Every human being requires food from the environment. In this exercise you will collect data on your own food consumption, estimate its nutritional content, and evaluate its nutritional adequacy.

I. Collecting Data: Keep a record of all food and drink (other than water) consumed by you during 7 consecutive days. Try to estimate quantity of each food consumed. Obtain data from food labels where available, i.e., such information as grams of total fat and protein, grams of saturated fat, etc.

II. Estimating Nutritional Content: Look up the nutritional content of the foods you consumed during the 7 day period in the tables provided. Based upon your estimate of the serving size you consumed, calculate: (1) grams of protein, (2) grams of carbohydrate, (3) grams of total fat, (4) grams of saturated fat, (5) milligrams of cholesterol, (6) milligrams of sodium, and (7) milligrams of calcium in that serving. Then calculate your average daily estimated intake in each of these seven categories.

For each item of food, calculate the number of Calories (kilocalories) derived from protein, carbohydrate, total fat and saturated fat. (Note that proteins and carbohydrates provide 4 Calories per gram, but fats provide 9 Calories per gram.). Also calculate the total number of Calories (add the Calories from protein, carbohydrate and total fat), and then calculate the percent of total Calories derived from protein, carbohydrate, total fat and saturated fat.

III. Evaluating Nutritional Adequacy: Evaluate your diet in light of the following dietary recommendations based on guidelines established by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society.

1. Keep your total fat intake at or below 30 percent of your total calories, and limit your intake of saturated fats—which contribute to high blood cholesterol levels—to no more than 10 percent of your total calories.
2. Limit your intake of dietary cholesterol to no more than 300 milligrams per day.
3. Get at least 55 percent of your total daily calories from carbohydrates, preferably complex carbohydrates—the starches in grains, legumes, vegetables and some fruits. These foods provide fiber, vitamins and minerals.
4. Protein should make up no more than 12 to 15 percent of your daily calories—and the protein should come from low fat sources.
5. Included 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetable per day.
6. Balance the calories you consume with the calories you expend in physical activity, to maintain a desirable body weight.
7. Avoid too much sugar; it contributes to tooth decay, and many foods high in sugar are also high in fat.
8. Limit your intake of sodium to no more than 2400 milligrams per day, the equivalent of about a teaspoon of salt.
9. Maintain an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals (especially iron and calcium). Most adults should try to consume 800-1000 mg of calcium per day.
10. If you drink, do so in moderation. (Moderate drinking is generally defined as no more than one or two alcoholic drinks per day.)

Sample Data Sheets for One Meal

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