Getting Fit With Fitday

Diet and Nutrition Analysis

Diet & Nutrition Analysis - FITDAY

Using the FITDAY nutritional, diet, and lifestyle program, I tracked my daily intake of food for five days. All of the food logs and the nutrition charts for each day are included as an appendix.

The Estimated Average Requirements for Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for my life stage group, gender, and age were obtained from a table published by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, National Academies. The table includes DRIs for the following: Calcium, CHO, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphorous, selenium, and zinc.

According to the reports on my food intake over a five day period, I need to increase consumption of foods that will contribute higher levels of the following to my diet: Fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium, iron, niacin, and pantothentic acid (vitamin B5). I am not terribly concerned with the level because I do take vitamins and I often consume a salad at lunchtime that contains many high value vegetables. I don't consume much red meat, but I do eat a lot of kale and spinach, so I believe the lower iron level is not accurate for my typical diet. Also, during routine blood work for health checkups, my iron, vitamin D, and folic acid levels are fine (well within normal range). My doctor is keeping an eye on my niacin levels, in a wait and see mode. I plan to add a citrus juice with added calcium to my mid-morning or mid-afternoon pick-me-up snack -- perhaps instead of coffee or tea. With all the granola plus added chia seeds and meal-ground flax seeds, in addition to the (Wasa) crisp bread crackers I eat (2 grams of fiber in each cracker and I eat 3 to 4 at lunch instead of regular bread), and one apple each day, it is doubtful that I am actually low in fiber intake.

According to FITDAY, my lifestyle calorie intake should be roughly 1600 calories per day. From the MyPyramid food intake patterns tables, this calorie count translates into the following recommendations for food groups: Fruits = 1.5 cups; vegetables = 2 cups; grains = 5 ounce equivalents; meat and beans = 5 ounce equivalents; milk = 3 cups; oils = 5 teaspoons; and the allotted discretionary calorie allowance = 132 calories. Further breaking down the vegetable food group into vegetable subgroup amounts per week gives me the following targets: Dark green vegetables = 2 cups; orang vegetables = 1.5 cups; legumes = 2.5 cups; starchy vegetables = 2.5 cups; and other vegetables = 5.5 cups. Since I consume most of my vegetables raw, except for peas, beans, and artichokes, I need to consider that 2 cups of raw vegetables is equivalent to one cup of cooked vegetables.