Evaluating
Your Diet
Step
One:
Keep a record of your food intake for at least a
week.
This will give you an idea of your total food
consumption.
Keep a small notebook with you to record every
single
thing you eat and drink.
Record also the size of your
portion, as accurately as you can.
Describe food as carefully as you
can, especially combination
dishes such as soups and stews,
and casseroles. Read the labels, record the fats, carbohydrates, calories,
unsaturated fats, cholesterol, minerals etc.
Don't forget the
less obvious things such as butter on bread or
vegetables,
salad dressings, mayo on a sandwhich, sugar and cream in
coffee.
Sample:
The Daily Record
Meal
Breakfast |
Food
apple juice
oatmeal
with honey
wheat germ
skim milk
coffee w cream and sugar |
Measure
1/2 cup -4 ounces
1
cup cooked
1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons
1/4 cup
1 teaspoon
1
tablespoon |
Step
Two:
Once all the food is recorded, you are ready to seperate all
the foods
you have eaten into their food
groups.
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Group 8
Group 9
Group 10
Group 11
Group 12
Group
13 |
Meat, Poultry, Fish
Eggs
Milk and Dairy
Fruit
Vegetables
Flour, Cereal Grains
Legumes and Nuts
Fats and Oils
Sugars and Sweets
Alcoholic Carbonated Beverages
Soups
Baby
Foods
Miscellanaeous |
By seperating these foods into
different categories you will begin to see
how each contributes to your
nutrient intake and how lack of foods
in a given area may lead to
nutritional inadequacies.
You will also get an idea of
simply how much food you consume.
Step
Three:
This important step will require
patience.
Starting with the first entry, translate the total measure
of each food
into it's constituent nutrients.
In terms of :
protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and
calories.
Step
Four:
Now it's time to add it all up. This is your average daily
intake of each
of the nutrients listed. With this Diet Survey Chart you can
see your total
intake. And you will also have a basis for comparing
your
diet with any others. And you can see for yourself where any
changes
may be made. For instance:
If you see you are lacking in
Calcium, you should try to locate the most
available supplies of this
mineral. If you find you have consumed too
many fats, you may try
substituting low fat foods when possible.
Summary :
This is an indication of where
your diet is leading you.
Too generous a supply of calories
may cause weight gain, low levels of
the B Vitamins might be
what is causing your fatigue.
All in all this will serve as a
guideline for continuing your present
style of eating, or changing your
food habits, or your style of cooking.
You will probably not get an
exact count unless you are a dietician,
but this should serve as a
guideline to a better diet.
And a healthier "You"
!
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