Lesson 4 Case Study 1: Heart-Healthy Sandwich Choices

Tom H. is a 35-year-old single man who works in a warehouse and takes his lunch to work every day. He is 69 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. A recent blood test revealed that Tom’s total and LDL cholesterol levels are abnormally high. He has been instructed to reduce his intake of saturated fat and to eat more unsaturated fats. He is now at the grocery store looking for sandwich foods to pack in his lunches this week. He notes the following information on the Nutrition Facts labels:

Canned salmon without bones or skin: 2 oz, Calories 60, total fat 0.5 grams, saturated fat 0 grams, trans fat 0 grams, cholesterol 20 milligrams, protein 13 grams.

Cheddar cheese: 1 oz, Calories 110, total fat 9 grams, saturated fat 5 grams, trans fat 0 grams, cholesterol 30 milligrams, protein 7 grams.

Lite Havarti cheese: 1 oz, Calories 80, total fat 4 grams, saturated fat 3 grams, trans fat 0 grams, cholesterol 15 milligrams, protein 8 grams.

Pepperoni: 10 slices, Calories 130, total fat 11 grams, saturated fat 4.5 grams, trans fat 0 grams, cholesterol 30 milligrams, protein 7 gram.

Peanut butter: 2 T, Calories 200, total fat 15 grams, saturated fat 3 grams, trans fat 0 grams, cholesterol 0 milligrams, protein 9 grams.

Egg: 1 whole, Calories 80, total fat 5 grams, saturated fat 1.5 grams, trans fat 0 grams, cholesterol 200 milligrams, protein 7 grams.

Sliced deli roast beef: 2 oz, Calories 80, total fat 2 grams, saturated fat 0.5 grams, trans fat 0 grams, cholesterol 25 milligrams, protein 13 grams.

1.      What should Tom notice about the cholesterol content of these foods?

Ans- Tom noticed that all these food contains high cholesterol, such as,

Canned salmon without bones or skin cholesterol 20 milligrams, Cheddar cheese cholesterol 30 milligrams, Lite Havarti cheese cholesterol 15 milligrams, Pepperoni cholesterol 30 milligrams, Egg cholesterol 200 milligrams,and Sliced deli roast beef cholesterol 25 milligrams.

2.      Even though eggs are a significant source of cholesterol, what other information on the nutrition label should Tom consider if he decides to buy eggs?

Ans- Even though eggs are a significant source of cholesterol, Tom should consider some informations if he decides to buy eggs such as, the Calories of one egg which is 80, total fat 5 grams, saturated fat 1.5 grams, trans fat 0 grams, cholesterol 200 milligrams, and protein 7 grams.

3.   Which of the foods being considered by Tom most likely contains more unsaturated fats than saturated fats? How can Tom derive this information from the information on the label?

4.   Which food is lowest in saturated fat?

5.   What should Tom notice about the relationship between total fat content and kcalories in these foods?

6.   What two foods listed here are major sources of saturated fat? What strategies might Tom use if he wants to include them in his diet?

7.   Using some or all of these foods plus other ideas from the “How to” feature in this chapter (p. 157), plan two days of sandwich ideas for Tom that are in line with his diet goals.

Case Study 2: Amino Acid Supplements

Danielle F. is a 78-year-old retired school teacher who is seeking ways to increase her protein intake. She does very little cooking and avoids fish, poultry, and meat for personal reasons. She eats eggs occasionally but relies more on a liquid amino acid product that claims to contain essential and non-essential amino acids in “naturally-occurring amounts.”

Danielle decides to compare the protein quantity and quality of this product to an egg. Initially she learns that 1 whole egg contains 18 amino acids (9 essential amino acids and 9 non-essential amino acids). ½ teaspoon of liquid amino acid product contains 16 amino acids (9 essential amino acids and 7 non-essential amino acids). Then she examines the Nutrition Facts label for these two products. (See below.)

1.             Danielle notices that protein is measured differently on the two Nutrition Facts labels. Knowing that 1 gram = 1000 milligrams, what can Danielle learn about the protein quantity of one serving of liquid amino acid as compared to one whole egg?

2.             Approximately how many teaspoons of liquid amino acid would Danielle need to eat every day to receive the amount of protein in one egg? (Notice that the nutrition information for this product is for a ½ teaspoon serving.)

3.             Looking at the Nutrition Facts label, what other important nutrients besides protein will Danielle find in an egg that are not present in her amino acid supplement?

4.             What is the sodium content of an egg compared to one serving of the liquid amino acid product?

5.             According to information in this chapter, what is the safest way for Danielle to obtain the protein and amino acids she needs? Why?

6.             What precautions should Danielle take regarding the use of amino acid supplements?