Casey Francisco

Diet Analysis Self-Studies

To receive full credit for your diet analysis report, please complete the following:
1. Use the SuperTracker found on www.choosemyplate.gov
2. Record your diet for at least 3 days
3. Review the finalized reports
4. Complete the following self-studies
5. Answer all questions and submit responses on designated date

Examine Your Carbohydrate Intake:

1. How many grams of carbohydrates do you consume in an average day?
171g

2. How many calories does this represent?

684 calories

3. It is estimated that you should have at least 100 grams, and ideally much more, of
carbohydrate in a day. How does your intake compare with this minimum?
My average intake is 171g of carbohydrates; I am above 100 by a good amount. I
definitely take in enough carbohydrates.

4. What percentage of your total calories is contributed by carbohydrate?

54%

5. How does this figure compare with the recommendation that 55 to 60 percent of
calories in your diet should come from in carbohydrate?
54% of my calories come from carbohydrates, which is very close to the
recommendation. It is only 1 % off so most likely that is not something I need to worry
about.

6. Another dietary goal is that no more than 10 percent of total calories should come
from refined and other processed sugars and foods high in such sugars. To assess
your intake against this standard, sort the carbohydrate-containing food items you
listed into three groups:
Estimate and include such sources as the syrup of canned fruit, the sugars of
flavored yogurt and other sugars added during processing.

Complex: shredded lettuce, tortilla, rice, macaroni, tortilla chips, green beans, salad, pita
chips, hummus, carrots, and guacamole
Simple: coffee creamer, honey mustard, Caesar dressing, marinara sauce
Nutritious Simple: banana, yogurt, Greek Yogurt, fiber one bar

7. How many grams of carbohydrate did you consume in each of these three
categories?
Complex: 248g of carbohydrates
Simple: 93g of carbohydrates
Nutritious simple: 115g of carbohydrates

How many calories?

Complex: 992 calories from carbohydrates
Simple: 372 calories from carbohydrates
Nutritious simple: 460 calories from carbohydrates

What percentage of your total calories comes from concentrated sugars?

9.9%

From other simple carbohydrates?

12.2%

Does your concentrated sugar intake fall within the recommended maximum of 10
percent of total calories?
Yes, I am at 9.9% so I just made it underneath the recommended maximum percent.

8. Compare your fiber intake with the recommendation of 25 grams of dietary fiber
per day. Did you consume more or less than was recommended? How can you make
the necessary adjustments to your diet if you did not consume enough fiber?
I consumed 20 g on average of dietary fiber per day. The recommendation is 25 grams, so
I took in less than I was suppose to. To take in more fiber per day I could eat more fruits
like prunes, apples, or pears. I could also eat legumes, for example, kidney beans or
baked beans.

Examine Your Fat Intake:

1. How many grams of fat do you consume on an average day?
31g

2. How many calories does this represent?

279 calories

3. What percentage of your total energy is contributed by fat?

22.2%

4. A recommendation says fat should contribute no more than 30 percent of total

energy. How does your fat intake compare with this level? If it is higher, look over
your food records: what specific foods could you cut down on or eliminate and what
foods could you add to your diet to ring your total fat intake into line?
My fat intake is 22.2%, which means I am slightly under the recommended percent of
total fat. I do not need to worry about cutting down my fat intake.

5. How much linoleic acid do you consume? (Assume that most of polyunsaturated
fatty acids are linoleic acid.) Remembering that linoleic acid is a lipid, calculate the
number of calories it gives you. What percentage of your total energy comes from
linoleic acid? A guideline recommends 1 to 3 percent of total calories.
I consumed 8g of linoleic acid on average. Linoleic acid contributes to 72 calories, which
also means that is it 5.7% of my total energy. If the recommended guideline says it
should be 1 to 3 percent of my total calories then I am taking in a little too much linoleic
acid.

6. Take a guess at the adequacy of your omega-3 fatty acids by answering the
following questions. Do you eat leafy vegetables, fish and seafood, or walnuts? Do
you use canola oil for home cooking and for salads? If you include just one of these
categories of foods each day, you may receive enough omega-3 fatty acids. If you
never eat these foods, what adjustments can you make in your daily diet to reach
these needs?
The leafy vegetable I consume in lettuce. The fish I consumed in salmon. I did not
consume any walnuts. I used canola oil when cooking the salmon, but on my salads I
used Caesar dressing. I do not eat fish that often, so I could definitely start eating it more
to receive enough omega-3 fatty acids. I usually have something with lettuce everyday,
which will cover this diet requirement.

7. How much cholesterol do you consume daily? How does your cholesterol intake
compare with the suggested limit of 300 milligrams a day? If too high, what
measures can you take to reduce your cholesterol intake?
On average I consume 115 mg of cholesterol a day. I am way under the suggested limit of
300 mg, so I do not have to worry about change anything I eat for this

Evaluate Your Protein Intake:

1. How many grams of protein do you consume on an average day?
73g

2. How many calories does this represent?

292 calories

3. What percentage of your total energy is contributed by protein?

23%

4. Protein should contribute about 10 to 15 percent of total energy. How does your
protein intake compare with this recommendation? If your protein intake is out of
line, what foods could you consume more of- or less of- to bring it into line?
My percent intake is 23%, which falls right in the middle. I would say I take in a good
amount of protein and that I do not need to worry about changing what I eat.

5. Calculate your recommended intake for protein (0.8grams per kilogram of body
weight).
Weight: 130 pounds
130 pounds/2.2 pounds per kilogram=59.1 kilograms
59.1 kilograms of body weight x 0.8 grams of protein= 47.28 grams
6. Compare your average daily protein intake with your recommended intake. On
the average, about what percentage of your recommended intake for protein are
you consuming each day? If you are healthy, the recommendation is probably a
generous recommendation for you, and yet you may be eating more than that
amount. Research has suggested that people should eat no more than twice the
recommended intake of protein. If you are eating more than this, you are spending
protein prices for an energy-yielding nutrient and are displacing other important
foods with too many protein-rich foods. What substitutions could you make in your
day’s food choices so that you would derive from carbohydrate, rather than from
protein, the energy you need?
My average daily intake is 73g of protein and my recommended intake is 47.28 grams of
protein. On average I am consuming way over the recommended intake for protein. It’s
over 100% of what I should be consuming. If I should not be eating more then twice the
recommended intake of protein, which is 94.56g, this means I am consuming 77.2% of
that recommendation.

7. How many of your protein grams are from animals and how many are from plant
foods?
Animal: 167g
Plant: 53g

Assuming that the animal protein is all of high quality, no more than 20 percent of
your total protein need come from this source. Should you alter the ration of plant
to animal protein in your diet? If you did, what effect would this have on the total
fat content of your diet?
76% of my protein comes from animal products. If no more then 20 percent of my
protein intake should come from animal product then I am definitely way over that limit.
I should be taking in less animal products and finding more plant products that are higher
in protein to fulfill this need. Depending on what I took out of my diet my fat intake
might change a little. The yogurt I get is fat free, so cutting that out would not do
anything. The only things that would make a big difference would be the chicken (13g of
fat) and the salmon (12g of fat).

Evaluate Your Vitamin Intakes:

1. Start with vitamin A. Compare your average intake with your recommended
intake. What percentage of your recommended intake did you consume? Was this
enough? What foods contribute the greatest amount of vitamin A to your diet? If
you consume more than the recommendation, was this too much? Why or why not?
In what ways would you change your diet to improve vitamin A intake?
Answer these same questions for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate,
vitamin C and vitamin E.

Vitamin A:
For vitamin A my recommended intake is 700 micrograms and my average intake was
574 micrograms. I consumed 82 percent of the recommended intake, which means I am
lacking in the vitamin A area. The three foods that contributed the most Vitamin A to my
diet were carrots, the ingredients in my salad, and the salmon. To increase my vitamin A
intake I could eat more carrots, sweet potatoes, and dark leafy greens.

Thiamin:
The recommended intake for thiamin is 1.1 mg and my average intake was 1.2 mg, this
means that I covered 109% of my recommended intake. I was not lacking thiamin and I
actually had a little more then I needed, but not too much. The foods that contributed the
most thiamin were macaroni, rice, salmon, and the tortilla. I would not change my diet to
improve thiamin intake.

Riboflavin:
The recommended intake for riboflavin is 1.0 mg and my average intake was 1.1mg,
which means I was barely, but a little bit under the recommendation. I covered 91% of
my recommended intake. The foods that contribute to the most riboflavin in my diet are
the regular yogurt, macaroni, green beans, Greek yogurt, and salmon. I do not really need
to worry about taking in more riboflavin, but to increase my intake I would need to eat
more milk and yogurt products, beans and peas, and lean meats/poultry/fish.

Niacin:
The recommended intake for niacin is 14 mg and I consumed 26 mg. I was a little over
the recommended intake by taking in 12 more mg then I was suppose too, which means I
covered 186% of the recommended intake. The foods that contribute to the most niacin in
my diet are salmon, chicken, spaghetti, and turkey. My niacin intake in a little high, but I
would not say too high that it has to be worried about. To reduce my intake of niacin I
can try not to eat as many things with whole grains and cut down on lean meats, poultry,
and fish.

Vitamin B6:
The recommended intake for vitamin B6 is 1.3 mg and my average intake was 1.7 mg. I
was over the recommendation by .4mg, which means I covered 131% of the
recommended daily intake. The food that I ate that has the most vitamin B6 is bananas,
salmon, and chicken breast. I do not need to worry about taking in more vitamin B6
because I am a little over the recommended intake, but good sources of this vitamin are
lean meats, whole grain products, vegetables, and nuts.

Folate:
The recommended intake for folate is 400 micrograms and my average intake was 439
micrograms. I was 39 over the recommendation, which is 110% of what I was supposed
to be consuming. The foods that contribute the most to folate intake to my diet are
macaroni and rice. I do not need to worry about increasing folate in my diet because I am
over the recommendation, but being over the recommendation is not something to worry
about either.

Vitamin C:
The recommended intake for vitamin C is 79 mg and my average intake was 39 mg,
which means I covered 49% of the recommendation. The foods that I ate that have the
most vitamin C are yogurt, bananas, and guacamole. I definitely need to increase my
vitamin C intake by consuming things like citrus fruits/juices, strawberries, broccoli, or
peppers.

Vitamin E
The recommended intake for Vitamin E is 15 mg and my average intake was 6 mg. My
vitamin E intake was 40% of the recommendation. The foods that contributed to my
average vitamin E intake were marinara sauce, salmon, and guacamole. Since I am under
the recommended amount, I should eat more nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.

2. For Vitamin D, answer the following questions. Do you drink fortified milk? Eat
eggs? Fortified breakfast cereal? Liver? Are you in the sun enough to promote
vitamin D synthesis? If lacking in Vitamin D, what alterations can you make to
increase your intake?
I do not drink milk, eat cereal, or eat liver ever. I do eat eggs all the time. I am not really
in the sun much accept for in the summer. I am lacking vitamin D, to consume more I
could eat foods like fish or drink milk that has been fortified with vitamin D.

3. For vitamin K, does your diet include 2 cups of milk or the equivalent in milk
products every day? Does it include leafy vegetable frequently? Do you take
antibiotics regularly (which inhibit the production of vitamin K by your intestinal
bacteria)? If lacking in Vitamin K, what alterations can you make to increase your
intake
One of my weaknesses when it comes to my diet is that I never drink any milk. I do eat a
lot of leafy greens that pick up the slack though. I rarely ever take antibiotics. I do not
lack vitamin K in my diet; I am actually slightly over the recommended intake.

Evaluate Your Mineral Intake:

1. Start with calcium. What percentage of your recommended intake did you
consume? Was this enough? What foods contribute the greatest amount of calcium
to your diet? If you consumed more than the recommendation, was this too much?
Why or why not? In what ways would you change your diet to improve it in this
respect?
The recommended intake for calcium in 1000 mg and I only consumed 489 mg, which is
only 49% of the recommendation. This was not enough and actually way under the
amount I was suppose to take it. The foods that contributed the most calcium to my diet
were the yogurt and the Greek yogurt. I definitely need to start drinking more milk!

2. Now think in terms of sodium. The 6-gram salt limit is equivalent to a 2400
milligram sodium limit. Six grams of salt contains 2400 milligrams of sodium.
Heighten your awareness of the sodium contents of processed foods. Which foods
that you eat are high in sodium? Were any of the brands of processed foods you
chose out of line with the recommended values? Is there another way you could
enjoy these foods without too much sodium? Would you substitute a lower-sodium
food or brand for the high-sodium varieties?
The foods that I ate that were high in sodium contents were rice, salmon, and marinara
sauce.

3. Calculate your intakes of magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, and compare

them with the recommended intakes. If you need to improve your diet with respect
to these minerals, how will you go about doing so?

Magnesium: the recommended intake is 310mg and my average intake was 240mg.
-To take in more I would eat more vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and peas.

Phosphorus: the recommended intake is 700 mg and my average intake was 1007 mg.
-To take in more I would eat more lean meats, poultry, fish, and grain products.

Potassium: the recommended intake is 4700mg and my average intake was 2297mg.
-To take in more I would eat more foods from all the food groups especially vegetable,
fruit, milk, and yogurt.

4. Go on to iron. What percentage of your recommended intake did you consume?

Was this enough? Which of the foods you eat supply the most iron? Rank your top
five iron contributors. How many were meats? Legumes? Greens? Other? Are
enriched or whole-grain products important to your iron intake?
The recommended intake for iron is 18 mg and my average intake was 9mg, which means
I took in 50% of the recommendation. The foods that supply the most iron are lean meats,
poultry, seafood, white beans, lentils, and spinach.

Top 5:
1) rice
2) macaroni
3) salmon
4) tortilla
5) marinara sauce

-salmon is the only meat

-no legumes
-no greens

Enriched products are more important to my iron intake.

5. Now turn to zinc. What percentage of the recommendation did you consume?
What were your best food sources of zinc? What guidelines do you need to follow to
be sure of obtaining enough zinc from the foods you eat?
The recommended intake for zinc is 8mg and my average intake was 6 mg, which means
I took in 75% of the recommendation. My best sources of zinc were yogurt, salmon, and
rice. Zinc is in animal products so for people who don’t eat meat they need to make sure
they are getting zinc from other sources.

Evaluate Your Food Choices and Plan Improvements:

1. The previous self-studies have revealed the strengths and weaknesses of your
nutrient intakes and energy balance. By now you may be looking at foods in a new
light. Knowing what nutrients your diet tends to lack, you may be interested in
finding foods that are especially rich in those nutrients. If you need to limit calories,
you may need to find foods that supply those nutrients for the lowest possible calorie
cost.

Review your food records and select three nutrients that your diet supplies in the
smallest quantities relative to your need.
1. vitamin C
2. vitamin E
3. calcium

Now make a list of ten foods you like and would be willing to eat frequently that
might supply these nutrients in significant quantities.
1) fat free/ low fat milk
2) fortified cereals
3) fortified orange juice
4) strawberries
5) cantaloupe
6) broccoli
7) potatoes
8) almonds
9) sunflower seeds
10) peppers

List the serving size of each food that you would eat and look up the amounts of
nutrients 1, 2 and 3 and the calories that each would supply.
Milk: serving size- 1 cup
Calcium: 504mg
Vitamin C: 2mg
Calories 86

Cereals: serving size- 2 cups

Calcium: 132mg
Vitamin E: 4mg
Calories499

Orange juice: Serving size- 1 cup

Calcium: 498mg
Vitamin C: 83mg
Calories117
Strawberries: Serving size- 1.5 cups
Calcium: 35mg
Vitamin E: 1mg
Vitamin C: 127mg
Calories69

Cantaloupe: Serving size- 2 medium wedges (2/8 of the melon)

Calcium: 12mg
Vitamin C: 51mg
Calories47

Broccoli: Serving size- 2 cups

Calcium: 83mg
Vitamin E: 1mg
Vitamin C: 157mg
Calories60

Potatoes: Serving size- 1 medium (3 inches across)

Calcium: 26mg
Vitamin C: 42mg
Calories164

Almonds: Serving size- 1/2 cup

Calcium: 187mg
Vitamin E: 19mg
Calories408

Sunflowers seeds: Serving size- 1 tablespoon

Calcium: 7mg
Vitamin E: 3mg
Calories53

Peppers: Serving size- 1 cup

Calcium: 10mg
Vitamin E: 2mg
Vitamin C: 190mg
Calories46

Express the amount of nutrient 1 as a percentage of your recommended intake and

round it off to the nearest whole number.

Nutrient 1= Calcium:
Milk: 34%
Cereal: 9%
Orange juice: 33%
Strawberries: 2%
Cantaloupe: 1%
Broccoli: 6%
Potato: 2%
Almond: 13%
Peppers:1 %

Now express the amount of calories the food would supply as a percentage of your
recommended intake of energy and enter the result. (Example: Suppose your
recommended intake of energy is 2000 calories. A peach supplies 37 calories. That’s
about 2 percent of your energy need for the day.) This comparison serves as a basis
for finding desirable foods that supply the nutrients you most need. The higher their
nutrients and the lower their calories, the more of that food you can eat without
running through your calorie allowance before you have met your nutrient needs.

Milk: 4% of energy
Cereal: 25% of energy
Orange juice: 6% of energy
Strawberries: 3% of energy
Cantaloupe: 2% of energy
Broccoli: 3% of energy
Potato: 8% of energy
Almond: 20% of energy
Sunflower seeds: 3% of energy
Peppers: 2% of energy

2. Finally, you are prepared to make a judgment about supplements. Review your
records once again. In light of the food choices you are now making, is there any
nutrient in which your diet falls short of the intake recommendation? If so, describe
the supplement you would need and set about obtaining it.
Looking at my records now that I made chances to my food choice it seems that I am
getting all the nutrients I need to get. I do not need to take supplements; I just need to me
more aware of the foods I am eating and their nutrient contents.

3. What is your overall self-evaluation regarding your nutritional intake? Were you
surprised by any of the results? Will you adopt a different nutritional program to
assist in achieving your nutritional needs?
I am usually very good with eating healthy and getting all of the necessary nutrients, and
knew going into this that calcium was going to be the main thing I was lacking in my
diet. This did not surprise me at all because I don’t drink milk or eat a lot of dairy
products. As for vitamin E, I did not know I was lacking in this area. Now that I did this
nutritional assessment I can be more aware when it comes to eating things that have more
calcium, vitamin E, and also vitamin C. I don’t think I need to make huge changes to my
diet, but I do need to make sure to include more foods with those main this nutrients I am
lacking because I do believe that they are very important and could possibly effect me in
a negative way if I do not make those changes.