Nutrition assignment

Online†Final∫†Diet†Analysis†Summary†Paper
Throughout the semester, you have reviewed the important elements of your diet, now
put it all together! Type a 5-6 page (double-spaced) evaluation of the most important
strengths and weaknesses of your diet based on what you learned in each section
specified below. Quality of work is far more important than quantity. Address each
section completely, while making sure to present your thoughts in a clear and concise
manner. Do†not†skimp†on†this†paper¨†it†is†worth†70†points°
Section†1†(35 points possible): Compose a separate paragraph addressing each of the
following topics. This section of the paper should include 7 separate paragraphs (one
paragraph per topic/chapter). In each paragraph, identify and discuss the strengths and
weakness of your diet (from your First 5-day DA reports) based on what you learned
from each of the chapters indicated below.
1. MyPlate†©Chapter†2®
2. Carbohydrates†©Chapter†4®
3. Fats†and†Health†Effects†of†Fats†©Chapters†5†and†11®
4. Protein†©Chapter†6®
5. Vitamins†©Chapters†7®
6. Minerals†©Chapters†8®
7. Energy†Balance¨†Weight†Management¨†Physical†Activity†©Chapters†9†&†10®
Include the following for each of the paragraphs indicated above:
● Based on your First 5-Day Diet Analysis Reports (from the beginning of the
semester), discuss at least one weakness of your diet and the possible effects it
may have on your health now or in the future.
● Address each weakness with recommendations for foods that can be eliminated,
replaced, or added.
● Discuss at least one strength of your diet and give an example of a strategy
(dietary habit) that contributed to this strength.
Example†of†a†paragraph†for†section†1†©MyPlateØChÆ2†example®∫
“MyPlate recommends that I consume 3 cups of milk or milk products daily, however my first
5-day diet analysis reports revealed that I only consumed 1.5 cups per day on average. This
weakness could increase my risk of developing osteoporosis later in life due to an insufficient
intake of milk, which is a major source of calcium and vitamin D.” (example of weakness & possible
health effect) “In order to improve my intake of dairy, I could eat 1 cup of yogurt as an afternoon
snack and drink a cup of milk before bed each night.” (example recommendation of dietary change
to improve weakness) “A strength that I noticed was that I consumed over half of my grains as
whole grains. MyPlate recommendation is to make at least half of my grains whole grains. My
total grains intake was 6 ounces per day, and 5 ounces were from whole grains. A strategy I use
is to only buy whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice and whole wheat pasta for making
dinners at home. Also, I choose whole wheat bread when I order sandwiches for lunch.”
(example of strength and strategies that contributed to success)
**Note: You do not need to discuss every MyPlate food group in this section. Simply focus on
one strength and one weakness per paragraph in Section 1. Similarly, you only need to focus on
one vitamin strength and one vitamin weakness in paragraph 5.
You will want to do this same type of analysis for each paragraph. For paragraph 2 (the
Carbohydrate chapter) you could consider strengths and weaknesses in the following areas:
percent of total calories from CHO, grams of CHO compared to the recommended amounts
(DRIs), grams of fiber or sugar compared to recommendations, intake of whole grains vs refined
grains, etc.
Section†2†(20 points): Select two of the weaknesses that you identified above in Section
1 to discuss in more detail. Find a peer-reviewed scientific journal article (published
research study) related to each dietary weakness and the impact that it may have on
one’s health. Write one paragraph per weakness (two paragraphs total), briefly
describing the type of research study reported and the findings/conclusions of the
studies in each article. Cite both articles in APA format at the end of your paper.
Section†3†(4 points): For this section, review your Second 5-Day Diet Analysis Reports
(completed at the end of the semester). Compare these reports with those from your
First 5- Day Diet Analysis. In 1 or 2 paragraphs, discuss any important differences
between the two. Address whether or not these differences were attributed to intentional
dietary changes that you have made over the course of the semester.
Section†4†(10 points): Close with a plan you will implement for the improvement of your
diet. Make sure your plan lists at least 5 specific & measurable “SMART” goals AND
how you will implement them to improve your diet and health. Since this is a Nutrition
class, please include goals related to your dietary intake (specific nutrients, food groups,
etc.). You may only include one exercise goal for the purpose of this paper. Example of
detailed “SMART” goals:
“Going through my Diet Analysis Summaries, I have made five goals that I could
stick to in order to improve my health. My 1st goal is to add more variety and fruit
to my diet. Each day that I eat in the cafeteria, I am going to grab one serving of
fruit (an apple, orange, or berries) and one serving of pasta instead of two
servings of pasta. My 2nd goal is to decrease my intake of protein. One way I
can do this is by decreasing my portion sizes. Instead of three slices of cheese, I
only need one slice on my sandwich. My third goal has to do with fats. I will lower
the saturated fat in my diet by replacing my weekly burger and fries with a
chicken burger and salad with low-fat dressing. My 4th and 5th goals are…”
Section†5†(1 point): At the end, please include a final paragraph to help us improve the
Diet Analysis project by sharing your thoughts and feelings about this assignment and
suggestions for improvements.
Thank you! We hope you found this exercise useful and we hope your nutritional status
benefits from this evaluation of your current food