- Did you consume at least the minimum recommended amount of carbohydrate (30g) needed to produce enough glucose for brain function?
- On average, how many grams of dietary fiber did you eat each day?
- Did you eat the recommended grams of fiber on average each day (25g for women, 38g for men)?
- List one food you consumed with the most dietary fiber per serving: Food = __________, Fiber (g)= ___________
- If you did not meet the recommended amount of fiber, what are two foods you would be willing to eat regularly that contain 3 or more grams of fiber per serving?
- List three foods that contributed the highest amounts of "added" sugar to your diet and how many calories were provided by each. If the information is available, list how many grams of added sugar are in each food and calculate how many calories are provided by added sugars.
- What percentage of your total calores comes from added sugars?
- If your intake of sugars is high, list the foods you could eat or drink LESS of?
- Did 20-35% of your total calories come from fat?
- List the top three sources of fat and saturated fat in your diet
- List three foods in your diet with the highest source of trans fat? What alternates could you select to limit your intake of trans fats? (anything with hydrogenated oils in it has trans fats)
- What is your average daily intake of Cholesterol? ________mg
- What three foods in your diet contribute the most cholesterol to your diet?
- What was your average percentage of calories from protein? ____%
- Compute your RDA for protein (Body Weight x 0.8 g/kg) _______g
- Did your average protein intake meet or exceed your RDA?
- List the top two sources of animal protein (includes milk and eggs) and plant protein in your diet and indicate the grams of protein per portion of food you ate:
- Did you eat more protein (in total grams) from animal or plant sources?
- Consider the benefits of increasing the sources of plant protein in your diet. If you ate more protein from animal sources than from plant sources, list four plant-based foods you could eat more regularly that provide at least 5 grams of protein per serving:
- Describe the overall contribution of kCal from carbohydrate, lipid, and protein in your diet. Do you meet recommended levels? What one or two major changes do you need to make in your food consumption to improve your status?
- Describe whether your intake of fiber, sugar, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol are healthy or excessive. What one or two major changes do you need to make in your food consumption to improve your status in these areas?
- Is your protein intake sufficient? Do you get sufficient "necessary" amino acids?
- From your diet analyses, fill in the table. Include both the unites (mg, µg, etc) and numerical value. Refer to the DRI. Divide your average intake by your RDA to determine % RDA. Indicate whether your average was less than 0% of the RDA (use the - symbol), more than 200% of the RDA (use the + symbol), or close to the RDA (use the = symbol).
- Which of your vitamin intakes were less than 7% of the RDA?
- From your diet analyses, fill in the table. Include both the unites (mg, µg, etc) and numerical value. Refer to the DRI. Divide your average intake by your RDA to determine % RDA. Indicate whether your average was less than 0% of the RDA (use the - symbol), more than 200% of the RDA (use the + symbol), or close to the RDA (use the = symbol).
- Which of your mineral intakes were less than 70% of the RDA or AI?
- The Dietary Guidelines recommend you to "consume less than 2300 mg sodium per day; and to choose to prepare foods with little salt". Do you feel that your intake of sodium exceeds the amount you should eat daily?
- If you answered yes to the question above, list the foods, beverages, and/or condiments you consume that contribute the most to intakes in excess of your sodium needs:
- Do you take one or more vitamin and/or mineral supplement?
- If so, list the brand name(s), type(s), and frequency of use:
- To eat a variety of vitamin/mineral -rich foods so as to consume at least 70% of the RDA for each vitamin on a daily basis.
- Fluid needs based on kCal consumed
- Calculate additions needed for exercise/athletes
- My total daily fluid need is ____oz.
- My total intake of fluids from beverages needs to be no less than ____oz.
- From your dietary tables determine the total number of ounces of fluids you consumed each day from liquid beverages. Combine the totals of the three days and divide by three to compute the average.
- Is your average daily intake of fluids from liquid beverages at least as much as the amount you determined you needed to consume?
- List the top three non-caloric and three top caloric beverages you consumed, in order of the amount consumed, with the beverage consumed the greatest amount listed at the top. (Non-caloric beverages include water, diet sodas, sugar-free beverages, and unsweetened tea and coffee. Caloric beverages include milk, juice, juice drinks, soda, sports drinks, alcoholic beverages, and specialty beverages such as mocha latte and sweetened teas.
- How much milk to you drink each day?
- If not, consider whether you consume enough calcium-rich food sources other than milk to meet your need for calcium, to determine whether you need to consume more calcium:
- If you drink milk, what is its fat content?
- What is your average intake of juice per day?
- List the types of juices you drink:
- Do you drink 100% juices when you drink juice?
- What is your total average intake of caloric "soft drinks" per day?
- How many calories did these beverages provide, on average, each day?
- What percentage of your average total kCal is contributed by alcohol (7 kCal/g)?
- What is your average daily intake of caffeine?
- Does your caffeine intake exceed the amount considered to be moderate intake (300 mg/day)?
- Do you eat within 1-2 hours of getting up?
- How frequently do you eat throughout the day?
- How many meals do you eat most days?
- How many snacks do you eat most days?
- Do you have regular meals and snacks or do you "graze" all day?
- List any eating locations other than a designated eating space. These locations might also include your car, a couch, or standing in front of the refrigerator, among others.
- Do you eat at least one meal a day shared with others?
- Are your meals relaxed and enjoyable, or do you need to modify the atmosphere and/or spend more time enjoying eating?
- Look at how hungry you were for meals and snacks. Although we should avoid eating when we are not hungry, it is best not to wait until we are "very hungry" because this state is often associated with overeating. What was your most common level of hunger?
- How often do you eat for reasons other than hunger?
- Do you allow plenty of time to eat, taking a minimum of 15 minutes for breakfast and 20 minutes for lunch and dinner?
- Do you generally clean you plate?
- Do you often take second helpings?
- How often does "good" nutrition influence your food choices (alone or in combination with other factors)?
- Are the foods and beverages you generally consume as snacks more or less healthy choices than those you consume at meals? Do your snack choices affect your overall diet?
For the last month, we have divulged into the world of nutrition in an effort to gain knowledge about individual nutrients, about the meaning of food, about recent developments in nutrition, and about many organizations that work to progress good nutrition in our world.
But before we say adios to nutrition and move onto next month's topic, I want to offer you a personal challenge in which you can use the information you've gained over the last month to learn more about yourself. Today I want to challenge you to assess the foods that you eat. You can complete this analysis for as many days as you like, but I want to encourage you to do at least three. (Seven days will give you a better all around idea of your diet but three is just as good.) For this challenge, complete daily food diaries like Sample A below, an eating behavior diary like sample B below, a summary table that presents the average of your three day data collection like sample C below for each of the days you are recording. Then fill our all of the analysis tables and answer some questions after you complete all of the data. One tip I do suggest when doing this challenge is to record all of your food consumption data in a program like FitDay. It will help you keep your items better organized when filling out later information.
Sample A - Daily Macronutrient and Vitamin/Mineral Diaries
Fill in the following tables for each of the food items you consume in your day. Complete a new set of tables for each day!!
Protein
Food Item | Amt | kCal | Animal protein (g) | kCal animal protein | Plant protein (g) | kCal plant protein |
| | | | | | |
Carbohydrates
Food Item | Simple carbohydrates (g) | kCal simple carbohydrates | Complex carbohydrates (g) | kCal complex carbohydrates | Fiber (g) | kCal fiber |
| | | | | | |
Lipids
Food Item | Saturated fats (g) | kCal saturated fats | Unsaturated fats (g) | kCal unsaturated fats | Cholesterol (g) |
| | | | | |
Vitamins
Food Item | Vitamin A | Vitamin C | Vitamin D | Thiamin | Riboflavin | Niacin | Vitamin B-6 | Vitamin B-12 | Folate |
| | | | | | | | | |
Minerals
Food Item | Calcium (mg) | Iron | Magnesium (mg) | Sodium | Zinc |
| | | | | |
Fluids
Food Item | Non-kCal Water | Non-kCal Coffee | Non-kCal Tea | Milk | Juice | 100% juice | Alcohol | Soda |
| | | | | | | | |
Sample B - Eating Behavior Diary
Complete the following table for each day you are recording your food consumption.
Part 1
Time of Day | Meal (M), Snack (S), or Beverage (B) | Hunger Level 0 (not hungry) to 3 (very hungry) | Location | Activity During Eating | Others Present |
| | | | | |
Part 2
Time Spent Eating | Food Eaten and Quantity | Reason for Choice | Helpings | Satiation Level |
| | | | |
Sample C - Summary Table of Consumption Averages
Compute the averages of your three days consumption for each of the following items in the Table below:
kCal Total Daily Average | |
Protein - Animal | |
Protein - Plant | |
Carbohydrate - Simple | |
Carbohydrate - Complex | |
Carbohydrate - Fiber | |
Lipid - Saturated | |
Lipid - Unsaturated | |
Lipid - Cholesterol | |
Vitamin A | |
Vitamin C | |
Vitamin D | |
Thiamin | |
Riboflavin | |
Niacin | |
Vitamin B-6 | |
Vitamin B-12 | |
Folate | |
Calcium | |
Iron | |
Magnesium | |
Sodium | |
Zinc | |
Caffeine | |
PART 1: MACRONUTRIENT ASSESSMENT
Sources of Calories
Fill in the following table to compare your average daily intake of macronutrients to the Dietary Reference Intakes set forth by the Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, and National Academy of Sciences.
Macronutrient | Average Daily Intake (g) | kCal/g | kCal from Macronutrient | | Average Total kCal | | Share of total kCal (%) |
Carbohydrate | | X4 = | | / | | = | |
Total Fat | | X9 = | | / | | = | |
Protein | | X4 = | | / | | = | |
Carbohydrate, Fiber, and Sugar Intake
Food | Calories | Grams Added Sugar | | kCal from Sugar |
| | | X4 kCal/g | |
| | | X4 kCal/g | |
| | | X4 kCal/g | |
Total kCal from sugar: ____ / total kCal consumed X 100 = _____% kCal from added sugar
Fat and Cholesterol Intake
Sources of Fat (g):
Sources of Saturated Fat (g):
Sources of Trans Fats:
Sources of Cholesterol (g):
Protein Intake
Animal Sources of Protein (g):
Plant Sources of Protein (g):
Macronutrient Intake Summary
Based on the data above, indicate how often you meet the target behaviors listed below:
Macronutrient Target Behaviors | Always/Usually | Sometimes | Rarely/Never |
Consume at least 130g carbohydrate per day | | | |
Consume at least 25-38 grams of total fiber per day | | | |
Moderate intake of added sugars | | | |
Consume no more than 35% of total kCal from fats | | | |
Consume less than 10% of total kCal from sat fats | | | |
Consume less than 300mg cholesterol | | | |
Consume little or no trans fats | | | |
Meet RDA for protein | | | |
Obtain a significant contribution of protein from plant sources | | | |
Macronutrient Review
Answer the following questions in narrative form. Be specific and clear!
Vitamin and Mineral Assessment
Do not include vitamin or mineral supplements in this section
Vitamin Intake
Vitamin | Average Intake (units) | RDA (units) | % RDI | Less than, Close to, More than |
A | | 800 µg | | |
C | | 60 mg | | |
D | | 5 µg | | |
Thiamin | | 1.1 mg | | |
Riboflavin | | 1.1 mg | | |
Niacin | | 14 mg | | |
B-6 | | 1.3 mg | | |
Folate | | 400 µg | | |
B-12 | | 2.4 mg | | |
Mineral Intake
Mineral | Average Intake (mg) | RDA/AI (mg) | %RDA | Less than, Close to, More than |
Calcium | | 1000 mg | | |
Iron | | 15 mg | | |
Magnesium | | 310 mg | | |
Sodium | | 2300 mg | | |
Zinc | | 12 µg | | |
Sodium Intake
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Assessment of Vitamin and Mineral Intake
Using the assessment in the previous section, describe how well your current behaviors meet the four target behaviors listed below.
Vitamins/Minerals for which I meet the RDA:
Vitamins/Minerals for which I fell far below the RDA:
Fluid and Beverage Assessment
Fluid Needs
Divide your average caloric intake ____ / 1000 kCal / qt of fluid = ____
(1 qt is 32oz, so multiply you number of quarts by 32 to calculate your fluid needs in ounces)
____qt X 32 = _______ oz/day
If you are an athlete or exercise regularly (4-7x a week), do you think you need to consume additional fluids to account for fluid loss during exercise?
If so, use the following rule of thumb to estimate how many additional ounces of fluid you need:
Prior to exercise, you need to consume an additional 2 cups (16oz) of fluids. During exercise, you need to consume an additional cup (8oz) every 15-20 minutes. After exercise, you need to consume 2 cups (16oz) for every pound of body weight lost.
How many additional ounces of liquid do you need?
Assume that approximately 20% of your fluid intake is met by the water (moisture) present in the foods you eat, and 80% from beverages. How many ounces of fluid do you need to consume in beverages each day?
Total daily fluid needs: ____oz X 80%
Fluid Intake
Average daily intake of fluids: _____oz
If not, how much more do you need to drink to meet your fluid needs?
Fluid Sources
Non Caloric Drinks:
Caloric Drinks:
Milk Intake
Juice Intake
Soft Drink Intake
Alcohol Intake
Caffeine Intake
Fluid and Beverage Assessment
From the previous information, indicate how often you meet the target behaviors listed below:
Fluid Beverage Target Behavior | Always/Usually | Sometimes | Rarely/Never |
Fluid intake meets fluid needs | | | |
Milk intake is appropriate to meet calcium needs and not exceed recommended fat intake | | | |
Contribution of total calories from beverages | | | |
Intake of "soft drinks" is moderate | | | |
If I drink alcohol, I do so in moderation | | | |
Intake of caffeine is moderate (less than or equal to 300 mg/day) | | | |
PART 2: EATING BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT
Eating regularly throughout the day is optimal for providing your body with the energy and nutrients it needs. Take a look at whether your eating pattern could be improved.
If you skip meals, which meals do you skip?
What time(s) of day/night do you most often snack?
Eating Locations and Activities
Making eating an event that is focused on and done in a setting designated just for eating is a more healthful habit than eating on the run or while engaging in other activities such as driving or watching TV. Take a look at where you eat and what else you do while eating that may contribute to negative eating habits.
Social Contest of Eating
Which meal(s) do you typically eat with others?
Internal and External Eating Cues
A primary driving force for when and how we eat consists of our internal cues of hunger. If we ignore these cues and eat only in response to external cues such as time of day, amount of food served, or a particular mood or stress, we are not allowing out bodies to regulate caloic intake according to our physical needs.
Food Choices
Healthy Eating Behaviors
For each of the eating behaviors below, indicate how frequently you practice that behavior.
Healthy Eating Target Behaviors | Always/Usually | Sometimes | Rarely/Never |
Eating regularly spaced meals and snacks; not skipping meals | | | |
Eating in a designated location and focusing on eating rather than other activities | | | |
Enjoying the company of family and/or friends while eating on a daily basis | | | |
Eating in response to external cues | | | |
Responding to satiation to terminate eating (rather than "cleaning my plate", becoming overfull, or stopping eating prior to being satisfied, restricting intake) | | | |
Selecting foods not only for taste and enjoyment but also to provide for nutritional needs | | | |
PART 3: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION
Summarize and discuss specific changes you think you need to make in your diet to be healthier. Also discuss what you discovered in this challenge experience. How might this affect the way you eat for the future?
Thank you for reading my blog this month and for learning all about nutrition with me! I look forward to starting on my new topic which I will introduce tomorrow!!
Today's Workout: Today I went back to my first Yoga workout after being sick! It was a wonderful way to stretch and relax, to focus on my body and my strength. Set aside some time today to participate in a little yoga yourself. Especially try out child's position (sit on your knees, then stretch your arms out in front of you and push your torso to the floor).
Today's Food Tip: It is never a good idea to exercise on an empty stomach, so today I want to encourage you to eat a small, healthy snack an hour or so before you workout. You're body will benefit from the extra energy boost and you'll feel stronger (not faint) during your exercise.
Today's Relaxation Activity: Sometimes, I find that waking up earlier than I normally do can actually be a relaxing activity (once I get over the shock of my alarm going off that is). So tonight, set your alarm for a half an hour to an hour earlier than normal. When you wake up tomorrow, take your time with getting ready, eating breakfast, and maybe even read a chapter of a book while you relax and take in the morning sun!
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