Chapter 1: Nutrition: Everyday Choices
EXCI 204 — Food for Sport · Chapter Study Notes
Chapter Overview
For most of the world’s population, you eat what you can grow, raise, catch, kill, or purchase —
subsistence is the principal motivator of food consumption (if you don’t eat, you die). Historically, the
game or crops people could kill or cultivate became staples; as food production grew more sophisticated
and people explored and migrated, new foods were discovered (corn entered the diet of European
settlers in North America; the potato was brought to the Old World from the New). Today you may
choose from “the world’s dinner table.”
Biological, social, economic, ecological, and cultural factors, as well as personal tastes, affect what you
choose — and what you choose affects how healthy you are. Because the nutrients in food form and
maintain the structure of your body, “you really are what you eat.” The challenge is finding a satisfying
balance between what you like and what optimizes your health.
The chapter covers five areas: (1.1) how food choices determine nutrient intake, including nutrient
density, fortified foods, supplements, phytochemicals/functional foods and the food environment; (1.2)
the six classes of nutrients and their three functions; (1.3) malnutrition (under- and overnutrition) and
diet–gene interactions; (1.4) choosing a healthy diet through variety, balance, and moderation; and (1.5)
evaluating nutrition information using the scientific method, types of studies, sound experimental
design, and four questions for judging claims.
1.1 Food Choices and Nutrient Intake
Learning objectives: Define nutrient density · Compare fortified foods with dietary supplements as
sources of nutrients · Distinguish essential nutrients from phytochemicals · Identify factors in your food
environment that influence your food choices.
The foods we choose determine the nutrients we consume. To stay healthy, humans need more than 40
essential nutrients ⭐. Because the foods we eat vary from day to day, so do the amounts and types of
nutrients and the number of calories we consume.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
nutrients — Substances in food that provide energy and structure to the body and regulate body
processes.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
essential nutrient — A nutrient that must be consumed in the diet because it cannot be made by the
body or cannot be made in sufficient quantities to maintain body functions.
EXCI 204 · Chapter 1 · Page 1
, KEY DEFINITION ⭐
calorie — A unit of heat used to express the amount of energy provided by food or expended by the
body. We typically use the word “calorie” or “Calorie” to refer to the number of kilocalories; a
kilocalorie is technically 1000 calories.
Nutrients from Foods, Fortified Foods, and Supplements
Any food adds some nutrients to your diet, but to make your diet healthy it is important to choose
nutrient-dense foods. Foods with a high nutrient density contain more nutrients per calorie than foods
with a lower nutrient density. Foods low in nutrient density are often high in empty calories.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
nutrient density — A measure of the nutrients provided by a food relative to its calorie content.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
empty calories — Calories that come with few nutrients. (Text: unhealthy fats and added sugars
provide empty calories.)
• Unhealthy fats and added sugars provide empty calories.
• If a large proportion of your diet is low-nutrient-density, high-empty-calorie foods (e.g., soft
drinks, chips, candy), you could have a hard time meeting nutrient needs without exceeding
calorie needs.
• Choosing nutrient-dense foods lets you meet all nutrient needs and have calories left over for
occasional treats that are lower in nutrients and higher in calories.
• Typically, less processed foods provide more nutrients per calorie.
EXAM EXAMPLE — FIGURE 1.1 ⭐
Nutrient density: “Instead of this… have this”
An 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk provides about the same number of calories as 8 ounces of bottled
sweetened iced tea, but the milk also provides calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, and other nutrients,
including protein. The calories in the iced tea are from added sugar.
Less processed foods are more nutrient dense: roasted chicken breast > breaded, fried chicken
nuggets; baked potato > French fries; apples > apple pie.
Figure 1.1b — Nutrient density comparisons (values as printed in the text)
Low nutrient density (instead of this…) High nutrient density (have this…)
5 chicken nuggets: 230 Cal, 12 g protein Skinless chicken breast: 162 Cal, 25 g protein
Medium order of fries: 380 Cal, 9 mg vitamin C Medium baked potato: 161 Cal, 17 mg vitamin C
Slice of apple pie: 411 Cal, 4 g fiber Medium apple: 95 Cal, 2 g fiber
EXCI 204 · Chapter 1 · Page 2
,Fortified foods. In addition to nutrients that occur naturally in foods, we obtain nutrients from fortified
foods. Fortification was begun to help eliminate nutrient deficiencies in the population, with the
federal government mandating that certain nutrients be added to certain foods.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
fortification — The addition of nutrients to foods.
Mandated fortification ⭐. Milk with added vitamin D, salt with added iodine, and grain products with
added B vitamins and iron have been part of the U.S. food supply for decades. These programs have
helped prevent deficiency diseases caused by low intakes of vitamin D, iodine, niacin, and iron.
Mandated fortification timeline ⭐
Food Nutrient(s) added When Purpose (Figure 1.2)
Salt Iodine 1920s Helped eliminate iodine deficiency diseases
as a public health problem
Milk Vitamin D 1930s To combat the vitamin D deficiency disease
rickets
Low-fat (reduced- Vitamin A — Low-fat milk is low in vitamin A (lost when
fat) milk fat is removed) and is used in place of
vitamin A-rich whole milk — nutrients added
to replicate those in the food it replaces
Refined grain Thiamin, riboflavin, 1940s To help prevent deficiencies
products niacin, iron
Refined grain Folic acid 1990s To prevent neural tube defects
products
Discretionary fortification ⭐. Now common practice. Vitamins and minerals are routinely added to a
variety of foods, including breakfast cereals and snack foods. The amounts and types of nutrients added
to these voluntarily fortified foods are at the discretion of the manufacturer. These added nutrients
contribute to the diet but are not necessarily designed to address deficiencies and may increase the
likelihood of consuming an excess of some nutrients. Some foods are fortified with nutrients chosen by
the manufacturer as a marketing tool and are not necessarily healthy choices.
• Vitamins and minerals added to fortified cereals are often highlighted on the label and distract
from the large amount of added sugar.
• Nutrient-enhanced beverages are often advertised as “energy-enhancing” and “immune-
supporting.”
• Fortified snacks often focus on nutrients that appeal to specific groups, such as athletes.
EXCI 204 · Chapter 1 · Page 3
, Comparison: Mandated vs. Discretionary Fortification ⭐
Mandated fortification Discretionary fortification
Who decides Federal government mandates certain Manufacturer’s discretion (voluntary)
nutrients be added to certain foods
Purpose Eliminate/prevent nutrient deficiencies Not necessarily designed to address
in the population (or replicate nutrients deficiencies; may be a marketing tool
in a food replaced)
Examples Iodized salt; vitamin D milk; B vitamins Breakfast cereals, snack foods,
+ iron (and folic acid) in grains; vitamin nutrient-enhanced beverages, fortified
A in low-fat milk snacks
Concern — May increase likelihood of consuming
an excess of some nutrients; can
distract from added sugar
Dietary supplements. Another source of nutrients, but they do not offer all the benefits of food.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
dietary supplement — (Described in text) Another source of nutrients, but they do not offer all the
benefits of food.
• More than half of U.S. adults take some sort of daily dietary supplement to enhance nutrient
intake.
• Most supplement use is based on personal preference; only 23% of supplements used are taken at
the recommendation of a health professional.
Food Provides More Than Nutrients
In addition to nutrients, food contains substances that, though not essential to life, can be beneficial for
health. In plants, these health-promoting substances are called phytochemicals. Although fewer have
been identified in animal foods, animal foods also contain substances with health-promoting properties,
called zoochemicals.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
phytochemical — A substance found in plant foods that is not an essential nutrient but may have
health-promoting properties.
KEY DEFINITION
zoochemical — (Described in text) Substances in animal foods with health-promoting properties.
Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide a variety of phytochemicals. Supplements of individual
phytochemicals are available, but they do not provide the combinations of nutrients and
phytochemicals provided by a diet rich in plant foods.
Foods high in phytochemicals ⭐
EXCI 204 · Chapter 1 · Page 4
EXCI 204 — Food for Sport · Chapter Study Notes
Chapter Overview
For most of the world’s population, you eat what you can grow, raise, catch, kill, or purchase —
subsistence is the principal motivator of food consumption (if you don’t eat, you die). Historically, the
game or crops people could kill or cultivate became staples; as food production grew more sophisticated
and people explored and migrated, new foods were discovered (corn entered the diet of European
settlers in North America; the potato was brought to the Old World from the New). Today you may
choose from “the world’s dinner table.”
Biological, social, economic, ecological, and cultural factors, as well as personal tastes, affect what you
choose — and what you choose affects how healthy you are. Because the nutrients in food form and
maintain the structure of your body, “you really are what you eat.” The challenge is finding a satisfying
balance between what you like and what optimizes your health.
The chapter covers five areas: (1.1) how food choices determine nutrient intake, including nutrient
density, fortified foods, supplements, phytochemicals/functional foods and the food environment; (1.2)
the six classes of nutrients and their three functions; (1.3) malnutrition (under- and overnutrition) and
diet–gene interactions; (1.4) choosing a healthy diet through variety, balance, and moderation; and (1.5)
evaluating nutrition information using the scientific method, types of studies, sound experimental
design, and four questions for judging claims.
1.1 Food Choices and Nutrient Intake
Learning objectives: Define nutrient density · Compare fortified foods with dietary supplements as
sources of nutrients · Distinguish essential nutrients from phytochemicals · Identify factors in your food
environment that influence your food choices.
The foods we choose determine the nutrients we consume. To stay healthy, humans need more than 40
essential nutrients ⭐. Because the foods we eat vary from day to day, so do the amounts and types of
nutrients and the number of calories we consume.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
nutrients — Substances in food that provide energy and structure to the body and regulate body
processes.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
essential nutrient — A nutrient that must be consumed in the diet because it cannot be made by the
body or cannot be made in sufficient quantities to maintain body functions.
EXCI 204 · Chapter 1 · Page 1
, KEY DEFINITION ⭐
calorie — A unit of heat used to express the amount of energy provided by food or expended by the
body. We typically use the word “calorie” or “Calorie” to refer to the number of kilocalories; a
kilocalorie is technically 1000 calories.
Nutrients from Foods, Fortified Foods, and Supplements
Any food adds some nutrients to your diet, but to make your diet healthy it is important to choose
nutrient-dense foods. Foods with a high nutrient density contain more nutrients per calorie than foods
with a lower nutrient density. Foods low in nutrient density are often high in empty calories.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
nutrient density — A measure of the nutrients provided by a food relative to its calorie content.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
empty calories — Calories that come with few nutrients. (Text: unhealthy fats and added sugars
provide empty calories.)
• Unhealthy fats and added sugars provide empty calories.
• If a large proportion of your diet is low-nutrient-density, high-empty-calorie foods (e.g., soft
drinks, chips, candy), you could have a hard time meeting nutrient needs without exceeding
calorie needs.
• Choosing nutrient-dense foods lets you meet all nutrient needs and have calories left over for
occasional treats that are lower in nutrients and higher in calories.
• Typically, less processed foods provide more nutrients per calorie.
EXAM EXAMPLE — FIGURE 1.1 ⭐
Nutrient density: “Instead of this… have this”
An 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk provides about the same number of calories as 8 ounces of bottled
sweetened iced tea, but the milk also provides calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, and other nutrients,
including protein. The calories in the iced tea are from added sugar.
Less processed foods are more nutrient dense: roasted chicken breast > breaded, fried chicken
nuggets; baked potato > French fries; apples > apple pie.
Figure 1.1b — Nutrient density comparisons (values as printed in the text)
Low nutrient density (instead of this…) High nutrient density (have this…)
5 chicken nuggets: 230 Cal, 12 g protein Skinless chicken breast: 162 Cal, 25 g protein
Medium order of fries: 380 Cal, 9 mg vitamin C Medium baked potato: 161 Cal, 17 mg vitamin C
Slice of apple pie: 411 Cal, 4 g fiber Medium apple: 95 Cal, 2 g fiber
EXCI 204 · Chapter 1 · Page 2
,Fortified foods. In addition to nutrients that occur naturally in foods, we obtain nutrients from fortified
foods. Fortification was begun to help eliminate nutrient deficiencies in the population, with the
federal government mandating that certain nutrients be added to certain foods.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
fortification — The addition of nutrients to foods.
Mandated fortification ⭐. Milk with added vitamin D, salt with added iodine, and grain products with
added B vitamins and iron have been part of the U.S. food supply for decades. These programs have
helped prevent deficiency diseases caused by low intakes of vitamin D, iodine, niacin, and iron.
Mandated fortification timeline ⭐
Food Nutrient(s) added When Purpose (Figure 1.2)
Salt Iodine 1920s Helped eliminate iodine deficiency diseases
as a public health problem
Milk Vitamin D 1930s To combat the vitamin D deficiency disease
rickets
Low-fat (reduced- Vitamin A — Low-fat milk is low in vitamin A (lost when
fat) milk fat is removed) and is used in place of
vitamin A-rich whole milk — nutrients added
to replicate those in the food it replaces
Refined grain Thiamin, riboflavin, 1940s To help prevent deficiencies
products niacin, iron
Refined grain Folic acid 1990s To prevent neural tube defects
products
Discretionary fortification ⭐. Now common practice. Vitamins and minerals are routinely added to a
variety of foods, including breakfast cereals and snack foods. The amounts and types of nutrients added
to these voluntarily fortified foods are at the discretion of the manufacturer. These added nutrients
contribute to the diet but are not necessarily designed to address deficiencies and may increase the
likelihood of consuming an excess of some nutrients. Some foods are fortified with nutrients chosen by
the manufacturer as a marketing tool and are not necessarily healthy choices.
• Vitamins and minerals added to fortified cereals are often highlighted on the label and distract
from the large amount of added sugar.
• Nutrient-enhanced beverages are often advertised as “energy-enhancing” and “immune-
supporting.”
• Fortified snacks often focus on nutrients that appeal to specific groups, such as athletes.
EXCI 204 · Chapter 1 · Page 3
, Comparison: Mandated vs. Discretionary Fortification ⭐
Mandated fortification Discretionary fortification
Who decides Federal government mandates certain Manufacturer’s discretion (voluntary)
nutrients be added to certain foods
Purpose Eliminate/prevent nutrient deficiencies Not necessarily designed to address
in the population (or replicate nutrients deficiencies; may be a marketing tool
in a food replaced)
Examples Iodized salt; vitamin D milk; B vitamins Breakfast cereals, snack foods,
+ iron (and folic acid) in grains; vitamin nutrient-enhanced beverages, fortified
A in low-fat milk snacks
Concern — May increase likelihood of consuming
an excess of some nutrients; can
distract from added sugar
Dietary supplements. Another source of nutrients, but they do not offer all the benefits of food.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
dietary supplement — (Described in text) Another source of nutrients, but they do not offer all the
benefits of food.
• More than half of U.S. adults take some sort of daily dietary supplement to enhance nutrient
intake.
• Most supplement use is based on personal preference; only 23% of supplements used are taken at
the recommendation of a health professional.
Food Provides More Than Nutrients
In addition to nutrients, food contains substances that, though not essential to life, can be beneficial for
health. In plants, these health-promoting substances are called phytochemicals. Although fewer have
been identified in animal foods, animal foods also contain substances with health-promoting properties,
called zoochemicals.
KEY DEFINITION ⭐
phytochemical — A substance found in plant foods that is not an essential nutrient but may have
health-promoting properties.
KEY DEFINITION
zoochemical — (Described in text) Substances in animal foods with health-promoting properties.
Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide a variety of phytochemicals. Supplements of individual
phytochemicals are available, but they do not provide the combinations of nutrients and
phytochemicals provided by a diet rich in plant foods.
Foods high in phytochemicals ⭐
EXCI 204 · Chapter 1 · Page 4
