Analyzing the Nutritional Value of Food

Nutritional Analysis Project

The nutrition of the body is essential for the balanced growth of the body and efficient functioning of the mind and organs. However, most people seldom scrutinize what they take on regular basis as a routine diet and often presume that their diets are fine and balanced, which is not the case in many incidences. This paper is essentially a simple analysis of the nutritional intake of a sample individual and the discussion on the value of those foods taken and whether the quantities are sufficient.

According to the analysis of the food intakes of the individual, there are four categories of the daily food groups, and apparently none of the requirements of the daily food group targets was met. In the grains category, the target is 10 oz and yet the individual takes 3 1/2 oz, the vegetables required are 4 cups and yet the subject takes 1/4 cup, in the fruits category the subject takes 1 1/4 cup yet the requirement is 32 1/2 cups, in the dairy category it is required that the subject takes 3 cups yet the individual here takes 1/4 cup, the last category is protein and the requirement is 7 oz yet the subject takes 4 oz. From the above statistics, the individual has not satisfied any category of the food groups (United States Department of Agriculture, 2016). All the groups of food that the subject categorized as the main foods he act in the four meals were all under the recommended quantities.

There are reasons that can be attributed to the generally poor eating habits in terms of the recommended quantities of the different types of meals or nutrition. One of the major reasons for the poor breakfast is the early morning classes that I have to attend to hence the tendency to keep close by the easiest meal to grab and east as I walk to class. The lunch meals are always taken from the fast foods and since this is the quickest and the cheapest way to get at least some meal for lunch between the classes, it remains to be the viable option. This convenience is what makes this kind of meal inevitable despite the apparently low nutrition or wrong nutrition it may be providing. The dinner meal often fins me tired after a whole day running up and down in school, this means the quickest meal in the house will come in handy before retiring to bed, this is the reason behind lack of diligence behind what I eat even for dinner. The end result of these eating habits is a continued inadequate intake of the grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein foods. The habit of taking a lot of snacks in between classes has rendered it impossible to think of fruits as a substitute. I have also lacked enough intention to take vegetables and dairy products, especially those that have not been processed to sweet products or used in making other products like cakes. The other reason why I may be lacking in the dairy products intake are the negative stereotypes that come with such commonly believed among the youth like being responsible for being too fat, sleepiness and other myths.

From the above data, there is need to have a serious strategic plan to improve on the dietary trends that I engage in daily. The first thing is that through this same website used to analyze my nutrition, I will subscribe for weekly nutritional tips so that I can get a professional guide on diets and what I need to eat in the various meals, from breakfast through to dinner. Then I will ensure I implement the guide with the help of my sister who will act to monitor if I am taking the right food category and of the right quantity in each meal.

The daily calorie recommendation in this case is 3000 and yet the total eaten is 894 calories as per the calculations from the meals eaten in a day. This intake level is a third of the recommended level of calories. This means there is need to double the intake quantities of the meals as they are now or even to change the particular sources of some nutrition like the vegetables, fruits and dairy which can be termed as insignificant compared to the target intake levels. There is also need to move away from snacks that may seem sweet but are of low or no nutritional value to the body.

From the printout of the nutrients intake, it is shown that the percentage of the calories that come from fats and saturated fat is 36% yet the target is between 20-35%. This is over the recommended range in terms of percentage. The recommended sodium is less than 2300 mg and the intake here is 1484 mg which is rated as okay in the nutrition, on the other hand, the cholesterol target is less than 300 mg and the average intake herein is 209 mg which is also categorized as ok. This means both the sodium and cholesterol intake are both in the safe ration, though both are close to passing the limit hence there is need to be careful to retain them at where they are or even reduce them farther.

The carbohydrates intake is set at 130 g yet the intake stands at 97 g which is said to be under the recommendations. Proteins recommendation stands at 56g and the daily intake is 46 g which is also under the recommendations or the safe intake levels. The dietary fiber is even worse with the recommended levels standing at 38 g and yet the daily intake is 8 g. These three, as compared to the sodium and cholesterol falls short of the recommendations of the daily intake. The vitamins also fell short of the recommended quantities with only vitamin B12 reaching the recommended quantity. The minerals also fell short of the recommendation in the tabulation with only Sodium and selenium reaching the recommended quantities. This exposed a very insufficient feeding trend I have been engaging in and whatever I eat is either of no nutritional value to me or is insufficient in its quantity.