Liz Young 2/12/12 Basic Nutrition: Dr. Spencer Diet Analysis Guideline Paper 1. For the most part, I feel like I have a fairly healthy diet. I try my best to stay balanced and eat a variety of healthy foods. I exercise a lot also, so I know that I need to fuel my body with nutritious foods. There are a few good aspects to my diet. I usually stay under or within my recommended caloric intake. I try not to consume extra calories so that I maintain a healthy weight. I am also pretty good at eating nutrient dense foods. When I did the nutrient test (add a point for over 10% of a good thing, subtract for 10% of a bad thing), mostly all of my foods were nutritious (or positive points). Almost every day, I eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. I think I eat this way because I am very interested in health. I like exercising and eating right. I notice that I feel better about myself when I am active and eating healthy. There are a few bad aspects of my diet though. I noticed that when I am bored at night, I eat. I think I eat when I am bored simply to keep myself occupied. This is an awful habit because there is no reason for me to eat an hour before bed. Although I eat healthy foods, I think I eat too much food. I need to work on portion control (such as when I eat popcorn). I think I eat this way because in a way, I trick myself into believing I am healthy; I eat ‘healthy’ foods but I am eating too much of them. Working on my portion control will help me improve my diet. 2. Nutrient Calories Protein Carbohydrate Fiber Total Fat Average 1573.3 76 grams 269.1 grams 41 grams 25.6 grams Average Intake Assessment 79.4% (Average percent Estimated Energy Requirement) Intake is very likely to be adequate Intake is very likely to be adequate Intake is very likely to be adequate 14.5% (Average Percent of Total Energy Intake) Saturated Fat Cholesterol Vitamin C Vitamin A Vitamin E Potassium 5.9 grams 73.7 mg 106.8 423.1 10.3 3167 Iron Calcium 19.6 965.6 Riboflavin 2.5 3.4% (Average Percent of Total Energy Intake) Intake is very likely to be adequate Intake should be higher Intake is very likely to be inadequate, needs to be higher Intake is below recommendation, no assessment can be determined Intake is very likely to be adequate Intake is below recommendation, no assessment can be determined Intake is very likely to be adequate I am highest in my fiber, protein, Vitamin C, and riboflavin intake. I am lowest in my Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and potassium intake. Overall, I think I am well nourished. I get an adequate amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. My average carbohydrate intake is about twice what is recommended though. I exercise a lot though, so maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. I drink a ton of water throughout the day. I always drink a glass of water right when I wake up, and another one an hour or two before bed. I try to drink a lot of water so I stay hydrated, and to avoid headaches. As far as my vitamin and mineral intake, I get adequate amounts of most of them. I get enough of most of my minerals, besides my potassium intake. I get a decent amount of vitamins, but I need to increase my vitamin A and E intake. 3. Date My Caloric IntakeRecommended Intake 1/30/12 1558 - 1981 1/31/12 1498 - 1981 2/1/12 1635 – 1981 2/2/12 1729 - 1981 2/3/12 1687 - 1981 2/4/12 1276 - 1981 2/5/12 1630 - 1981 My Fat Intake – Recommended Intake My Carbohydrate Intake – Recommended Intake My Protein Intake – Recommended Intake 22.5 – 34.6/60.6 18.1 – 33.3/58.2 18.4 – 36.3/63.6 41.1 – 38.4/67.3 42.5 – 37.5/65.6 23.1 – 28.4/49.6 15.3 – 36.2/63.4 289 - 130 283 - 130 339 - 130 264 - 130 261 – 130 247 - 130 201 - 130 69 - 46 84 - 46 73 - 46 90 – 46 79 – 46 59 – 46 78 - 46 As you can see from the chart above, I was under my recommended caloric intake every day. I find this hard to believe though, because I feel like I eat a lot. I am never extremely hungry or feel like I do not consume enough calories to get me through the day. I also maintain a steady weight, so I think it is weird that my records show that I eat less than the recommended amount. Almost every day, I was under the recommended amount of calories from fat. I usually consumed between 10-15% of my calories from fat (but my recommended amount is between 20-35%). This may be because I eat ‘low-fat’ food sometimes (that may use sugar instead of fat). When I do eat fats, I try to eat the healthy fats that are in nuts or fish. My fat intake may also be on the low side because I stay away from fast food and most meat products. Although it is recommended that I only eat 130 grams of carbohydrates a day, I ate over 200 every day! I noticed that I eat a lot of popcorn and snack foods. Although I exercise a lot, I should try to limit my carbohydrate intake. I should also try to eat healthy carbohydrates (like sweet potatoes) instead of popcorn, which is not very nutrient dense. I also consumed more protein than the recommended amount for my weight. I ate over 59 grams each day, even though the recommended amount is only 46 grams. I found this interesting because I do not eat that much meat. I guess I get a lot of protein from the other foods I eat, like nuts and beans. I rarely drink alcohol, so this barely impacts my diet. I drank alcohol one night this week. According to MyPyramidTracker, this alcohol did not impact my diet that day. I try to stay away from alcohol, not only because it is not very good for your body (in high quantities), but because I think it has a negative impact on my schoolwork. 4. Date My Grain Intake – Recommend ed Intake (6 oz) My Vegetable Intake – Recommended Intake (2.5 cups) My Fruit IntakeRecommende d Intake (2 cups) My Milk Intake – Recommended Intake (3 cups) 1/30/12 1/31/12 2/1/12 2/2/12 2/3/12 2/4/12 2/5/12 Average 6.1 9.2 11 6.4 6.5 6.9 3.8 7.1 2.7 3.2 1.2 1.4 2.5 3.7 1.3 2.3 2.7 2.2 2.2 1.5 1.9 2.4 1.4 2.0 1.4 1.7 2.1 1.7 1.8 0 3.1 1.7 My Meat and Beans Intake – Recommende d Intake (5.5 oz) 4.7 5.1 2.1 7.7 6.9 5.4 4.7 5.2 For the most part, I eat from the food groups in the right amounts. My grain intake is slightly higher than the recommended amount (average of 7.1 for the week). Some days, I ate way too many grains (2/1/12 and 1/31/12). But most days, I ate right around 6 oz of grains. My average vegetable intake for the week was 2.3 cups. Since the recommended amount is 2.5 cups, I was pretty close to eating enough vegetables. Some days I ate a lot of vegetables (2/4/12) and other days, I didn’t eat enough (2/1/12). I try to eat a salad or leafy greens every day. My average fruit intake for the week was exactly what is recommended for me, 2 cups! I try to eat fruits and vegetables every day because they are nutrient dense. Although my recommended milk intake is 3 cups per day, my average intake was only 1.7 cups. One day, I didn’t have any foods from this category. I definitely need to include more foods from this group in my diet. I do not like cheese, but I can consume more dairy products by eating yogurt or drinking milk. My average meat intake for the week (5.2 oz) was pretty close to the recommended amount (5.5 oz). Some days I went way over the recommended amount (2/2/12), and other days, I didn’t consume enough products from this group (2/1/12). I’m not a huge fan of meat, but I can substitute meat with beans or legumes. Other than the milk/dairy group, I do a pretty good job at eating the right amounts from each food group. 5. There were a few surprised in my analysis. I was very surprised to see that I did not eat the recommended amount of calories. Although I try to eat healthy and nutritious foods, I feel like I eat a decent amount. I also maintain my weight, exercise a lot, and usually feel energized; so I find it hard to believe that I don’t consume enough calories. I was also surprised to see that I my iron intake was adequate. Whenever I get blood work, they tell me that my iron is low. I try to eat iron rich foods, like spinach or fortified cereals. I was also surprised to see that I consume plenty of protein. I’ve always heard that protein is good for you, but I never knew that I was actually doing it! By tracking my food, I learned that I do not need to worry so much about counting my calories. I can relax a little when it comes to my diet. I also learned that I don’t need to stress so much about eating enough protein and iron (since I do already). As a result of this project, I will definitely change a few things. I will try to stop eating late at night. I never realized that I eat an hour or two before bed, which is unnecessary. I will also pay attention to my milk/dairy intake. I only ate about half of the milk products that are recommended for me. Although it was time consuming, I really liked doing this project. It taught me a lot about my diet and really made me aware of what I am putting into my body. I am going to continue to write what I eat everyday in a notebook.