If you were preparing to teach a "healthy eating" class for adults at your local community center what general recommendations would you offer based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Several important recommendations that should be addressed include:

- meeting nutrient requirements within caloric needs by including a variety of nutrient- dense foods each day and limiting fats, cholesterol, sugars, and salt
- maintaining a healthy balance of calories consumed with calories burned
- including more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain and low-fat dairy products
- limiting fat calories to no more than 20­30 percent of one's daily caloric intake
- limiting intake of saturated fats to less than 10 percent of total fat calories
- limiting cholesterol intake to no more than 300 mg. daily by replacing animal-based foods with plant-based and low-fat products
- reducing the intake of refined sugar
- lowering sodium/salt intake to no more than 1500-2000 mg. daily, by including fewer processed and fast foods
- drinking alcohol in moderation (no more than two drinks/day for men; one drink/day for women), and avoiding alcohol if pregnant or breastfeeding
- following food safety practices, including careful hand washing to reduce the risk of food-borne illness
- engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderately-vigorous physical activity each day.