RUNNING HEAD: Choose My Plate 1

Hope Seweyestewa

Arizona State University, PPE 310

Jennifer Houston, PhD

October 24, 2017

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Introduction

Based on the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines there are recommendations of serving

amount for vegetables, fruit, grains, dairy, protein foods, and oils. There is also a limit in the

amounts of saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium. The calorie intake for each person depends

on their age, sex, weight, and heights. When following a well balanced diet it helps for lifelong

weight management and overall better health. Reduces the chances of cardiovascular disease,

diabetes, and high blood pressure. The guidelines are broken down into five important sections

which include, Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan, Focus on variety nutrient

density and amount, Limit calories from added sugars, saturated fats, and reduce sodium, Shift to

healthier food and beverage choices, and Support healthy eating patterns for all.

The food trackers was filled out based on food items consumed during breakfast, snacks,

and lunch. When creating a profile and based on the personal information the allowed calorie

intake was set for 2000. The amount of calories from breakfast was 214, snacks totaling 254, and
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lunch was 602 calories. This created a total of 1070 calories consumed for the first part of the

day.

The food recorded were only for breakfast and lunch so not all foods were recorded for

the day. The only requirement that was met is the fruit, which 2 cups were consumed, so this

would mean that the fruit intake for the day have been fulfilled. The vegetables grains, and dairy

sections were not met and did not meet the daily requirements. Grains were under by 3 ounces,

the rest of the requirements could be fulfilled during an afternoon snack and dinner meal. The

vegetables were under by 2 cups, and dairy was under by 2 cups. On the other hand the protein

foods were already over the requirements by 2 ounces. By using the food tracker this person

could use the results to determine food intake for the rest of the day in order to meet the dietary

guideline requirements.

There are changes that need to be made to improve the nutritional intake. First of all they

need to be mindful of serving sizes especially in the protein foods category. Another suggestion

would be to spread out the amount of grains, vegetables, and dairy. This means to add more of

these foods into breakfast, lunch and snacks. In the grains section they could add in some toast of

half a bagel into their breakfast. When looking at the vegetable there could be 1 serving added

into lunch then another cup for dinner. In the dairy section they could add some yogurt or cup of

milk to their morning or afternoon routine. Overall the individual should be mind full to the daily

requirements, types of food, and serving sizes. This will help create a healthy well balanced diet

for the entire day.

When analyzing the results of the plate monitor and tracking an individual's food

consumptions it should be noted that an entire day was not recorded. However the information

provided can help guide the rest of the day. As the leader of a company he/she would want to
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help their co workers by providing positive feedback for healthy workers. This would mean

making friendly suggestions about healthy snacks or a recipe book that lists meal/snack ideas

along with serving sizes. When people are nourishing their body from the inside then it creates a

positive outcome for the outside. This activity could be something the employers can complete

on their own so they can view their results. It makes a big difference when food intake is

recorded and compared to the daily requirements of an individual. This could help people see

where some changes could be made to become healthier and meet their personal goals. There are

fast food establishments all over and could even be walking distance to a vending machine. As

the leader of a workplace the workers should be well aware of the surrounding fast food places

along with examples of certain foods and their calorie count. If there are pictures posted about

the calories and nutritional facts of lack thereof, then a more positive response might come from

the employees. When the numbers and facts are printed out and displayed with a picture people

might double think their food choices. Another suggestion would be to create a healthy food

options, for example suggest a side salad instead of french fries or replacing soda choices with

water. A turnaround in food choices cannot be accomplished overnight, however gradual

changes can build to positive eating habits. As a leader its important to continue support and

positive feedback to the employers. By providing this support then changes are more likely to

happen and create healthy lifelong eating patterns.

References
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Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. (December

2015). Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. Retrieved from

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/