Tracking food intakes is essential to determine if a person is consuming adequate nutrients over periods. Tracking intakes helps to get on track and stay on track with healthy nutritional diets. Keeping track helps to determine if adjustments made to the diet are sufficient to achieve optimal nutrient amounts. After making the adjustments a food intake tracker will help to determine if more adjustments need made later or if I am on the right track. A food diary is an excellent way to track food intakes and calorie intakes.
I input my food intakes from Monday to Wednesday and compared them with a previous intake analysis from six weeks ago. The new analysis was encouraging, my nutritional intakes improved drastically especially in the area of protein which was a previous struggle. My vegetable intake has increased to a good level; my whole grain intake has increased to a good level, and my protein intake increased. The new analysis did still show a need for improvement in dairy and fruit. My weekly intake of dairy and fruit has improved however, my daily intakes are still lacking. I need to work to find alternates methods of receiving adequate dairy intakes such as supplements, purchasing soymilk, or yogurts. I also need to continue to work at including fruit in my daily diet, I can grab an apple or banana with my breakfast bar I take to work with me. I purchased kiwi for a snack I can slice one up and include this as a snack option.
Monday on the food diary entries, I consumed 125% of required whole grains, 116% of required vegetables, 87% fruit and 164% protein, unfortunately 0% on calcium, and stayed below my calorie limit. Tuesday I did not do as well with all my intakes with whole grains of 146%, vegetables 70%, fruit 87%, calcium 8%, and protein at
