Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Nutrition Journal

So for my journal, I wrote down what I ate yesterday. I don't eat exactly like that every day, but my day-to-day diet always looks something like this:

The Food 

Breakfast: 
A Bowl of Multi-Grain Cheerios with 2% milk and a banana. 

Lunch: 

A Cheese Quesodilla and a 12 oz. can of Coca-Cola

Dinner:

A bowl of creamy tomato soup and a 12 oz. can of Coca Cola.

Here is a link to my food groups and calories report and my nutrients report.

The Breakdown

Carbohydrate Intake

On average, I consume about 214 grams of carbohydrates in a day, or 816 calories. Carbohydrates account for 67% of my daily caloric intake, which is just slightly over the recommendation of 45-65%.

Complex Carbs I consumed: Multi-Grain Cheerios, Tortilla, and the Tomato Soup.
Single Carbs I consumed: 2% milk, banana, cheese
Concentrated Simple Carbs I consumed: Coca Cola

Fat Intake

On average I eat about 30 grams of fat in a day, or around 274 calories worth. Fat contributes 26% to my total intake, which is in the acceptable range of 25-35%.


My average intake of cholesterol is 64 milligrams. The recommendation is less than 300 milligrams, so I'm  still in the target range. However, I could reduce my cholesterol by including less dairy in my diet and increasing my amount of veggies instead.

Protein Intake

On the average day I consume 32 grams of protein, or 128 calories of protein. The recommended daily amount is 42 grams or about 10-35% of your total energy consumption. Protein contributes exactly 10% to my total diet, but I still think I should increase my protein intake because I am eating less than 42 grams.


Vitamins and Minerals Intake

On average I consume around 4.8 grams of salt. I know that Coca Cola is high in sodium, as well as the tomato soup I ate. I could reduce the amount of salt I eat by cutting out the soda.


The Reflection


By recording what I eat in an average day and evaluating what nutrients, etc. that are in that food, I realized that I don't have a very healthy diet. According to my food groups report, I need to be eating more grains, fruits, and vegetables. I also need to increase my overall caloric intake. I don't usually put much thinking into eating, I just eat what sounds good when I'm hungry. However, I need to begin to start thinking about food. This class has made me very aware how important one's diet is, and I want to be healthy. My plan is to kick out the stuff that is empty calories, like soda, and to introduce more nutrient-dense and healthful foods into my diet. I won't lie, after looking at the "facts" of what I'm eating, I'm scared! I need to get on my health game. 

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