Dietary Analysis:
Purpose:
To provide an opportunity for the student to assess his or her dietary intake and to use the knowledge gained throughout this class to make positive dietary changes. The intent is for this to be a practical experience that benefits you personally.
Part I: Diet Record:
1. Make a record of everything you eat and drink on one typical weekday. Be sure to include all meals, snacks, supplements, and drinks (other than plain water). Record the specific food item and most accurate amount possible. You can measure your food or see “Serving Size Samples” under the calendar on the “Intakes” screen to help you estimate.
2. Create a profile and enter your food record into the NutritionCalc Plus diet analysis tool in Connect (on the right side of the section’s main page). When you fill out your profile, please fill in the weight loss/gain section with zero pounds per week (so you will be getting recommendations for weight maintenance).
3. Print the following reports from the “Reports” page. You should cut and paste these reports into a Word document or save them as PDFs in order to keep the formatting clear. Remember to check the box next to the date of your original food record and click “Update Preview” if necessary for that report to display correctly.
a. “Recommendations”
b. “Food List”
c. “Calorie Assessment”
d. “MyPlate”
Part II: Adjusted Diet:
1. Refer to the reports and your dietary recommendations (including the MyPlate report).
2. Adjust your eating pattern in order to better meet these recommendations, and enter a second diet record for that day. Your goals are to meet the nutrient DRIs within 80-120% and meet at least 90% of the MyPlate recommendations with your revised diet. It is almost impossible to get all nutrients at goal, but please do your best. While your new diet would ideally be similar to what you already eat, you can use any foods in order to get your nutrients in the goal range.
3. Print the reports listed below, making sure to select only the correct (second) date to reflect your changed diet. You should now have two copies of the following reports, one for each day (original and revised diet).
a. “Food List”
b. “MyPlate”
4. Highlight, circle, or underline the serving sizes or foods you changed on the second “Food List” report (e.g. 1 bagel instead of 2 or skim milk instead of whole). If your revised diet does not at all resemble your original food list, please note that on the “Food List” report.
5. Print the “2-Day Comparison” report. Day A should be your original day (the one with the foods you actually ate) and Day B should be your revised day (the diet you modified to fit your DRIs).
Part III: Written Report:
In this section, you will interpret the data from your reports, draw conclusions about your diet, and recognize future implications of your diet. Be specific and detailed yet concise in your answers. When typing your report, include the question itself before your answer. This section contains half the points for the assignment, so it is important to answer the questions thoughtfully.
Questions:
1. How does your present BMI compare to the ideal BMI (18.5-24.9)? If you are above or below the ideal BMI, what risks are associated with that weight?
2. Using the Calorie Assessment Report, compare your estimated energy needs (“Goal Calories”) with your actual calorie intake on the first day recorded. Do you predict your weight will increase, decrease, or stay the same, based on your calorie intake versus your needs?
3. Create a table like the example below to compare your original nutrient intake to the DRI for your age and sex. This information is found in the Bar Graph report. If you are deficient in or have an excess of a nutrient, note that and list the risks associated with that specific deficiency or toxicity. Hint: the textbook will be very helpful for filling out this table.
Nutrient %DRI Deficiency (<80%), Excess (>120%)or At Goal Risks of Deficiency/Toxicity
Dietary Fiber 55% Deficiency Constipation, diverticulosis, increased risk of heart disease
Vitamin A 160% Excess Nausea, loss of appetite, skin loss, eye damage
Calories 105% At Goal N/A
You should have a row for each of the following nutrients:
a. Calories
b. Protein
c. Carbohydrates
d. Dietary Fiber
e. Fat
f. Saturated Fat (if deficient, write “N/A”)
g. Cholesterol (if deficient, write “N/A”)
h. All vitamins in the Bar Graph report (a separate row for each vitamin)
i. All minerals in the Bar Graph report (a separate row for each mineral)
4. In your reports for the revised diet, are there any nutrients that are still deficient or excessive? If so, explain briefly why you were not able to get them in the goal range when you were changing your diet.
5. How to you plan to maintain or improve your health by improving your diet and/or incorporating physical activity into your daily routine?