Introduction
Food is a basic need and one has to take it to live. Different types of food provide us with different nutrients that are essential in our bodies when taken in the right proportions and over the right duration. Some of the nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, water, and lipids, which play different roles in the body. There are various aspects that influence our choices of food some of which do not really depend on the nutrients accrued to the foods, for example, culture and religion, environmental conditions, social affiliations, health, the identity associated with the food, cost, and flavor. A nutritious diet should always be adequate, moderate, balanced, and diverse (Drummond and Brefere, 2009).
My 3- day Food intake (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday)
From my table above, beans and meat were the main sources of proteins on Monday, fish, and milk on Tuesday while milk, meat, and beans provided proteins on Wednesday. Doughnuts and rice offered carbohydrates on Monday, bread, and spaghetti on Tuesday while rice, maize, and biscuits offered carbohydrates on Wednesday. Avocado and fries were the sources of lipids on Monday and Wednesday while peanut and pizza provided lipids on Tuesday.
My Food Intake In Comparison with Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)
According to Grosvenor and Smolin (2009), a healthy diet provides the right number of calories by balancing the number of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. It should include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables for the provision of fibers, the right quantity of fat, sugar, and minerals. From my diet, it is clear that my food was high in calories and fats but with little vitamins and minerals. It is therefore advisable that I maintain a balance in my diet by substituting or reducing the high-fat level foods, which have low nutrient levels, with foods with a high density of nutrients. The proteins and carbohydrates in my diet are in good order, neither too high nor too low. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables should also be added to my diet. The protein in the food taken provides amino acids from which the body can make its own proteins. There are complete proteins like meat, fish, eggs, chicken, and milk which provide the majority of amino acids, and incomplete proteins from plants for example legumes and grains that provide the rest of the amino acids. The proteins in my diet were both complete and incomplete since I had both the animal and plants proteins. It is important to have both of them as they complement each other, the complete proteins providing most amino acids while the incomplete proteins provide the remaining amino acids making the body fully armed (Boyle and Long, 2008).
The macronutrients are the food nutrients consumed in large quantities, that is, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. My daily recommended proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates were relatively adequate apart from the slightly high level of lipids which ought to be reduced and whole grains and vegetables added to my diet. The macronutrients should always be maintained at the recommended range to avoid complications like diseases caused by too much or too little intake of each for example malnutrition like kwashiorkor in case of insufficient proteins, and allergies and excess energy in case of too many proteins, diabetes incase of either too high or too low carbohydrates and sugar level and obesity because of too much consumption of carbohydrates. High consumption of lipids may lead to high levels of cholesterol which increases the chances of coronary heart disease brought about by unhealthy blood lipids levels. Insufficient intake of lipids on the other hand limits the ability of the body to absorb adequate vitamin E and essential fatty acids leading to very low levels of cholesterol than the recommended range (Drummond and Brefere, 2009).
Fibers are also very important in our diets and should never be underemphasized. Although they do not provide nutrients, they aid in certain processes in the body for example digestion and absorption. They also aid in maintaining healthy body weight. My fiber consumption did not meet the recommended level as it was too low as I never took enough vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. My fruit consumption was specifically too low making my diet run short of fibers and roughages. The vegetables provide the most fiber in my diet while fruits provide the least as I find the vegetables cheaper than fruits. To increase the fiber level in my diet I would increase the consumption of fruits and whole grains. Taking fruit juice instead of whole fruits reduces the levels of fiber and calories in the diet and should therefore be avoided.
Conclusion
Nutrition is an essential aspect that entails nutrients and other food substances and how they affect the body in terms of health. Nutrients help the body by providing energy, enhancing growth and repairing worn-out tissues, regulating body processes for instance digestion and heart functioning, and generally promoting quality health. The nutrients should however be taken in the right quantities to avoid complications like heart diseases.
Reference List
Boyle, A.M., and Long, S. (2008). Personal Nutrition.7th ed., USA: Cengage Learning.
Drummond, E.K., and Brefere, M.L. (2009). Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals.7th ed., New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Grosvenor, B.M., and Smolin, A.L. (2009). Visualizing Nutrition: Everyday Choices. USA: John Wiley and Sons.