Factors that Contribute to the Final Diet
Understanding the determinants of any diet is key in selecting the food people take daily. Some biological determinants such as hunger, taste and appetite determine the dietary intake people embrace in society. In the final diet, the knowledge of various food requirements acted as the primary determinant of the food choice. The lowdown on different energy requirements also helped in determining the final diet in each meal.
Overall Experience
In general, the experience was challenging because it acted as an eye-opener, especially on the nutrients that one has been over-using or under-using. The experience of tracking the dietary intake also helped identify some of the foods that one has been neglecting yet contain a lot of nutrients that are needed for the body’s normal functioning. It was also an encouraging experience that added knowledge and experience, especially on the choice of food.
Results Analysis
In general, the uptake of macronutrients, the proteins, calories, carbohydrates and fats, was relatively delicate, with fats meeting the DRI targets and some carbohydrates missing out in various meals. The intake of energy-giving food was adequate, with calories extending up to 70.01% as per the DRI targets (Ross & Moran, 2020). In terms of fat intake, saturated fats are well-maintained as it stands at 92.44% per the DRI targets. Most vitamins are adequately consumed, with some, such as Niacin and Vitamin B12, exceeding in terms of consumption. However, vitamin A and E seem to have been underused as per the DRI targets standing at 25.85 and 23.7 %. Most minerals were consumed in the right amounts, with some, such as Sodium, exceeding to a greater extent. However, some, such as calcium and Magnesium, were inadequate as per the DRI set targets.
Plan of Improvement
Under consumption is one of the most challenging aspects of various dietary intakes. The aspect means that meeting the nutritional information regarding the recommended targets is the most challenging aspect. One of the essential macronutrients consumed is carbohydrates, more so the dietary fibre. However, with an increase of kales and spinach, more than 25g will be achieved to hit the dietary intake of fibre. The other nutrient that is less consumed is water. 15% is relatively low as per the nutritional recommendations. Therefore, adding at least six glasses of water daily will add more than 3200 grams required to hit the DRI targets.
Intake of Sodium seems to be high, which might affect the kidneys’ functioning. Therefore, reducing Sodium intake in meals will help prevent issues associated with excessive intake of Sodium. Some of the behaviors that can be modified to achieve the information of a healthy diet include increasing water consumption and reducing the intake of table salt. It seems the increased usage of table salt has been increasing the level of sodium intake. Therefore, controlling or reducing the amounts of salt added to foods will be effective in managing this. Increasing the level of water intake is also critical in ensuring that one achieves the dietary intake recommended by various international standards.
Meal Calculations
With the current experience and scrutiny of the daily intake of diets, the lunch will comprise Rice, Spanish with some chicken pieces and some kales that will amount to 277.02 kcal plus 177.65kcal and 35.5kcal. This will amount to 490.17kcal, which meets the dietary recommendations of 400-600kcal per meal. Avoiding excessive salt and adding two glasses of water after lunch will be paramount.
References
Ross, A. C., & Moran, N. E. (2020). Our current Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A—now 20 years old.Current Developments in Nutrition, 4(10), nzaa096. Web.