Nutritional Calculator, Research Paper Example

The nutrients I consumed that were less than 80% of my DRI goal are Dietary Fiber, Mono Fat, Poly Fat, Cholesterol, Water, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, and Zinc. The nutrients I consumed that were more than 100% of my DRI goal are Sodium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Saturated Fat, Protein, and Calories from Saturate Fat. I need to increase my consumption of vegetables and fruit to have more Dietary Fiber. Dietary Fiber is beneficial to our health because it helps on prevention and treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulitis. I also need to consume nuts, avocados, canola and olive oil for mono fats. For poly fat, I need to consume salmon, fish oil, sunflower and corn oils and both fats are considered good fats that help lower total cholesterol. I also need to drink more water because 2/3 of the body consists of water and it is the main component of human body. In regards to fruits, I need to consume carrots, strawberries, and tomatoes for Vitamin A in order to have healthy skin, teeth, improve my skeletal structure, soft tissue, and mucus membranes. I need to consume more Vitamin B2 because it helps convert carbohydrates into glucose and some food sources are cereal, eggs, lean meat, and milk. Vitamin B6 is important because it is required for the synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine and for myelin formation. A major food source is grain.

Compared to the recommended calorie intake, my caloric intake, as displayed in my Bar Graph Report, the greatest disparity is in my protein consumption. I exceed the recommended amounts by 79%. I also consume more than the recommended amount of grains by 12% and fruits by 81%. In regards to dairy and vegetables, my intake of these is about the same degree below the recommended amounts at 63% and 65%, respectively. Overall, my daily caloric intake was more than 1,000 calories less than the recommended because I consume small portions when I eat. I would not expect to gain or lose any weight with this diet and I did not gain or lose any actual weight during this period.

Iron: hot red curry chicken, roasted chicken breast sandwich, white rice

Calcium: soy milk, 12” medium pepperoni pan pizza, chicken/bacon salad

Zinc: 12” medium pepperoni pan pizza, hot red curry chicken, white rice

Vitamin A: 12” medium pepperoni pan pizza, oranges, apples

Vitamin C: oranges, strawberries, salad

Thiamin (B1): 12” medium pepperoni pan pizza, white rice, frozen home-style Eggo waffles

Riboflavin (B2): soy milk, 12” medium pepperoni pan pizza, frozen home-style Eggo waffles

Folacin: hot red curry chicken, 12” medium pepperoni pan pizza, strawberries

Vitamin B6: white rice, hot red curry chicken, frozen home-style Eggo waffles

Vitamin B12: hot red curry chicken, frozen home-style Eggo waffles, 12” medium pepperoni pan pizza

According to the Calories & Fat Report, I derive 18% of my calories from my protein intake, 53% of my calories from carbohydrates, 29% from fat, and none of my calories are from alcohol. Compared to the recommended percentages, although my overall caloric intake is below the goal of 3,500 calories, my intake is in range for all categories. As is recommended, more than 45% of my calories come from carbohydrates and more than 10% comes from protein. This means that I am able to maintain my nutritional needs and not gain weight since I am not consuming an abundance of calories.