Dietary Nutrition Analysis

You need to record all food and beverages that you consume on three days. They need not be three
consecutive days; in fact two weekdays and a weekend often works well. It is important that you choose three
typical days.
The diet analysis software program is available at the McGraw Hill textbook website (Connect). It will allow you
to enter foods (and amounts of those foods) you have eaten and information about your activity level. It will
then calculate the following information for each of the items that you have consumed: calories, protein,
carbohydrates, dietary fiber, total fat, saturated fat, unsaturated fat (monounsaturated plus polyunsaturated),
cholesterol, iron, potassium, sodium, calcium, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12,
folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E. Include each of these nutrients in your written analysis. You
must discuss the importance of each of these nutrients. There will be additional nutrients listed in your results,
but only those listed above are required to be discussed for this assignment.
If you consume a food and cannot find an exact match in the listing, find a comparable food on the list and use
that instead. Be sure to consider serving sizes. Many of the common foods we eat are combinations of several
items. For example, a sandwich might consist of two slices of whole wheat bread, two strips of bacon, a slice of
tomato, a piece of lettuce, and a tablespoon of mayonnaise.
Be sure to include beverages, condiments (ketchup, mayo, sugar/milk added to coffee) and snacks consumed
throughout the days. If you do not enter all food items you have consumed, the accuracy of the analysis will be
affected.
Once you have the breakdown of the foods you have eaten, compare your intake to the recommended dietary
allowances for your age, gender, and size, then analyze your diet for nutritional value. Are you under-nourished
or over-nourished? If your diet is adequate, explain why. If you need to make changes, explain why. List foods
that are good sources of each nutrient. Explain what specific foods you could realistically add, omit, or continue
consuming to ensure you meet your daily requirements for each nutrient. Be sure to address each nutrient
listed above. Most important– explain why each of the various nutrients are necessary in our diet. What is their
need to the human body and what are the possible consequences if your dietary intake is too high or too low?
Organize your paper by devoting at least a paragraph to each nutrient on the list.
Explicitly state whether your intake was high, low, or just about right.
List foods that are good sources of each nutrient.
Discuss the importance and functions of each nutrient.
Explain the possible consequences of deficiency.
Identify particular foods you would add, change, reduce, or maintain in your diet to ensure you are meeting
your requirements for each nutrient