My Personal Diet: Strengths and Weaknesses

[Image: Kjplant, 2015]

Over the last few weeks I have been analyzing my personal diet. In some areas I am doing better than I thought; in others, not so well. I do not even want to discuss physical activity! I went to the website Choosemyplate.org to discover how well (or not so well) I was doing at fulfilling nutritional recommendations per day for my age group. Here is a summary:

Grains: I consume too many grains, but too few whole grains.

Fruits/Vegetables: I consume an appropriate amount of both, however, I consume mostly bananas and spinach. I feel a little more variety is needed in order to obtain necessary nutrients.

Proteins: I did not realize that I consume so much protein. Too much according to the website!

Dairy: So, most of my dairy intake comes from ice cream and cheese, but still not enough to meet daily recommendations. I should probably increase my ice cream intake. However…

Oils: I also consume too many other oils/ fats (USDA 2015). Although, aside from the ice cream and cheese, many of my fats/oils are good fats (avocados, olive oil). Either way, my oil consumption should be adjusted (Sizer, Whitney 2014).

While writing two of my recent posts, Factors and Controversies That Drive Food Choices and Digestion, Absorption, and Metabolism of the
Macronutrients Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat, I discovered two sites that have excellent healthy recipes that will be beneficial in helping me create a better diet plan. The Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan will help me incorporate a larger variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats into my diet while consuming fewer less healthy foods (Jibrin, Olgeaty 2015). Nutritious Eats offers healthier versions of foods we love, as well as healthier dessert options for those of us with a sweet tooth (Melanie 2015).

Since doing this exercise, I have been able to determine where I am making nutrition errors, even where I thought I was doing well. A little more variety and low-fat dairy and a little less protein and fat will put my diet on a healthier track. Maybe a healthier diet will motivate me to exercise…


References:

Jibrin, J., Olgeaty, T. (2015). Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan: Week 1. Good housekeeping. Retrieved from http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/advice/a15255/mediterranean-meal-plan-w1/

Kjplant. (2015). (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Melanie. (2015). Nutritious eats. Retrieved from http://www.nutritiouseats.com/

Sizer, F., Whitney, E. (2014). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies, 13e, 13th Edition. Cengage Learning. VitalBook file.

USDA. (2015). Choose my plate. Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/about