Diet Analysis – Three page paper
Wilson Thapa Magar
My week day and weekend day diet analysis shows some significant difference between the two
day’s food consumption. As I have regular classes on a Thursday with frequent breaks, I
consume more food throughout the day. However, on a weekend day I have work from ten to six,
so I end up eating a different diet. The analysis report and comparison-conclusion is presented
here.
As seen on the MyPlate report, on week day I consume more grains and protein foods. I usually
have oats in the morning for breakfast on Thursday, as compared to eggs and fruits on a
Saturday. For dinner or snacks, I prefer dairy products on Thursday. My fruits and grains
requirement are better met on Saturday than on Thursday. But as a whole, my eating habit is
better on week day as I am not in work. During weekend, due to the busy schedule I cannot focus
much on my diet and food intake, so I need to fulfill my calorie needs by what is available there
at the time.
Both days meet my calorie requirements, but the calorie sources are different for the two days. It
can be seen from the 2-Day comparison that on weekend I consume more fatty food. So I gain
more calories from fat on Saturday than on Thursday. Also, on Saturday, I am overshooting my
cholesterol intake by nearly 93% over the required value. My vitamin needs are better met on
Thursday, when I can better choose and consume my food. The dietary fiber RDA is also well
met on Thursday. So from this we can conclude that my diet plan for a weekday is much better
health-wise compared to weekend. I get more of the calorie needs from fat and less from
carbohydrate and fiber on weekend, when it should be the other way round.
On weekend day I get more calories from fat, which is more than the required daily amount as
given in the MyPyramid. Also the amount of calories from carbohydrates, sugar and fiber is
more on a weekday than on a weekend day. On the day 3 I have planned more calories from
vegetable sources, and to reduce my day 3 fat intake, I am increasing my fruits and vegetables
intake and cutting back a little on the protein intake. As on both weekday and weekend I am only
consuming more meat and beans, and my vitamins and other nutrition levels are below the RDA,
so on day 3 I am maintaining this by eating adequate amount of each food type. My daily dairy
intake is more on day 3 while protein and fat is controlled by limiting food selection. Although
on day 3 my fruits intake is only 75% of the recommendation (1.5 cup out of 2 cups per day), all
other food groups are consumed in adequate amount. On day 3, out of my total calories, 58% is
from carbohydrates, due to intake of rice and bread, while 24% is from fat. Most of the fat is
obtained from saturated fat. About 44% of total fat is saturated fat, which comes from the meaty
food and dairy products, and is not so good for my health. The remaining fat is from
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat which is actually healthy for ingestion. Protein consists
of 17% of the total calorie contribution, which is appropriate for my activity level.
The
recommendations for my day 3 are to vary my vegetables, consume more whole grains, try to get
8 teaspoons of oil per day, which comes from olives or similar sources and to limit my extra fat
and sugar intake to a total of 410 calories.
My revised day 3 menu includes of following:
Breakfast
Bread, whole wheat, 100%
Milk, 2%, w/add vit A & D (USDA
Eggs, hard bld, lrg (USDA SR-21)
Lunch
Sandwich, turkey breast, w/
Juice, orange, w/fiber
Dinner
Rice, basmati, brown, Calif, dry
Spinach, baby, fresh (Dole)
Snack
Chips, potato, original, bkd
Salad Dressing, Italian, fat free
Dish, bean, moong dahl chilki
According to my recommendations and diet, I should vary my vegetable intake throughout the
week. This means I should select different kinds of vegetables(dark, leafy, underground, etc) for
different meals. Also, my fat intake, specially the saturated fat level is high. So I must aim to
reduce this by controlling dairy intake. As the dairy intake is about 17% higher than DRI, I
should reduce this and try controlling my diet. I must also consume more fruits and include
whole grains in my meals. It will help control my fat level, and also maintain my cholesterol
level.
According to my activity report, my daily average is in the sedentary activity level. It suggests
me to consume 2215 calories to maintain my current weight. However, as suggested, my fat level
is more than recommended, and especially it consists of saturated fat. This is a major concern as
it increases the cholesterol level. As per my lifestyle, I should be aiming for an active activity
level. This means I should consume about 2500 calories, while exercising and using what I eat.
This will help me control my cholesterol and also maintain my body weight, by reducing fat and
increasing muscle mass. This lifestyle will also benefit me by keeping my body and mind more
active and healthy.