients, is needed throughout our lives. The nutrients
must be obtained through a judicious choice and combination of a variety of foodstuffs
from different food groups.
What is a balanced diet?
• A balanced diet is one which provides all the nutrients in required amounts and proper
proportions. It can easily be achieved through a blend of the four basic food groups.
• The quantities of foods needed to meet the nutrient requirements vary with age, gender,
physiological status and physical activity.
• A balanced diet should provide around 50-60% of total calories from carbohydrates,
preferably from complex carbohydrates, about 10-15% from proteins and 20-30% from both
visible and invisible fat.
• In addition, a balanced diet should provide other non-nutrients such as dietary fiber,
antioxidants and phytochemicals which bestow positive health benefits.
• Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, riboflavin and selenium protect the
human body from free radical damage.
• Other phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavones, etc., also afford protection against
oxidant damage.
• Spices like turmeric, ginger, garlic, cumin and cloves are rich in antioxidants.
Planning of Balanced Diets
Balanced diet at high cost
Balanced diet at low cost
Balanced diet at moderate cost
Planning diet by exchange list
Exchange list:
The Exchange Lists are the basis of a meal planning system.
The reason for dividing food into six different groups is that foods vary
in their carbohydrate, protein, fat, and calorie content. Each exchange
list contains foods that are alike; each food choice on a list contains
about the same amount of carbohydrate, protein, fat, and calories as
the other choices on that list.
Food pyramid
Food pyramid:
• A food pyramid or diet pyramid is
a triangular diagram representing
the optimal number of servings to
be eaten each day from each of
the basic food groups.
• Foods that contain the same type
of nutrients are grouped together
on each of the shelves of the Food
Pyramid. This gives you a choice of
different foods from which to
choose a healthy diet.
IMPORTANCE OF DIET DURING EACH
STAGES