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.