Brusasco, J.M.

(2014) Revised Diet Analysis Project

Diet Analysis Project

Assignment Outline and Rubric (100 points)

The purpose of this assignment is to gain practical experience using several different areas to
evaluate the adequacy of your diet: comparison with the MyPlate, comparison with the
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), calorie intake and energy need estimation. This project
is an in-depth analysis of your personal dietary intake. This assignment is NOT question and
answer, but rather a guideline to help you analyze the reports printed out from the Diet Analysis
PLUS. For instructions for the Diet Analysis PLUS see pages 1-26 in the textbook.

This project should be turned in on time, organized to match the rubric outline (sections A, B, C, D,
and E & F) and in a project folder. Each week until the deadline the class will discuss a new
section, it is important to keep up with the weekly assignment in order to be adequately prepared to
turn in the completed project.

Sections/Tabs
A. 3 Day Diet Record (10 points)
Keep a record of everything you eat for 3 consecutive days. Be sure to include all
consumptions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and including liquid. The more accurate
your record, the more accurate the data will be for analysis. NEXT input the daily log into
the Diet Analysis PLUS by clicking on the Track Diet. Print out the Daily Food Log for
each day, you should have at least 3 pages.
SAMPLE
Joyce Marie Brusasco, brusasjm@lamission.edu
Profile: Joyce Marie, Daily Food Log for Apr 08, 2014
Breakfast
Pancakes (Master Mix) 1 svg. 130 kcal
Coffee, Brewed 16 fl. oz. 5 kcal
Blueberries 0.5 c. 41 kcal
Tangerine 2 item 93 kcal
Lunch
THINKTHIN Protein Bar, Chunky Peanut 1 item 240 kcal
Butter, Gluten Free
Emergen-C 9.3 g 20 kcal
Dinner
SIMPLY MACARONI & CHEESE 3 c. 840 kcal
Total: 1369 kcal

B. Comparison with the My Plate Analysis (15 points)

By comparing your diet with the recommendation in the My Plate, you will have an
indication of the balance of your diet. This section of your project must include a written
analysis of your intake, compared with the diet planning guide.

or

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 Brusasco, J.M. (2014) Revised Diet Analysis Project

Here are questions you should consider when analyzing and be sure to write in paragraph form:
 What did you learn about your diet when comparing it with this government standard?
 If your intake did not meet the minimum number of servings from a USDA Food Group
(see page 40 & 41 in the textbook), then list some of the reasons why.
 What nutrients are you getting from your food choices? Based on the food groups (page
40 & 41)?
 Did your diet provide an adequate variety of foods or were your choice monotonous?
 What could you do to improve the variety in your diet?
 What were the strengths of this 3 day diet?

C. Compare your intake with the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) (40 points)
Print out the Intake Spreadsheet for all 3 days – this print out will be approximately 9 pages
SAMPLE
Profile: Joyce Marie, Intake Spreadsheet for Apr 10, 2014
Item Name Meal Quantity Wt(g) Kcal(kcal)
Banana Breakfast 1 item(s) - Medium 118 105.02
Coffee, Brewed Breakfast 16 fluid ounce(s) 474 4.74
Kale Breakfast 1.25 cup(s) - chopped 83.75 41.88
Blueberries Breakfast 0.5 cup(s) 72.5 41.33
FAGE TOTAL Yogurt, 0% Breakfast 0.5 serving(s) - 1 serving is 6 oz 85 50
Item Name Protein(g) Carb(g) Fat(g) Sat Fat(g)
Banana 1.29 26.95 0.39 0.13
Coffee, Brewed 0.57 0 0.09 0.01
Kale 2.76 8.38 0.59 0.08
Blueberries 0.54 10.51 0.24 0.02
FAGE TOTAL Yogurt, 0% Fat, 9 3.5 0 0
Plain

Print out the Intake vs. Goals for all 3 days – this should only be a couple of pages.
SAMPLE
Profile: Joyce Marie, Intake vs. Goals for Apr 8, 2014 - Apr 10, 2014
Nutrient DRI Intake %
Energy Kilocalories 2120 kcal 1,000.54 kcal 47%
Protein 52.62 g 35.2 g 67%
Carbohydrate 236.0 - 341.0 g 102.34 g 30%
Fat, Total 46.0 - 81.0 g 17.82 g 22%
Fat Saturated Fat < 21 g 7.4 g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat * 0.27 g
Polyunsaturated Fat * 0.51 g
Trans Fatty Acid * 0g
Cholesterol < 300 mg 40.12 mg 13%
Essential Fatty Acids

When analyzing this section, you need to consult the very front of the textbook page A & B. This
chart at the front of the textbook will help you find the RDA for your age and gender.

Here are questions you should consider when analyzing and be sure to write in paragraph form:
 Do you meet the dietary recommendations?
 What do you learn about the foods you ate from the reports (be specific with several items)?
 Are you regularly including nutrient dense foods in your diet?
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 Brusasco, J.M. (2014) Revised Diet Analysis Project

 Which nutrients are high and which are low?

 Is it okay to be consuming less than the recommendation for some nutrients? If yes,
which nutrients and why?
 What could be potential problems if your intake stayed at the level it is now?
 Did your suspicions of low nutrient intake from the MyPlate analysis in Part B come
true when comparing to your actual intake? Why or why not?
 List 3 good food sources for each nutrient that was less than the RDA – then write what
changes could you make to improve the quality of your dietary intake.
 How is the sodium intake? What can you do to your diet to reduce sodium?

D. Percentage of Calories (10 points)

Print out the Macronutrient Distribution Range Report
SAMPLE

Recommended Yours
Carbs 45%-65% 954-1,378 kcal 41% 409 kcal
Protein 10%-35% 212-742 kcal 14% 141 kcal
Fats 20%-35% 424-742 kcal 16% 160 kcal
Here are questions you should consider when analyzing and be sure to write in paragraph form:
 What do the percentages tell you about your diet?
 In the chart there is the most recent recommended of carbs, proteins and fats plus your
actual intake. If your percentages were not within the recommendations what do you
think might be the reason?
 What improvements could you make in your diet to meet the recommended percentages
of Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats?

E. Energy Need Estimation (10 points)

Track your activity for 3 days and input your data by clicking on the activity tab.
Use the Intake vs. Goals chart and the Activities Spreadsheet Report.
Print out the Activities Spreadsheet Report for all 3 days – this should only be 3 pages
SAMPLE
Profile: Joyce Marie, Activities Spreadsheet for Apr 08, 2014
Activity Name Rate(kcals/kg/hour) Duration(min) Calories Burned
Home activities, Serving food, setting 2.5 60 164
table-implied walking or standing
Shopping, walking 2.3 60 151
Walking, 3.0 mph, moderate, level 3.3 40 145
Basal Metabolic Rate 1.1 1280 1543
Totals: 24 hours 2003

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 Brusasco, J.M. (2014) Revised Diet Analysis Project

Here are questions you should consider when analyzing and be sure to write in paragraph form:
 How do your total daily calorie needs compare to your average calorie intake?
 Which calorie level do you think is more accurate and why?
 What would you expect to happen to your weight if you eat at the level of your dietary
analysis?
 How did your energy intake compare with your actual need?
 What problem areas could you see with your current energy intake?
 Where can you increase your level of activity?

F. Conclusion (10 points)

Here are questions you should consider when analyzing and be sure to write in paragraph form:
 How do you view your diet as a whole?
 What do you think were the most important findings in your Diet Analysis Project?
 Briefly discuss how the MyPlate findings compare with the nutritional analysis findings.
 How do the percentages of carbohydrates, fats and proteins fit into the total diet picture?
 Did your intake with the RDA confirm your suspicions of either excessive or low intakes of
specific nutrients?
 If you take vitamin/mineral supplements, do you think they are necessary? Why or why not?
 What did you learn about fiber and saturated/total fat intake?
 What nutritional goals have you set as a result of this project?
 Give 3 specific things you will change in your intake and activity as a result of doing this
project.

G. Portfolio Presentation (5 points)

The project will need to be submitted at the beginning of class on the due date in a presentation
folder. The paragraphs answering the questions should be short essays, typed in 12 font in
Times Roman and double spaced.
Be sure to include:
o A cover page
o Tabs for sections A-F
o All printed reports from the Diet Analysis Plus program
o All answers to the analysis questions need to be in short essays and typed.
o Include this rubric at the end of the portfolio
10 points A. 3 Day Diet Record
15 points B. Comparison with MyPlate
40 points C. Compare intake with RDA
10 points Percentage of Calories
10 points Energy Need Estimation
10 points Conclusion
5 points Portfolio
100 points Subtotal
(-) points (minus ½ point for each error, up to 10 points maximum) Spelling and Grammar errors
Grand Total
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