Nutrition Assignment Overview


Objective: The objective of this assignment is to utilize and understand the new Food
Guide Pyramid to complete an assessment using yourself as the subject.
Assignment: Determine the recommended amounts of servings and nutrients needed
in our daily diet based on your age, sex, and daily exercise using www.mypyramid.gov.
Track your eating and exercise habits for 3 days recording your results on the food
tracking worksheets provided. Develop a reflection paper where you analyze and reflect
your eating and exercise habits over a three-day period.
Use these steps to help complete your assignment:
Assignment #1: (Due: Monday, March 22, 2010)



Go to www.mypyramid.gov
On the left hand side of the website, click on my Pyramid Plan. Enter in your age,
gender, and exercise habits and click submit.
Your individualized daily requirements/daily servings will come up once clicking submit.
Print this off and turn in. (this will be compiled along with other work for your final
project).
Assignment #2: (Due: By Thursday, March 25, 2010)

Complete 3 consecutive days of recording your daily food intake (in terms of calories
and serving sizes) and exercise. Please try and be as accurate as possible in order for
your analysis to be correct. The 3 days of recording should be typed out for each day
and will be turned in (they will be compiled in with the rest of the assignment).

Save a copy of assignment #2 so you can write up assignment #3.
Assignment #3: (Due: Wednesday, April 7, 2010)

Once you have collected your data (3 days of food intake and daily exercise) you will
have to write up a reflection and analysis paper using these guidelines:
o Paragraph 1: Introduction to the assignment/Explain what you will be
doing in the assignment
o Paragraph 2: Discuss/analyze what the food guide suggests for your
required daily serving of food. What types of foods could you eat to
accomplish those food categories? Compare what the pyramid suggests
that you eat to what you recorded on your 3 day log. Were your results
good or could you use improvements (if improvements- what areas
were you lacking on?), what could you do to improve your eating habits,
and did you watch what you ate because you knew it was being
recorded?
o Paragraph 3: Discuss your exercise habits, looking back at your 3 day
log. Do you think you are getting enough exercise for what you are
eating? Are you getting at least 30 minutes in a day? What areas are
you working to improve with your daily exercise?
o Paragraph 4: What did you learn about your own diet and exercise by
doing this project?
o Paragraph 5: Conclusion