Food Journal Analysis Week 1

How do you feel about the dietary intake for the day you recorded?

I felt my dietary intake for this day was pretty typical for an average day for me since prior to this class I'd normally wouldn't of given much consideration to the different foods in the food groups during my daily diet.

Did you consume the recommended minimum number of servings from each of the food groups of the food pyramid?

Some areas I consumed the recommended minimum number of servings for the food group in the pyramid, in other areas I consumed about half of the recommended servings for the food group, while yet in one specific area I didn't consume any servings of the food in the food group of the pyramid.

Which groups of foods are underrepresented or overrepresented in your diet? If you did not consume the number of servings from each group, discuss some reasons why you did not consume the number of servings.

I found my consumption in Meats to be overrepresented up to 120% of my daily diet when compared against the food pyramid. I was more consciously aware of my diet this particular day because of this assignment for class. I originally had suspected I was not eating enough meats for the day, but was surprised that not only had I the suggested amount of meat (sorry no beans today) but exceeded that amount.

On the other hand I was underrepresented in my suggested servings by half according to the food pyramid for the wheat and vegetables groups while completely missing altogether the fruit group.

I believe I missed my target servings of the different foods in the food groups because of my dependence of being able to buy food conveniently through out my work day while I am on the move. The convenience in which already prepared food is available to us in our society has changed the way how many people eat and live, which in a sense has given many people the false idea of leaving the responsibility of healthy food preparation to the different restaurants which serves us.

Lastly, I also believe that healthy eating from a well balanced meal is not addressed enough in our society. We hear government sponsored ads on TV, radio, and in print about responsible drinking, the health effects on smoking, and being absence from illegal drugs, but we hear almost nothing about well balanced eating. In an age where everything would appear to be "fast foods" it would be nice to see public reminders of the health benefits from eating well balanced healthy meals.

Did your diet provide an adequate variety of foods, or were your choices monotonous? See how you met the various food pyramid groups. If you did not eat a variety of foods, how can you expand your field of choices?

I attempted to choose a variety of foods for this day, but feel at the very best when a person surrenders their food choices to the different restaurants which specialize in "food to go" that at your variety of foods are limited. I feel the best way I would be able to expand my different foods in all of the food groups would be to invest some time in myself and prepare a weekly menu of meals that I would be able to take with me to work throughout my day.

Comparison of Your Intake with

MyPyramid Recommendations for

Your Pyramid Stats

Milk Intake 3.1 cup equivalent

Milk Recommendation 3 cup equivalent

Meat and Beans Intake 8.4 oz equivalent

Meat and Beans Recommendation 7 oz equivalent

Vegetables Intake 1.7 cup equivalent

Vegetables Recommendation 4 cup equivalent

Fruits Intake 0 cup equivalent

Fruits Recommendation 2.5 cup equivalent

Grains Intake 5.4 oz equivalent

Grains Recommendation 10 oz equivalent

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Pyramid Categories Percent Recommendation

Milk 103%

Meat and Beans 120%

Vegetables 43%

Fruits 0%

Grains 54%