Nutrition Paper

When doing this project I never realized until after I did the super tracker and the nutrient intake report that I had a very unhealthy diet and that I need to make a change. My Daily Calorie Limit was 2000 and I ate 2811. When I did MyPlate it told me that I should eat at 7 ounces of grains per day with half of the grain intake being whole grains, eat three cups of vegetables, two cups of fruit, three cups of dairy, and six ounces of protein. Also I should consume no more than six teaspoons of oils per day, no more than 270 calories a day, and consume sodium intake to less than 2300 mg a day. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, I should increase intake of fat free milk and milk products, increase physical activity, and choose foods that provide more potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D. My 24 hour intake was very off from both MyPlate and the dietary guidelines because I consumed large portions of meat and poultry and I did not try to make seafood the protein of my plate.

Also with the MyPlate I was supposed to vary my intake of vegetables but I did not vary my intake of vegetables I mainly consumed starchy vegetables. I did not consume any fruits nor dairy. My intake compared to the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges match the ranges very well accept in one category. In protein the acceptable ranges is 10-35% and my average was 14%. In carbohydrate the acceptable range 45-65% and my average was 39%, I was very close but I need to change my diet so I can reach at least 45%. In fast the acceptable range is 20-35% and my average was 48% which is way over the acceptable range. According to my nutrient Intake report, the food groups I mainly consumed was refined grains, vegetables, and proteins.

The food groups I ate less of was fruits and dairy. I did not meet the recommendations for fruits and dairy because in the fruits group I didn’t consume any fruits and the recommendation for it was 2 cups and in the dairy group I only consumed 1 ½ cups when I was supposed to consume at least 3 cups. For the grains, vegetables, and protein I went over the recommended amounts. Also I went over the amount of oils and sodium I was supposed to consume in one day. For oils I was supposed to consume 6 teaspoons per day and I consumed 9 teaspoons. The recommended amount intake for sodium was 2300 milligrams and I consumed 8355 milligrams. I also noticed that I consumed a lot of empty calories in one day. I consumed 799 empty calories when the empty calories limit was 258 calories. I tend to eat food that are low nutrient dense such as French fries instead of a baked potato. Because at times I can be exhausted from school and work, I tend to lay down in my bed during my free time instead of going to jog a lap around the track or going to the gym.

The only exercise I really get is from walking to classes but that is still not enough because it only takes me about five minutes to get to class. Based on all of this information I see that I am at high risk diabetes, heart problems, obesity, and bad cholesterol. Things that I can do to help lower my risk of health problems is first to try to go to the gym or jog around the track at least twice a week then work my way up. Another change I can make is to try to eat a piece of fruit and consume a cup of yogurt of milk once a day. I also need to control my portions by eating one plate instead of eating 3 plate s and try to stay away from fried food and eat more of baked foods. I also need to vary my food choices instead of just eating what I am use to eating. For example, I always eat chick fil an every morning for breakfast when I could go to the big café and get a better variety of food such as eggs, cereal, oatmeal, grits, fruits, and different drinks.