Project: Instructions
Below are the step-by-step instructions on how to complete
the project. This project is worth 200 points and is due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET
during Week #7. Late submissions will be accepted for up to 3 days. For each
day late, you will lose 5%. Projects will not be accepted for grading 3 days
after the due date, unless previously approved by your instructor.
Part 1: Food Diary
Complete the provided 3 Day Food Diary. Choose three days,
including two weekdays and one weekend day, and write down everything that you
eat and drink and the quantity. Try to eat as normal as possible these days
(you will not be graded on healthy your diet is). Be sure to include everything
such as condiments, sauces, beverages, etc. Try to write what you’ve eaten or
drank immediately after you have consumed it. It can be difficult to accurately
recall what you have consumed and how much from days previous or at the end of
the day.
Part 2: Creating a Profile
1. Go to the following website:
www.choosemyplate.gov/tools-supertracker
2. Click on Create a Profile.
Create your profile by entering the information requested in
Step 1 and Step 2. For Step 1, enter a profile name, your age, gender, physical
activity, height, and weight. For Step 2, create a username and password for
your account, as well as a password hint and security question. Be sure to
write down this information so that you have no issues with login should you
decide not to provide your email address. You must do this step so that your
information is saved on the website and to accurately create the reports you
will need to submit with this project. Click Submit at the bottom of your
screen.
3. In the menu bar at the top of the screen click on Track
Food & Activity and select Food Tracker.
Part 3: Using the Food Database and Analysis
1. Begin entering the food items from your Day 1 Food Diary
into the search. Select the food item that best matches the food you ate in the
Search Results. Choose the amount that you ate of that food and select a meal
for the food item. Click on add.
2. Continue for all food items in your Day 1 Food Diary.
3. Repeat for Days 2 and 3 by changing the date at the top
of the screen. While your food diary may not have been completed on consecutive
dates, you must enter your information into the Food Tracker on consecutive
days. This will ensure your final report is accurate. It is a good idea to
write down the dates that you are entering your food information on because
this may make accessing your report easier.
4. Once you have entered all of your foods in the Food
Tracker for all three days, you need to create a nutrient report to analyze
your intake of nutrients over the three days. Click on Nutrient Intake Report
below the graph on the right hand side of the screen.
5. A new screen will open and you will see a nutrient report
for the date that you currently have opened on your Food Tracker. For the
project, you need a nutrient report for the three days of your food diary (the
report will provide you with a three day average). At the top of the screen,
enter the three day date range that you entered foods on your food log from. Be
aware that your dates will be different than my screen shot example below.
Click on Create Report.
6. Save your report as a PDF or word document so that you
can upload it for the project. You will click PDF or Word next to Export Report
As.
7. Use the report to fill in Tables 1 and 2 of your project.
Transfer the values from the report’s Average Eaten column to the tables. Ensure
you are placing the correct value for each nutrient, as some nutrients
available in the report are not required for your project. Then, enter the DRI
for each nutrient based on your gender and age in Table 2. You can find the
DRIs by going here:
https://fnic.nal.usda.gov/sites/fnic.nal.usda.gov/files/uploads/recommended_intakes_individuals.
pdf. Be sure to use the Recommended Dietary Allowances and Adequate Intakes
found on pages 2 and 4 of the link provided. You will need to ensure the
amounts you are entering are in the same units as the table (most will not
require any conversions). A few comments on units:
µg is the same as mcg (microgram)
to convert grams (g) to milligrams (mg) take the amount in
grams and multiple it by 1000
to convert Vitamin D International Units (IU) to micrograms
(mcg) take the amount in IU and multiply it by .025
Part 4: Project Analysis
1. Answer Questions 1 -10 based on your results in Tables 1
and 2 and your experience using ChooseMyPlate.gov. Note the point values for
each question. The more points a question is worth, the longer your answer
should be. Question 8 should be a comprehensive assessment of your diet for
those three days and what changes need to be made to your diet to meet the
recommendations. It is worth 25% of your project grade so be sure you discuss
each individual nutrient that you did not meet the requirements for.
Note: I am interested in your analysis of your diet and not
the analysis generated in the Nutrients Report from the website. Be sure to
focus on Tables 1 and 2 when answering these questions.
Project
Food Diary:
Day 1
Day of the Week:
Food/Beverage
How Much You Ate/Drank
Day 2
Day of the Week:
Food/Beverage
How Much You Ate/Drank
Day 3
Day of the Week:
Food/Beverage
How Much You Ate/Drank
Results:
Table 1. Calories and Macronutrients (15 pts)
Average Eaten
% of Calories
Calories
xxx
Protein
g
%
Carbohydrates
g
%
Dietary Fiber
g
xxx
Total Fat
xxx
%
Saturated Fat
xxx
%
Table 2. Micronutrients (35 pts)
Mineral
Average Eaten
DRI
Vitamin
Average Eaten
DRI
Calcium
mg
mg
Vitamin A
mcg
mcg
Potassium
mg
mg
Vitamin B6
mg
mg
Sodium
mg
mg
Vitamin B12
mcg
mcg
Copper
mcg
mcg
Vitamin C
mg
mg
Iron
mg
mg
Vitamin D
mcg
mcg
Magnesium
mg
mg
Vitamin E
mg
mg
Phosphorus
mg
mg
Vitamin K
mcg
mcg
Selenium
mcg
mcg
Folate
mcg
mcg
Zinc
mg
mg
Thiamin
mg
mg
Riboflavin
mg
mg
Niacin
mg
mg
Analysis:
1. (5 pts) Describe
how typical of your daily diet these three days were. Did you eat as normal as possible? If not, why?
2. (20 pts) Calculate
your energy needs using either the Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) equation
or the Harris Benedict equation that you learned about during Week #6 of this
class. You will need to convert your
height and weight to the appropriate units.
Be sure to include your work. How
do your calculated energy needs compare with the calories you consumed, on
average, in Table 1?
3. (10 pts) Calculate
your RDA for protein in grams per day using the recommendations provided in
Today’s Dietitian article from Week #3 of this course (the RDA is also found in
the supplemental activities for the week).
If you believe the RDA is not appropriate for you because you are an
active individual, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding, use those recommendations
instead. Be sure to show your work. How does your average intake from protein in
Table 1 compare with your protein needs that you calculated?
4. (10 pts) Calculate
how much fiber you should consume based on the average calories you consumed in
Table 1. Use the recommendations discussed in Week #2 for your calculation (for
easy reference, refer to Week #2 supplemental activities). Looking at Table 1, how does your average
fiber intake compare with the recommendations?
5. (10 pts) Based on
Table 1, how does your intake of saturated fat compare with the recommendation
that you learned about during Week #3 (for easy reference, see refer to Week #3
supplemental activities)? Include the
recommendations and your intake in your answer.
6. (15 pts) Looking
at Table 1, are your average percentage of calories for each macronutrient
meeting the recommendations (from Weeks #2 and #3 – for easy reference, see
supplemental activities for those weeks)?
If not, which macronutrients are outside the recommendations? Include the recommendations as part of your
answer.
7. (20 points)
Looking at Table 2, compare your average intake of the listed vitamins and
minerals with the DRIs for those nutrients.
What vitamins and minerals are you lacking and what vitamins and
minerals are you getting plenty of?
8. (50 pts) Describe
what changes you would need to make to your diet to better meet your
recommendations for calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients. Be very specific! If you are lacking in a nutrient, what can
you do to increase your intake of that nutrient and if you are getting too much
of a nutrient and too much can be bad for you, what can you do to reduce your
intake of that nutrient.
9. (5 pts) What did
you like and dislike about ChooseMyPlate.gov?
10. (5 pts) Will you
use ChooseMyPlate.gov in the future? Explain.
