2. Exercises

It’s Your Turn

  1. What are the dietary reference intakes (DRI’s)? What are they for? There used to only be one reference intake, the RDA, why are there so many now?
  2. Define each of the following in everyday language: A. Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) *Why DON’T we use this one as the recommended amount people should eat daily? B. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) *Why DO we use this one as the recommended amount people should eat daily? C. Adequate Intakes (AI) D. Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) *Should we strive to reach the UL for a nutrient every day?
  3. Select a packaged food and find the “Nutrition Facts” panel.  Then answer the following questions: A. How many Calories are there in 1 serving of this food?
    B. Look at the “Total Fat” and the “Saturated Fat”.  Is the Saturated fat PART of the Total Fat?
    C. What does the % Daily Value mean? For example, if it says that for every 1 serving of this food I get 2% Daily Value of Vitamin C. What does that mean?

Apply It

  1. You have been hired to write a two-page article for a weekly magazine about why nutrition is important to health. Using simple terms and a good supply of photographs, create your article. Be prepared to share your project with the class.
  2. Record a food diary this week. At the end of the week, circle the foods that contain SoFAS. Next to each food, write a substitute food to replace it. Record a food diary next week. Be sure to eat the substitute foods you have selected to replace the foods that contained the SoFAS.
  3. Search the Internet for sites that claim to give you nutritional advice. Check to see who sponsors the sites and if the site is trying to sell you a product or service. Compare the information found on the sites to those recommended in this text. What similarities do you notice? What differences do you notice?

Expand Your Knowledge

  1. You have just been hired at the local Boys and Girls club in an inner city neighborhood that happens to have a large high school drop-out rate. You have been put in charge of creating physical and nutritional opportunities for the community. Your goal for the first quarter is to enroll one hundred students in an exercise/nutrition program. You must develop two programs.

    • Define each program and state its objectives
    • Describe the ways in which the program will benefit participants
    • List ways in which you will encourage enrollment
    • Create a marketing flyer for each program
  2. You are planning a big meal for a surprise graduation party for your friend. You expect fifty guests to attend. Using the information you have learned regarding healthy eating and food portions, plan a healthful meal. Determine how much protein, vegetables, fruits, and starch you will need to purchase to feed everyone comfortably. Write down a detailed list so that you can shop and prepare your budget accordingly. Share your results with the class.
  3. You are a Registered Dietitian who has been asked to help a vegan patient adjust their eating habits to get more nutrients from their diet and halt unwanted weight loss. Develop a week’s worth of meals to help this person have balance in their diet.