Running Head: CARBOHYDRATES
Food Record Analysis 1 (Carbohydrates)
Ashley Merritt
HEALTH 640: Principles of Nutrition
Dr. Annette Florence
Due: September 6, 2020
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CARBOHYDRATES
Nutrient Actual
Consumption-vs-
Recommended
Consumption
(An analysis)
Health implications if I don’t
make any changes to my diet
(Be specific – based on
scholarly resources)
Specific
Recommendations.
Specific suggestions
to improve in this
area
Carbohydrates According to my
chart, it showed that
I consumed less
than my
recommended
amount which was
133.00g a day, with
my recommended
amount being
between 203-293g.
But according to the
book, “the RDA for
carbohydrate intake
for adults and
children is 130
grams daily.”1
Depending on which
recommendation you follow, this
could negatively affect my ability
to lose weight or if I follow the
book suggestion of the 130 grams
daily than it will positively affect
my ability to lose weight.
According to the text, “Low-
carbohydrate weight loss diets
often restrict healthful foods,
including whole grains, and
promote low in vitamins,
minerals, and dietary fiber.”1
My first
recommendation would
be to start by eating the
minimum amount of
carbohydrates that are
laid out by MyPlate (six
servings of grains, three
servings of vegetables,
and/or dairy, and two
servings of fruit).1 As I
currently already hit the
minimum requirements
working on intaking
more to hit the
recommended amount
will be my next goal.
Trying different carbs
will be my next goal so
that I am not getting
sick of what I am eating
on a day to day basis as
I am a plain eater and
tend to stick to the same
foods.
Sugar According to my
chart, it showed that
I consumed 38.60
grams of sugar per
day, the
recommended
amount per day is
25 grams.2
If I do not lower the amount of
sugar I am intaking, it could
increase the chances of me
developing diabetes, dental
problems, and weight gain.1
My first
recommendation is to
stop eating such
sugary foods. Next I
would start looking at
foods I am currently
already eating and
know how much
natural sugars are
already within the
food. My next
recommendation
would to look at food
labels to see if there is
any added sugar
within the foods.
Lastly, try not to
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CARBOHYDRATES
splurge on a certain
snacks. My sugar
intake is not too much
higher than the
average amount but if
I stop splurging that
number will drop
easily.
Dietary Fiber According to my
chart, it showed
that I consumed
13.30 grams of
fiber a day. This is
only 53% of the
recommended
amount. The
recommended
amount of fiber I
should be
consuming is 25.2
grams per day.
If I do not increase the amount of
dietary fiber I am consuming I
have the risk of developing
various conditions, including
heart disease, diabetes,
diverticular disease, constipation,
and even leads to colon cancer.3
My first
recommendation
would be figuring out
which foods have
higher fiber contents
like whole grain
bread verse white
bread. Secondly,
incorporate high-fiber
fruits such as
strawberries and
bananas. My last
recommendation
would be look ahead
and plan out my more
meals and pay better
attention to the
nutrition labels to
make sure I am
consuming the right
amounts of fiber
daily.
Soluble Fiber According to my
chart, it showed that
I only consumed
0.79 grams of
soluble fiber a day.
On average an
individual should be
consuming about 6
to 8 grams of
soluble fiber a day.3
If I keep eating a low amount of
soluble fiber, I could have
increased cholesterol levels and
could even be diagnosed with
diabetes.3 If I do not get enough
Soluble fiber intake, this could
also potentially make my appetite
control weaker. This could result
to me ingesting more food and
lead to weight gain.
My first
recommendation
would be to add more
soluble fiber to all my
meals and snacks.
Next recommendation
would be to make a
list of all the soluble
fiber foods. My last
recommendation
would be to consume
those high soluble
fiber foods off of the
list I make.
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CARBOHYDRATES
Insoluble Fiber According to my
chart, it showed
that I only
consumed 2.22
grams of insoluble
fiber a day. There
is no
recommended
amount of
insoluble fiber you
should consume.
As long as you
consume your
daily dietary fiber
amount than you
should consume
enough insoluble
fiber.
Not intaking enough insoluble
fibers, could lead to increased
constipation.3
My first
recommendation
would be to add
insoluble fiber to at
least two of my meals
daily. Next would be
to compare the whole
grain bread brands to
see which one I could
intake the most fiber
from. My last
recommendation is to
try and eat carrots as
my snack daily, as
they are high in
insoluble fiber.
The foods I am currently consuming do not reflect positively or negatively on my diet. I
would say most of the foods I consume place me right in the middle. The main thing I need to do
is to make sure I am intaking the right amount of nutrients. I find that I need to add more
carbohydrates to my diet even though I consume close to what the book states of 130 grams a
day. With MyDietAnalysis recommending that I consume more relative to 200 calories a day.
Consuming more carbohydrates would also help with my weight loss goals and giving me more
energy throughout the day. The second thing I need to work on is my sugar intake. The amount I
consume is not too high, but I should lower the amount I am intaking or consume foods and
beverages with natural sugars like fruits verse foods with added sugars like ice cream. Also,
consuming too many sugars decreases your energy levels and could lead to further health issues
like diabetes.
With my current recommendations for each category, I find it easy to implement each
one. For fiber, the most straightforward advice for myself would increase the number of
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CARBOHYDRATES
strawberries and bananas I am consuming, since they’re two of my favorite fruits. Another
recommendation for increasing fiber intake would be adding flaxseed to my smoothies daily. My
last recommendation to increase my dietary fiber intake is to add foods with higher fiber content
to at the least two meals a day. With fiber I should also be eating at least five servings of fruits
and vegetables a day.3 Increasing the number of carbohydrates I will be consuming will not be
challenging but will have to find strategic ways to implement them. Ways I can do this is
different kinds of pasta, whole-grain bread, and quinoa. A way I am going to also increase my
carbohydrate intake is to follow the MyPlate recommended intake of six servings of grains, three
servings of vegetables, and/or dairy, and two servings of fruit.1 My next area is sugars; I will
decrease the number of sugary foods I eat by minimizing my favorite snacks like ice cream.
Another recommendation for reducing the amount of sugar I am intaking would be to eat foods
with natural sugars verse foods with added sugars. Lastly, to decrease my sugar intake I will
drink more water verse sugary drinks like soda or Gatorade.
References:
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CARBOHYDRATES
1. Blake, JS, Munoz, KD, Volpe, S. Nutrition: From Science to You – Access. 2nd ed.
Boston, MA: Pearson, 2014.
2. Gunnars, K., 2018. Daily Intake Of Sugar — How Much Sugar Should You Eat Per Day?.
[online] Healthline. Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-
sugar-per-day#section1> [Accessed 31 August 2020].
3. ucsfhealth.org. n.d. Increasing Fiber Intake. [online] Available at:
<https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/increasing-fiber-intake> [Accessed 1 September
2020].
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