Answer the following dietary analysis, self-assessment questions.
1. Compare your intake with the USDA guidelines
a. Did you consume too few foods from any particular food group? Which, if
any,
were lacking?
b. In which food groups, did you meet the recommendations?
c. Suggest ways you might realistically change your intake to better conform
to the
USDA food group recommendations.
2. Analyze your carbohydrate intake
Regarding consumed carbohydrates, on food labels, total carbohydrates
include added
sugars and are listed as "sugars", which are simple sugars/carbohydrates
added to the
food for flavor.
a. What percent of your total calories came from carbohydrate? How does
your
intake compare with the recommendations? How many teaspoons of sugar,
i.e.,
did you consume each day, use the equivalency of 4 gms CHO=1 tsp.?
b. List three foods that contributed most to your daily carbohydrate intake.
c. How many grams of fiber did you consume? How does this amount
compare with
the recommendations?
d. List three foods that contributes most to your fiber intake. List three foods
that
were low or had no fiber.
e. If you are short on fiber, suggest realistic ways to increase your intake.
3. Analyze your lipid intake
a. What percent of your total calories came from fat? How does your intake
compare
to the recommendations?
b. List three foods that contribute most to your fat intake.
c. What percent of your total calories came from saturated fat? How does your
intake compare to the recommendations?
d. List three foods that contribute most to your saturated fat intake. What
foods
might you substitute for those high in saturated fat?
e. Did you consume essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, (18:2 linoleic and
18:3
linolenic), if so, what foods contained Omega-3s?
4. Analyze your protein intake
a. How many grams of protein did you consume? Calculate how much you
consumed per kilogram of your body weight (grams of protein/body weight in
kilograms). How does this compare to the DRI? (DRI = weight in kilograms
multiplied by 0.8) Show all calculations.
b. What percent of your total calories came from protein? How does your
intake
compare to the recommendations?
c. Identify two animal and two plant sources of protein that contributed most to
your
protein intake.
d. If protein intake was inadequate or excessive, make recommendations for
changes.
5. Analyze your vitamin intake
a. List the vitamins that are listed as “under” on your report.
b. What foods (not supplements) could you add to your diet to increase your
intake
of these vitamins?
c. Did your intake exceed the UL for any vitamins? If so, list those vitamins.
d. List three health effects your current vitamin intake might have if continued
long
term.
6. Analyze your mineral intake
a. List the minerals that are listed as “under” on your report.
b. What foods (not supplements) could you add to your diet to increase your
intake
of these minerals?
c. Did your intake exceed the UL for any minerals? If so, list those minerals.
d. What is your RDA for calcium? What percentage of your calcium RDA did
you
meet? Show calculations. Was this intake typical of your diet in general?
e. Which food provided the most calcium in your diet? If you are short on
calcium,
suggest some ways in that are realistic for you to help you improve your
calcium
intake.
f. What is your RDA for iron? What percentage of the RDA did you meet?
Show
calculations. Was this typical of your diet in general?
g. Which were your food sources of heme iron? Did you consume any nonheme
sources of iron? Did you consume any food at the same time as you
consumed
iron that either increase or decrease the absorption of iron? Give examples.
7. Analyze your fluid and beverage intake
a. List the three beverages (including water) that contributed the most fluid to
your
diet. Was this intake typical of your general diet?
b. What percent of your total calories came from beverages? Show
calculations. Are
there any lower calorie beverages that you can substitute if necessary?
8. Analyze your energy balance
a. What is your Body Mass Index (BMI)? Show calculations. Based on this,
how are
you classified?
b. What was your average calorie intake? Were you over, in line, or under the
recommended intake? If you continued to consume this amount of calories for
30
days, would you gain, lose or maintain your current weight?
c. If you are over or underweight, what is your desirable weight? What
changes will
you need to make to work towards your desired weight?
d. What one or two changes could you make each day that would help you
meet
your weight goals (lose, gain or maintain).
9. Analyze your physical activity
a. The Physical Activity Guidelines (Figure 11-1; page 329) recommend
physical
activity levels for health. How often were you engaged in moderate or
vigorous
aerobic activity? How does this level of activity compare to the
recommendations?
b. How often did you participate in resistance activities to develop strength or
muscular endurance? How does this level of activity compare to the
recommendations?
c. How often did you stretch to improve mobility? How does this compare to
the
recommendations?
d. What changes might you make to your weekly activity to meet the
guidelines?
Specifically discuss how you would rearrange your schedule to make time for
additional activity if necessary.
10. Dietary analysis summary and reflection (This is the heart of the project
and should
be at least 2 pages long.
a. Evaluate your diet and activity levels. Describe at least 3 areas of strengths
and 3
areas of weaknesses. Make concrete suggestions to improve weaknesses.
b. Reflect on the experience completing this project. Was it helpful? What did
you
learn about yourself and about nutrition and exercise by completing this
project?
What changes do you plan to make to your lifestyle as a result of completing
this
project?
c. Lastly, what, if anything, would you change about this project?