Food Log Analysis

It is extremely important to keep a food log mainly because it keeps you more aware of the foods and beverages you consume every day. A food log instantly puts the hard data in front of you so you can see the breakdown nutritional information. You can monitor your intake of the quantity of grams of protein, carbohydrates, fat and overall calories you are eating daily. Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain weight, or train for a sport, it is critical for success. I have logged my food and beverage intake and physical activity for the past five days to see how healthy I really am.
According to Supertracker/MyPlate recommendations, my daily calorie limit was 3000 based on my weight and age. My target food groups included 10 ounces of

grains, 4 cups of vegetables, 2½ cups of fruit, 3 cups of dairy, and 7 ounces of protein foods. I analyzed my weekly intake data by averaging the consumption of each of the five food groups. I exceeded daily grain intake with an average of 11 ounces of grains a day. I fell short of consuming 4 cups of vegetables by eating 2.3 cups a day. I was way below 2 ½ cups of fruit coming in at .55 cups a day. I was slightly under 3 cups of dairy a day getting 2.55 cups. I was also under in protein consumption averaging 5.6 ounces out of 7 ounces. The only beverages I consumed over the week were water, Gatorade, and apple juice. Water was my beverage of choice.
My target weekly aerobic activity was 150 minutes and 2 days of muscle strengthening activities. I did achieve my 150 minutes of weekly aerobic activity maxing out at 875 minutes. I would consider myself very athletic and in good physical shape. I like to be active outside rather than sitting down in the house. I like to stay busy and strive to have a fit body. Some of the major components in this week’s physical activity report consisted of mowing the grass, walking the dog, playing softball two days a week, and chopping wood. I met my muscle strengthening activity target. Some of the activities included moving furniture and splitting logs.
Throughout this week, I made some healthy choices in terms of my physical activity and beverage consumption. I believe I did a good job with being physically active and strengthening my body to stay in shape. I worked hard to get enough daily exercise and muscle strengthening. In addition to exceeding my physical activity goal, I drank a lot of water. I avoided caffeine and carbonated drinks due to their poor nutritional health value. I was hydrated the whole week and did not feel any symptoms of sickness or dehydration. On the other hand, some things I did not do so well with were eating enough of each food group and getting the recommended daily amount. I ate a lot of food that was high in sodium and saturated fat. I do have a high metabolism and need to consume the recommended daily amount of each food group in order to have enough energy for my physical activity. I would make some changes if I were to do this assignment again. These would include consuming more of each food group and monitoring and limiting the amount of sodium I eat. Although, I am not much of a breakfast eater, I understand the positive benefits it has. I would increase the amount of breakfast food I consume because eating a well-balanced breakfast would help maintain my energy level throughout the day. I would not make any changes to my physical activity as I engage in more than adequate amounts of exercise and strengthening.
This week was very busy and I really did not have the appetite I normally do.

I have random spurts when I eat a lot of food during one week and other weeks when I do not consume much each day. This week was one of those weeks I really did not feel like eating very much. Some key factors that influenced my food and beverage intake were my school and work schedule, food cravings, and time management. I was busier during the week with working extra days and my school work. I spent most of my time studying and doing homework so I did not have much extra time to make food. I ran through the drive-thru of a non-healthy fast food restaurant. One of the nights, I was lazy and ordered a pizza which was not a good healthy choice for me. I finished off the pizza in two days and instead of making a salad, vegetables, and lean meats. Another factor that influenced my food and beverage intake was time management. I did not have a lot of time to cook meals at home. I scanned the refrigerator and pantry to select the easiest and quickest meal I could prepare. For example, I heated up pizza rolls and Hungry Man meals with cookies for dessert. I do not drink pop, sugary drinks or energy drinks. I love water and occasionally I will drink a Gatorade or

Lemonade.
In conclusion, I have learned a lot from this assignment. It has made me more aware of how to improve my daily food intake with healthier choices and how physically active I really am. Being healthy is important because it can help a person have a stronger heart, stronger muscles and bones and a sense of well-being. Eating right and exercising the correct amount will lead to overall better health. I will continue keeping a food log and a physical activity log each week so I know I achieve MyPlate recommended goals. “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”-Jim Rohn.