Description
In this assignment you will use the information from the module to determine an ideal target for your total daily calorie intake and an ideal target percentage for each of the three calorie containing groupscarbohydrates, proteins, and fat/lipids. You will then select one of the three days from your food log to analyze and compare to your targets. Specifically you will look at the percentage of calories that you obtain from each of the three calorie providing nutrient groups (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats/lipids) on that day. The idea is to get a snapshot of which nutrient groups your calories are coming from and in what percentages and to compare it to your target percentages that you set by applying the concepts from this module. Lastly, you will describe and reflect on the results, specifically discussing the numbers in your target calculations and comparing them to the numbers in your daily diet.
Part A: Determining Your Caloric Needs From Each of the Calorie Containing Nutrient Groups: Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats/Lipids
You will record all of your data on the following chart. There is also a template to work off of if you wish. If you use the template, be sure to change all of the values to your values.
Foods and Intake Percentages:
List your foods on the chart and research the grams protein, carbohydrate and fat in each. Then add the grams to complete the Total Grams row. Then find the total calories by multiplying each total gram amount by 4 for carbohydrate and protein, and 9 for fat. Fill out the Total Calories row. Add the 3 totals to get the Total Calories.
Intake Percentage Row: The goal is to have a total of 100% once you have calculated your intake percentages. Divide each nutrient’s total calorie number by the Total Calories you calculated to get the percentages.
Target Rows:
1. Estimate your daily caloric needs and insert it in the “Target Calories” row. There are many online calculators that can help you do this. You may get different results depending on the calculatorremember, they are only estimates. Currently, a reliable one can be found at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website. The calculator tool is called “Interactive DRI for Health Care Professionals” (DRI stands for Dietary Reference Intake). Here is a link that will take you there: https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/dri-calculator/. Alternately you may use Table H-2 in the back of your textbook in the appendix section. Choose a daily calorie intake amount that seems right for you based on the calculator results and your own assessment of your needs. For this example, I chose 2,100 calories per day.
2. Use the following target percentages for your daily intake of each of the energy-yielding nutrient groups.
Carbohydrates = 55%
Proteins = 15%
Fats and Lipids = 30%
In reality, you may have different target percentages, but we will all use these for this assignment.
This exercise does not require you to change anything about your diet, only to evaluate what you are currently eating and to consider what would be ideal to meet your nutrient needs. Therefore, even students with special dietary requirements should be able to complete this assignment. However, if you have any concern or reason to believe that doing this exercise may not be in the best interest of your health, such as having a history of eating disorders, please ask your instructor to work with you to develop an alternate assignment.
3. Use your answers from 1 and 2 to determine how many calories from each of the three calories containing nutrient groups you should consume daily to reach your percentage targets for each group.
To do this, multiply the percentage of calories for each group by your total daily calorie intake. First convert the percentages to decimals by moving the decimal two spaces to the left.
Example:
Convert from percentage to decimal:
Carbohydrate 55% = 0.55
Protein 15% = 0.15
Fats and Lipids 30% = 0.30
Multiply decimal by total daily calorie target:
Carbohydrates: 0.55 x 2,100 = 1155 calories
Proteins: 0.15 x 2,100 = 315 calories
Fats: 0.30 x 2,100 = 630 calories
Check your work to make sure it adds up to your daily total.
1,155 + 315 + 630 = 2,100 calories daily
4. Determine the number of grams of each nutrient type that must be consumed to reach the number of calories calculated in step 3.
For carbohydrates, divide the calories by 4.
For proteins, divide the calories by 4.
For fats and lipids, divide the calories by 9.
Example:
Carbohydrates: 1155 calories / 4 calories = 288.75 grams
Proteins: 315 calories / 4 calories = 76.75 grams
Fats: 630 calories / 9 calories = 70 grams
Part B: Analyzing One Day of Your Food Log
Write a paragraph comparing the numerical results in your actual daily diet to your estimated required amounts. What stands out to you and why? Based on your results do you think you need to make any changes? Describe those changes and why you think you might benefit from them.
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