Kate Grabusky

November 15, 2014

NTR 201
Dr. Hausser
Personal Diet Analysis Project
After recording my diet for three consecutive days, I analyzed the
results. I learned that I should increase my carbohydrates and
decrease my protein. I should also receive more Vitamin D. I was able
to see ways that my diet needs to be changed and come up with ways
to improve it. I learned that these databases do not account for every
hidden fats and only have approximate nutrition information because
they are not brand specific. These databases are not 100% accurate,
but they can point out significant flaws in the diet.
For carbohydrates, my intake was 52%. This falls within the
AMDR of 45%-65%. To maintain optimal health, people should adjust
their intake of carbohydrates to meet this range, as well as make half
of their grains whole grains. My average fiber intake was 40g, which is
over 75% or the DRI of 25g of fiber. If I had less than 75% of the DRI for
fiber, I could increase my intake by consuming more fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Switching meats for healthy
meat substitutes, like legumes, would increase fiber intake. Switching
out refined grains for whole grains would have the same effect. The
three main sources of my fiber-adequate intake were black beans with

15g of fiber in a cup serving; whole-wheat bagel thins with 5g per

serving, and Brussels sprouts with 6.6g in a 2-cup serving. Fiber can
improve health in many ways. First, it swells in the gastrointestinal
tract, slowing digestion and reducing glucose spikes. Fiber is nutrient
dense. It cannot be digested, so it is usually very low in calories.
Because fiber takes up a lot of space, it can cause a great amount of
satiety for a low calorie intake. Lastly, fiber can lower cholesterol by
binding to dietary cholesterol and passing it through the
gastrointestinal tract as waste.
My protein intake fell within the AMDR of 10%-35% at 31%. My
weight multiplied by 0.8g/kg gave me an RDA of 39.2g. On average, I
more than doubled this, consuming 140g a day. To meet this
recommendation, I could eliminate protein bars from my diet. This
adds unneeded protein with little nutrients. I could also reduce the
amount of proteins I consume. However, if someone was low on
protein, they could consume more meat, dairy, and legume products.
Vegans also need to make sure they are getting complete proteins
using complimentary pairing, like beans and rice.
My lipids just fell within the AMDR or 20%-35% at 20%. My
saturated fat intake of 8% fell below the Daily Value limit of <10%. My
average cholesterol intake was 102 mg. This falls below the DRI limit of
<300 mg. If ones diet was too high in fats total, they could reduce
added fats, such as butter on toast or added sauces. This person

should also try to use healthier methods of cooking, like steaming or

baking, instead of frying in oil. If one went over on saturated fats, he or
she could switch saturated fats to unsaturated by replacing most
animal sources with plant sources, with the exception of coconut, palm,
and palm kernel oils. For example, swapping cream cheese for peanut
butter, olive oil for butter, or avocado for mayonnaise. Adding nuts or
fatty fish will also increase unsaturated fat intake. Dietary cholesterol,
or cholesterol from food, is different from blood cholesterol produced
by the body. Dietary cholesterol has less of an effect on blood
cholesterol than saturated and trans fats. While most foods with high
cholesterol are high in fat, it is possible to consume a high-fat diet that
is cholesterol free. This can occur because cholesterol is only found in
animal sources. If someone consumes all plant sources of fats, such as
vegetable oils, avocados, olives, and nuts, they can consume plenty of
fat without cholesterol.
My sodium intake on average was 3414mg, which does not fall
below the UL of <2300mg. From my 3-day record, the foods highest in
sodium were lunchmeat turkey with 1140mg per 2 2oz servings,
canned black beans with 400mg per a 1/2-cup serving, and pickles
with 306mg per a spear. Foods I could eliminate to reduce my sodium
consumption are salsa, packaged lunchmeat, pickles, mustard, canned
foods, and processed foods in general.

With an average iron intake of 22mg, I met the recommendation

of 18mg. My 3 main sources of iron were edamame with 8.8mg in a 1cup serving, a whole-wheat bun with 3.6mg, and a turkey burger with
1.6mg. On these three days, the majority of my sources were from
plants. However, the non-heme plant sources are less bioavailable than
heme animal sources. If I were below the RDA for iron, I would
consume red meat, beans, and tomato in chili cooked in an iron pot.
This provides heme iron from the beef, non-heme iron from the beans,
vitamin C to aid in absorption from the tomatoes, and increased
absorption from cooking in an iron pot.
My calcium intake was sufficient 1622mg. This meets the DRI for
1000 mg, so I do not need to increase my calcium. If I did need to
increase it, I would consume more dairy and add more fortified foods to
provide more absorbable forms of calcium. Three foods I ate that were
highest in calcium were Greek yogurt with 450mg for 3 5.3oz servings,
cottage cheese with 125mg per a cup, and edamame with 197mg per
cup.
The only micronutrient of mine that was below 75% of the
recommendation was vitamin D. My intake was 6 g when the RDA was
15g. To meet this standard, I would need to add more fortified milk
and cereals, salmon, and shellfish to my diet. Vitamin D can also be
obtained from sun exposure; so going outdoors in warm weather would
help meet that requirement. My total kcal recommendation was 2302

kcal a day. On average, I consumed 1830 kcal a day. This resulted in a

negative balance of -472kcals. IF this were to occur every day, I would
lose .94lbs a week. I am maintaining my weight, rather than losing it
for a few reasons. First, I consume more kcals some days than others.
Second, my energy output varies each day. Also, the database did not
have certain foods that I consumed, like the brand of protein bars I eat,
so I had to estimate and use foods with similar nutrition values.
Therefore, the database is an approximate record of my diet, but it is
not 100% accurate.
In my Food Groups and Calories report, I was deficient in a few
groups. I was under on my grains, having consumed an average of 2-
oz instead of my recommendations of 7oz. My whole grain intake
should have been 3 oz rather than the 2 oz I consumed. This
could affect my levels of B-vitamins and vitamins frequently fortified,
like folate and iron. Although, MyPlate counts potatoes as vegetables
instead of grains, even though they are a significant source of
carbohydrates. My dairy came in low at 2 cups instead of my
recommended 3 cups. This could cause me to be deficient in calcium
and vitamin D. My oils were listed as under with 1tsp of the
recommended 6 tsps. The database does not account for hidden fats
already in foods, which explains why my fat intakes were sufficient
even though my oils are listed as low. I consumed an average of 261
empty calories, which fits in my allowance of <266.

While the MyPlate graphic is fairly simple, using the website is

time consuming and requires Internet and a certain level of education.
Therefore, not all people may be able to benefit from it. The MyPlate
graphic is not always compatible with the average Americans diet. For
instance, a sandwich would not be sorted into categories on the plate,
so people may not understand how to use it. MyPlate also lists
potatoes as vegetables rather than grains, which can cause errors in
macronutrient categories. Both MyPlate and Diet Analysis Plus are
brand specific, so people cannot always find exact nutritional values.
The databases are useful for finding areas in the diet that need to be
improved on, but are not reliable for people who need exact results.