Nutrition Policy and Promotion - Case Study Example

My daily intake of protein was 68 grams, which is 22 grams more than the 46 grams per day that is recommended by the CNPP. In order to bring my protein intake down to the recommended 46 grams per day I could substitute one of the servings of beans and cheese, either from the nachos or from the tostada, for some fresh veggies and/or fruits. Another alternative would be to eat the two servings of beans and cheese but to cut down the portion sizes, which would then cut down on my total protein grams for the day. The foods in my daily intake that provide protein are cheese, beans, and yogurt. Of these foods, the yogurt and the cheese are complete proteins while the beans are an incomplete protein. The beans and cheese combined together become a complementary protein. I took in more than the daily recommended amount of protein. This did surprise me because I didn't include any meat into my daily intake, which is what I would have assumed would take me over the daily limit. Clearly meat is not the only food that can serve as a good protein source. In order to bring my protein down and to better balance my diet I can cut down the portion sizes that contain protein such as the servings of beans and cheese, and I can add more fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, as well as some more fiber rich foods such as whole grains. If I had eaten beans and cheese only once during the day rather than twice, I probably would have taken in the recommended amount of protein and I could have then eaten some of the other foods that I am lacking in place of that unneeded protein. Protein is one of the most essential elements of our diet and is often referred to as the building block in our body because of its function in the growth and repair of our tissue. According to the CNPP website, proteins are involved in the production of many hormones and are necessary to maintain the immune system and fluid electrolyte balance. They are also involved in the transport of nutrients throughout the body. Given these facts about protein, it is easy to see how insufficient amounts of protein intake could leave the body unable to do some of its most vital functions. Without enough protein the body's tissues would not be capable of repairing themselves. In addition, our muscles, which are fueled by protein, would not grow and develop as they should, and our organs, many of which are made up of muscle tissue, could ultimately suffer and cease to function optimally. Also, our immune system would not be able to function as it should, which would cause more frequent, as well as more prolonged illness, and our electrolytes would become unbalanced causing all types of health problems. In contrast, too much protein can also pose a problem for the body. According to the CNPP website, too much protein coupled with a lack of enough other essential foods can cause the body to go into a state of ketosis which can wreak havoc on the body causing all types of medical problems. Additionally, many times, high protein intake is coupled with high saturated fat intake, which is also bad for the body and can cause disease and general health problems. Also, a higher than normal protein intake can often coincide with a diet that lacks in other essential areas such as whole grains, vegetables, and fresh fruits. This lack in the diet can also lead to health problems and illness. Given these facts, it seems clear that keeping with the recommended daily protein allowance will help to ensure that one's diet remains as healthful as possible as well as adequately and appropriately balanced. My fiber intake for the day was 22 grams, which is 3 grams less than the recommended daily intake of 25 grams. I think that this intake is a bit low and I would like to come up to the recommended amount of 25 grams per day. I would like to raise my fiber intake the remaining three grams because I know that fiber is good for me and can serve to help keep my weight under control and my general food intake balanced. Fiber is also an essential element of digestive health, which of course is ultimately vital to overall health and well-being. Additionally, because fiber is so dense and so filling, it's harder to overeat when enough fiber is being consumed, which is a good thing and an easy way to maintain an optimal body weight. My diet did not meet the minimum servings of foods from each fiber containing group. My vegetable servings were way under the recommended 2.5 cups per day and my grain servings also fell short of the recommend daily servings. The only fiber rich food that I consumed enough of was the beans. The foods that provided me with the most fiber were the vegetables i.e. the lettuce in the raw salad as well as the lettuce and tomatoes in the tostada, the beans, the fruit in the yogurt, and the bread. In order to increase my overall fiber intake I can add more fresh veggies to my salad in addition to just the lettuce. I can also snack on fresh fruit rather than fruit juice in between my meals and, additionally, I can be sure to eat only whole grain bread products rather than any white bread products. Meat and milk products do not add much to the days total fiber intake since they are dairy and protein products respectively. If someone told me that they eat primarily milk and meat products at each meal, I would explain to them that this food intake isn't as balanced and, therefore as optimally healthy, as it should be. I would let them know that foods containing fiber are completely absent from their diet. In this case, I wouldn't necessarily tell this person to take anything out of his or her diet plan. Rather, I would suggest that he or she add fiber rich foods such as fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains to their existing meal plan. This person could simply add a salad full of fresh veggies to their meal of meat and milk and they would be optimizing their meal by including three main food groups instead of just two. I would explain to them that by adding a serving of veggies, fruits, whole grains, or beans to each meal, something that really is quite simple to do, they would be receiving a healthier, more well rounded and productive food intake and, in turn, their overall health would drastically improve. Within my daily food intake, I did consume beans on two separate occasions, which did help to boost my overall fiber intake for the day. Considering that I had only minimal amounts of other fiber rich foods such as veggies and whole grains and still took in 22 grams of fiber during the day, it seems that the beans were what served to save my diet from being almost completely void of fiber. If I were to choose to drink fruit juice rather than to consume whole fruit my fiber intake would be negatively affected. This is because the fruit juice does not contain the same fiber content as whole fresh fruit. The juice is, in fact, often processed and much of the fiber and other key nutrients, which often exist in the skin and/or the pulp of fresh fruit, do not exist by the time that we purchase the juice at the store. Additionally, drinking fruit juice rather than eating fresh fruit will almost always result in a higher caloric intake. This is a result of the added sugars that almost all over-the-counter fruit juices contain. What makes these added sugars even worse is that they add extra calories without adding any vitamins and minerals. So, by drinking fruit juice, a person is receiving empty calories due to increased sugar amounts rather than the calories that come from fresh fruit, which are made up of key vitamins and minerals as well as natural sugars, and are far healthier for our bodies. References United States Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Retrieved March 18, 2007. Website: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Default.htm. Read More