he Choose My Plate website provided by the U.S. government provides a way to plan, track, and compare meals based on the nutrients needed by the individual. Using the Super Tracker to track my food for the last 3 days and comparing it to what should be eaten was an eye opening experience.
My eating habits at this time include eating quite a bit of fast food and prepackaged food. I skip breakfast most mornings and have only a cup of coffee. I may eat a piece of fruit and then I work 3 or 4 hours before I get a snack of maybe a piece of fried chicken from KFC and a biscuit. Later, I may drink a cup of tea and by the time I make it home after 6 p.m., I usually eat until I go to bed. I eat chips and dip, candy, cookies, and more fruit, if I have it. I know this is not a healthy diet and I plan to use the food tracker to continue to track my meals and make healthier choices.
The recommendations I received from the Super Tracker included a diet of no more than 2000 calories a day. My plan included less than 258 calories from empty calories ounces a day of grains, including substituted whole grains for refined grains at least half the time. I am to eat 2.5 cups of vegetables a day, including dark green, red, and orange vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and carrots. Two cups of fruit a day are included in my meal plans. The Super Tracker recommends using a wide variety of fruit, by adapting my choices to seasonal fruits. Three cups of fat free or low fat milk is recommended as well as low fat or fat free cheese and yogurt. Protein foods are recommended at 5.5 ounces a day or 8 ounces a week. Seafood should be used instead of meat and poultry at least twice a week. Beans, nuts, eggs, and peanut butter are included in the protein choices. Oils are also included in my diet. Vegetable oils such as canola, corn, olive, and soybean oils are