St.
Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF NURSING
1ST SEMESTER, AY 2019-2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING – LEVEL II
CULTURAL ASPECTS OF DIETARY PLANNING
Food is influenced by many factors. For most people food is cultural, not nutritional. A
plant or animal may be considered edible in one society and inedible in another. Probably one of
the most important things to remember in connection with the cultural factors involved in food
habits is that there are many combinations of food which will give the same nutritional results.
In many cultures food has a social or ceremonial role. Certain foods are highly prized; others are
reserved for special holidays or religious feasts; still others are a mark of social position. There
are cultural classifications of food such as ‘inedible’, ‘edible by animals’, ‘edible by human
beings but not by one’s own kind of human being’, ‘edible by human being such as self’, ‘edible
by self’. In different cultures, certain foods are considered ‘heavy’, some are ‘light’ some as
‘foods for strength’; some as ‘luxury’, etc.
The challenge to health care provider is to be culturally adaptable, to display cross-cultural
communication skills, to remain aware of nonverbal cues that are culturally motives, and to
move toward a trusting interpersonal relationship as quickly as possible
Examples of dietary preferences according to some cultural and religious beliefs:
1. African American
- Diet varies greatly according to the region of the country and lifestyle.
- They have a high incidence of lactose intolerance; low consumption of dairy products.
- Most popular meat dishes include pork (variety cuts), fish, small game, and poultry.
- Frying and boiling are the most common preparation methods.
- Primary grain product is corn.
- Honey, molasses, and sugar products are preferred as snacks.
2. Asian
- High incidence of lactose intolerance; traditional alternative sources of calcium include
tofu, soy milk, small bones in fish and poultry.
- A variety of protein rich foods are often preserved by salting and drying.
- Make Pastes of shrimp and legumes.
- Wheat and rice are primary grain products.
- Fresh fruits and vegetables, also pickled, dried or preserved.
3. Buddhism
St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF NURSING
1ST SEMESTER, AY 2019-2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING – LEVEL II
-Vegetarianism with five pungent foods excluded: garlic, leek, scallion, chives, and
onion.
4. Hinduism
-Mostly vegetarian except in northern India where meat is consumed (except for beef)
5. Islam
-No consumption of unclean foods (carrion or dead animals, swine).
-No consumption of animals slaughtered without pronouncing the name of Allah or killed
in a manner that prohibits the complete draining of blood from their bodies.
-No consumption of carnivorous animals with fangs, birds of petty, and land animals
without ears (frogs, snakes).
6. Latino
-They have a high incidence of lactose intolerance; low consumption of dairy products.
-Vegetable proteins are more common in countries with large rural and urban poor
populations.
-Principle bread is tortilla.
-Foods are often heavily spiced.
7. Native American
-They have a high incidence of lactose intolerance; low consumption of dairy products.
-Meat is highly valued, mostly grilled, stewed, or preserved through drying and smoking.
-Primary grain used is corn; wild rice is also popularly consumed.
8. Orthodox Judaism
-Prohibits consumption of swine, shellfish, and carrion eaters.
-Ritual slaughtering of animals.
-Ritual breaking of bread.
St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF NURSING
1ST SEMESTER, AY 2019-2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING – LEVEL II
B. FILIPINO DIETARY PRACTICES
A typical Filipino meal consists of a main seafood or meat dish served with soup,
vegetables and rice, with tea or coffee. Chicken often has bones in the soup and fish often comes
with the head attached. In much of the Philippine breakfast, lunch and dinner are the same:
Filipino-style rice with some pieces of meat and vegetables in it.
Breakfast
Filipinos tend to rise early and breakfast is usually eaten between 6:30am and 8:00am. A typical
Filipino breakfast is comprised of danggit (dried fish), rice, fruit and ensaimada (sugar buns), or
eggs, sausage and pan de sal (sourdough bread). In some places Spam is a popular breakfast
treat. In other places breakfast is simply tea or coffee with rice or food left over from the night
before that is not reheated. Rice is served either as a porridge-type cereal that can be flavored
with any number of ingredients, with eggs in a variety of styles, or with pickled vegetables. Tea
may be drunk plain or with lemon, cream, milk, or sugar. Eggs and sausage are served on special
occasions. Small buns called pan de sal may be purchased from vendors early in the morning.
Bread often refers to toast.
Merienda
Merienda is the name of a midmorning and afternoon snack that was introduced by the Spanish
and was traditionally served around 3:00pm after a siesta. It usually features cakes, tarts, fritters
or sweets made with coconut milk and palm sugar. Some people take a morning merienda around
10:00am. Since Filipinos are fond of sweet foods, a mixture of instant coffee, evaporated milk,
and sugar may be served. Coca-Cola is very popular. Sweet rolls, doughnuts, or a noodle dish
may be available.
Lunch
Lunch is traditionally the main meal of the day, and even today, in busy cities, it can still be an
elaborate affair with several courses or it can be a simple noodle dish or fast food bolted down in
a matter of minutes. Lunch can also be a light meal with rice and one other dish, often a fish or
meat stew. Lunch is served from about 12:00noon to 1:00pm and consists of sour soup, cooked
pork, meat stew, fish, and/or vegetables, served with rice and fruit or cakes. Lechon, or pork, is
usually roasted or barbecued, and is a very popular meat. You will see adobo, a spice, just about
everywhere. Fish sauce and fish paste are available with most ethnic Philippine foods, and have
very pungent flavors. Filipinos enjoy sweet pastries, so a very sweet dessert of fruits, pudding, or
St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF NURSING
1ST SEMESTER, AY 2019-2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING – LEVEL II
cake is usually available for every meal. Typically, the drinks served with lunch and dinner are
soft drinks, beer, and/or tea or coffee.
Dinner
Dinner is served from 6:00pm on, with 7:30pm the customary late time and is usually a fish or
seafood dish served with rice and a vegetable dish. Even if the main meal of the day was lunch,
dinner is only slightly lighter. This is often the case with families at home. The dinner menu is
often similar to that of the more formal lunch. Fish, pork, or chicken is served at dinner with a
soup made of lentils or vegetables. Fatty pork is a favorite. Portions of small cubes of browned
pork fat are considered a special dish. Fresh fruit is a common dessert. It is almost always peeled.
If alcohol is being served, pre dinner drinks may begin with beer or rice wine, then move on to
beer during the meal, and end with a sweet wine and/or coffee or tea. Western liquors are also
served in upscale restaurants and at business dinners.
St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF NURSING
1ST SEMESTER, AY 2019-2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING – LEVEL II
C. CODE OF ETHICS
For the members of the Nutritionist-Dietitians’ Association of the Philippines
The Association aims to continuously upgrade the profession to maintain high standards
of nutrition and dietetic practice and to foster “esprit de corp” among allied professions. The
organization requires members whose sense of responsibility, sound judgment and integrity of
character are beyond reproach and whose loyalty to the organization is unquestionable.
The members of the association, there pledge themselves to:
● Protect the status and highest tenets of the profession, and foster cooperation among
allied disciplines and organizations geared toward improving the nutritional
condition of the Filipino people.
● Continue enriching their knowledge and practice of the profession, keeping abreast
with the most recent advances in nutritional research and technology.
● Rise up to global standards and maintain levels of professional practices fully aligned
with global best practices.
● Support all activities of the association and contribute toward the fulfillment of its
objectives.
● Serve the common good without regard to personal benefit of aggrandizement and
with genuine selflessness.
● Be able to acknowledge errors, omissions, and limitations of knowledge, and have the
courage and humility to accept criticism and thereby profit from mistakes.
● Be loyal to the organization that employs them.
● Hold in confidence all personal information acquired in the discharge of professional
duties.
● Protect the public against fraud, misrepresentation, misinformation and unethical
practices concerning food, nutrition and diet therapy.
● Unselfishly make available their expertise in the delivery of nutritional and dietetic
services to the community, and undertake only those professional services that they
can reasonably deliver with professional competence.
St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF NURSING
1ST SEMESTER, AY 2019-2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING – LEVEL II
● Be a worthy example of the practice of good personal nutrition.
● Be honest and truthful in word, thought, and deed, observing the Golden Rule in all
human dealings.
Code of Ethics for the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession
PREAMBLE
When providing services, the nutrition and dietetics practitioner adheres to the core values of
customer focus, integrity, innovation, social responsibility, and diversity. Science-based
decisions, derived from the best available research and evidence, are the underpinnings of ethical
conduct and practice.
This Code applies to nutrition and dietetics practitioners who act in a wide variety of capacities,
provides general principles and specific ethical standards for situations frequently encountered in
daily practice. The primary goal is the protection of the individuals, groups, organizations,
communities, or populations with whom the practitioner works and interacts.
The nutrition and dietetics practitioner supports and promotes high standards of professional
practice, accepting the obligation to protect clients, the public and the profession; upholds the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) and its credentialing agency the Commission on
Dietetic Registration (CDR) Code of Ethics for the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession; and shall
report perceived violations of the Code through established processes.
The Academy/CDR Code of Ethics for the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession establishes the
principles and ethical standards that underlie the nutrition and dietetics practitioner’s roles and
conduct. All individuals to whom the Code applies are referred to as “nutrition and dietetics
practitioners”. By accepting membership in the Academy and/or accepting and maintaining
CDR credentials, all nutrition and dietetics practitioners agree to abide by the Code.
Autonomy: ensures a patient, client, or professional has the capacity and self-determination to
engage in individual decision-making specific to personal health or practice.
Beneficence: encompasses taking positive steps to benefit others, which includes balancing
benefit and risk.
St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF NURSING
1ST SEMESTER, AY 2019-2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING – LEVEL II
Competence: a principle of professional practice, identifying the ability of the provider to
administer safe and reliable services on a consistent basis.
Conflict(s) of Interest(s): defined as a personal or financial interest or a duty to another party
which may prevent a person from acting in the best interests of the intended beneficiary,
including simultaneous membership on boards with potentially conflicting interests related to the
profession, members or the public.
Customer: any client, patient, resident, participant, student, consumer, individual/person, group,
population, or organization to which the nutrition and dietetics practitioner provides service.
Diversity: “The Academy values and respects the diverse viewpoints and individual differences
of all people. The Academy’s mission and vision are most effectively realized through the
promotion of a diverse membership that reflects cultural, ethnic, gender, racial, religious, sexual
orientation, and socioeconomic, geographical, political, educational, experiential and
philosophical characteristics of the public it services. The Academy actively identifies and offers
opportunities to individuals with varied skills, talents, abilities, ideas, disabilities, backgrounds
and practice expertise.”
Evidence-based Practice: Evidence-based practice is an approach to health care wherein health
practitioners use the best evidence possible, i.e., the most appropriate information available, to
make decisions for individuals, groups and populations. Evidence-based practice values,
enhances and builds on clinical expertise, knowledge of disease mechanisms, and
pathophysiology. It involves complex and conscientious decision-making based not only on the
available evidence but also on client characteristics, situations, and preferences. It recognizes
that health care is individualized and ever changing and involves uncertainties and probabilities.
Evidence-based practice incorporates successful strategies that improve client outcomes and are
derived from various sources of evidence including research, national guidelines, policies,
consensus statements, systematic analysis of clinical experience, quality improvement data,
specialized knowledge and skills of experts.
Justice (Social Justice): supports fair, equitable, and appropriate treatment for individuals1 and
fair allocation of resources.
Non-Maleficence: is the intent to not inflict harm.
St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF NURSING
1ST SEMESTER, AY 2019-2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING – LEVEL II
D. ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN NUTRITION AND
DIET THERAPY
Nutrition and entrepreneurship complement each other really well. Part of this is due to
the ever-changing landscape of nutrition science, applied nutrition, and diet options. But the
St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF NURSING
1ST SEMESTER, AY 2019-2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING – LEVEL II
primary reason may be because nutrition is personal, and everyone eats. Every person’s diet,
lifestyle, health, culture, values, priorities, and preferences are totally unique to them. Also know
that nutrition entrepreneurship does not necessarily mean starting your own business.
Nutripreneurship/ Dietitian Entrepreneurship
Nutripreneurship is the practice and process that results in creativity, innovation, development
and growth of nutrition businesses. As we know, entrepreneurship is a self-willing and
approached business firm which starts with a limited investment where they paved their own
pathway with their efforts and ideas in their corresponding field.
So, in the field of nutrition and dietetics entrepreneurship, a person is termed as:
NUTRIPRENEURS.
Nutripreneurs are nutritionists’ innovators who use a process of changing the current situation of
the existing products and services, to set up new products and new services.
Basically, Nutripreneurs are the trained and skilled entrepreneurs who may engaged in a field
such as:
- Private Nutrition/ Diet Clinics.
- Researcher firm
- School Nutrition Facilitators.
- Gyms and Workout firms Nutrition Counselor.
- Bloggers, Webinars.
- Consultant.
- Nutraceutical based firms
Nutritionists and Dietitians in private practice are entrepreneurs (Nutripreneurs) and innovators
in providing nutrition products (functional foods) and services to consumers, industry, media,
and businesses.
• They can provide MNT (Medical Nutrition Therapy) to individuals and groups in all
populations.
St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF NURSING
1ST SEMESTER, AY 2019-2020
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING – LEVEL II
• They can be chief executive officers, business owners, consultants, professional speakers,
writers, journalists, chefs, educators, health and wellness coaches, and spokespersons.
• They can work under contract for organizations and government agencies, such as health care
or food companies, businesses and corporations, employee wellness programs, and the media.
• They can act as expert witnesses and consultants on legal matters related to food and nutrition.
