The recommended number of calories I should take per day is 2702. But I was not able to meet my daily energy expenditure. Energy expenditure is determined by food intake, body composition, and physical activity (Maringer 11). My daily energy expenditure was lower than I had estimated. I did not reach my estimate despite having a good level of food intake because of insufficient physical activity and exercise, which are usually the most effective methods of increasing the daily expenditure.
Macronutrients such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are essential for better health. My recommended distribution of macronutrients was 45 to 65 % of total carbohydrate calories, 20 to 35% of total fat calories, and 10 to 35% of total protein calories. The recommendation was based on my age and came from the IOM. I succeeded in meeting my daily macronutrient recommendation, apart from fiber that was at 50 percent. This achievement was because I maintained a healthy intake of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats through effective meal planning in the three days.
Dietary fiber incorporates the parts of the plant that the body cannot absorb or digest. They are found in beans, nuts, popcorn, berries, and whole grains. Fiber is essential for the body since it helps in keeping the digestive system healthy (Maringer 7). I failed to meet my dietary fiber recommendations, so I have to add lentils, peas, and beans, which are excellent fiber sources, to my diet. Correspondingly, I have to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Moreover, regarding the three-day diary, I believe it perfectly represents my eating habits. This view is because the diary consists of two weekdays and one weekend day, which effectively represent the times of the week I am at work and home. However, there are many challenges that I faced when recording my diet. I mostly found it challenging to measure the portion of food that I ate, and sometimes had memory lapses where I forgot to input the measurements.
Many factors influence the type of food that people choose. The social factors affecting food choice include social class, social setting, and social context. People from higher social groups usually consume healthy diets since they have high levels of health consciousness. Moreover, people who earn less will choose to buy the food they can afford even if the diet is not balanced. These factors influenced my diet choice since I bought food based on my economic status and social setting. I also consumed healthier food when I was at home compared to when I was outside.
There are several strengths to my food intake, which contribute to healthy living. My diet included a lot of proteins which are nutritious and help in reducing weight. I also consumed various fruits and vegetables containing various minerals and vitamins, including potassium, folate, and vitamin C. Furthermore, they are a good source of dietary fiber; hence, they can prevent digestion problems and maintain a healthy stomach.
Some of the areas in my diet need to be improved to include more nutrient-dense foods. I need to improve the amount of protein and dietary fiber I consume by adding peas, lentils, chickpeas, and beans to my diet. I also need to choose healthy eating habits, including keeping my food portion at a reasonable size to ensure my daily calorie intake is reduced. Finally, I need to improve my diet by making each meal balanced.
In conclusion, the project has expanded my knowledge on nutrition. First, I learned that a person should observe their eating habits and balance their diet. Second, I learned that keeping track of my diet helps to avoid restaurant meals that are unhealthy. Finally, I learned that using a food diary assists in weight loss and budgeting for what to eat.
Work Cited
Maringer, Marcus, et al. “User-Documented Food Consumption Data from Publicly Available Apps: An Analysis of Opportunities and Challenges for Nutrition Research.” Nutrition Journal, vol. 17, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-13. Web.