Page 94 - Nutrition Essentials for Nursing Practice

82 U N I T 1 Principles of Nutrition

Box 4.4 DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS, 2010:
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING FAT INTAKE

■ Consume less than 10% of calories from saturated fatty acids by replacing them with
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

■ Consume less than 300 mg/day of dietary cholesterol.
■ Keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible by limiting foods that contain

synthetic sources of trans fats, such as partially hydrogenated oils, and by limiting
other solid fats.
■ Reduce the intake of calories from solid fats.

Although the optimal amount of total fat is controversial, most leading health authori-
ties recommend that Americans limit saturated fat to less than 10% of total calories, choles-
terol intake to 200 to 300 mg/day, and trans fat intake to be as low as possible. According
to data from NHANES 2007–2008, saturated fat represents 11% of total calories in an
average American adult’s diet. Among adults 20 years and older, mean intake of cholesterol
is 362 mg/day for men and 230 mg/day for women (USDA, ARS, 2010).

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 (USDA, USDHHS, 2010) key recom-
mendations regarding fat intake appear in Box 4.4. Highlights are discussed in the follow-
ing sections.

What to Limit: Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Cholesterol, and
Solid Fats

The most effective way to limit saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, and solids fats is to eat
less animal (solid) fats and processed foods containing hydrogenated and partially hydro-
genated oils. A healthy fat profile is achieved with a diet rich in a wide variety of fruits and
vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, legumes, nuts, poultry, lean
meats, and fish (at least twice a week). In place of solid fats, such as butter and margarine,
vegetable oils such as canola, olive, soybean, and corn are recommended. Strategies for
lowering solid fat and increasing oils appear in Box 4.5.

Increase the Amount and Variety of Seafood

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, mean seafood intake in the
United States is approximately 3.5 oz/week, slightly less than half the amount recom-
mended (USDA, USDHHS, 2010). Moderate evidence shows that 8 oz of seafood per
week (less for young children) from a variety of seafood sources, which provides an av-
erage daily intake of 250 mg/day of EPA and DHA, is associated with reduced cardiac
deaths in people with or without cardiovascular disease (USDA, USDHHS, 2010). Current
American intake of EPA and DHA is approximately 150 mg/day (IFICF, 2011). Many
experts think the daily intake should be approximately 500 mg/day.

Consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, the American Heart
Association recommends that people without coronary heart disease eat a variety of fish,
preferably oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and trout, at least twice a
week (Gidding et al., 2009). For people with documented heart disease, the recom-
mendation is to consume about 1 g/day of fish oils, preferably from oily fish, although