Food Journal Analysis Week 2

FOOD JOURNAL ANALYSIS

Food Journal Analysis Week 2
Edward D. McKay
Human Nutrition/SCI 220
Tim Gienapp
01 January 2006

Food Journal Analysis
The Food Journal Analysis presented in this report represents my dietary intake recorded for the past five days and will compare it to the Recommended Daily Allowance. The main purpose of this report is to show the reader as well as myself abouthow certain decisions on foods that we eat can alter or change our nutritional requirements based on the Recommended Daily Allowances. The food journal analysis gave me the core basics of tracking and recording my food intake, illustrating such information as seen on the website, www.mypyramidtracker.com , charted my intake into different categories, and then showing how I measured in comparisonto the recommended intake. The mypyramidtracker also made recommendations on how I could increase in certain categories where I fell short in to achieve my goals in establishing a balance in my intake of nutrients on a daily basis.
Protein is a nutrient found in plants and animals, and can be found in foods, such as meats, eggs, and legumes acquired for consumption. Proteins are amino acids,which are necessary for growth and repairs of muscle tissue (Biology-Online, 2005). According to chapter 6 of the Contemporary Nutrition Issues and Insights 5th edition (Wardlaw, 2005), proteins are necessary and essential nor normal bodily functions such as blood clotting, production of hormones and enzymes, maintaining and regulating normal fluid balances within the body.

The recommendeddaily allowance for protein intake is .08 grams per body weight (Wardlaw, 2005). This measurement in conjunction with a person’s body weight, determines how the individual’s protein intake is being adequately met or if they are falling short of their requirements. I took the information based on my actual body weight of 188lbs, or 85.5 kg at a height of 70 inches, or 5’ 10”, and used the followingformula below to calculate my actual recommended protein intake.

Formula - 85.5 kilograms x .8 grams of protein = 68.4 grams
kilogram body weight

The calculated RDA for my particular bodyweight is 68.4 grams of protein. This is what the recommended daily allowance for what I should be eating each day. I normally include supplements in my diets, to include protein shakesto compliment my physical activities during the course of the day. I recorded my information in my pyramid tracker to assess if I was meeting the requirements. I was unable to record the multivitamins I take daily in the tracker, so my results would be off so to speak, however, I was still able to see, without the multivitamins, how I measured an was surprised to see that two of the days,starting on 23 December 05, that my protein intake was below my RDA, the first day was 48.1 grams, and the following day was 63 grams. I made adjustments for the next few days by upping my intake of my consumptions of meats.

I looked back at what I was eating, and realized that the holiday meals were one of the numerous reasons my protein intake was way beyond the RDA. I also had an exercise ritual Istarted a few years back on the holiday, which contributed to my increase of protein intake. On 23 December 2005, I had a nutritious diet of fish vegetables and long grain rice, and a protein shake that day, and I only consumed 48 grams of protein, compared to two days later, where I consumed sausage and eggs that morning, and later on, for the holiday meal, I had a Cornish game hen, deviledeggs, cabbage, and celery seed dressing, and my stats were higher than the recommended average, 176 grams of protein intake, resulting in 108 grams more. My dietary intake was borderline in certain areas, and I knew that I had to get rid of the extra protein that was stored in my body by exercising the following day. According to chapter 6 of the Contemporary Nutrition Issues and Insights 5th...