Level 4
Skill 3: I will compare my normal food intake to one which is ideal for good nutrition.
(Do not begin this until you have completed level 3.)
Goal 5: Ideal meals for a day
Goal 5: Ideal meals for a day
Create your "Ideal Meals for a Day" by taking into account your RDA and recommended servings of each food group. Your spreadsheet must be typed and the link uploaded to your Google Doc under the title, "Goal 5: Ideal meals for a day." Only include foods that you would actually eat. Remember to add butter, sugar, or sauces that you would usually add to foods and account for those calories.
Create your "Ideal Meals for a Day" by taking into account your RDA and recommended servings of each food group. Your spreadsheet must be typed and the link uploaded to your Google Doc under the title, "Goal 5: Ideal meals for a day." Only include foods that you would actually eat. Remember to add butter, sugar, or sauces that you would usually add to foods and account for those calories.
Tips and Hints
Tips and Hints
Make your meals reasonable. It is unreasonable to plan to eat 6 cups of raw veggies as part of a meal. It’s way too much food to consume at once. It is also not realistic to plan to eat a filet of fish, pasta with sauce, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich all in the same meal. Think about how you really eat. If you don’t eat plain toast in real life, don’t put it on your meal plan. Add a half tablespoon of butter. Just be sure to include a line for butter under the line for toast. You will still count the calories under the fats column, but it will not count as any food group. This would be considered empty calories. By the same token, do not list salad without dressing, pasta without any topping, or plain rice unless you truly eat this way.
Make your meals reasonable. It is unreasonable to plan to eat 6 cups of raw veggies as part of a meal. It’s way too much food to consume at once. It is also not realistic to plan to eat a filet of fish, pasta with sauce, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich all in the same meal. Think about how you really eat. If you don’t eat plain toast in real life, don’t put it on your meal plan. Add a half tablespoon of butter. Just be sure to include a line for butter under the line for toast. You will still count the calories under the fats column, but it will not count as any food group. This would be considered empty calories. By the same token, do not list salad without dressing, pasta without any topping, or plain rice unless you truly eat this way.
Be specific with each food you list. List 2% milk, rather than milk, 1 cup of broccoli, rather than 1 cup veggies, or 2” diameter bagel, rather than bagel. The more specific you are the better able I am to assess your work.
Be specific with each food you list. List 2% milk, rather than milk, 1 cup of broccoli, rather than 1 cup veggies, or 2” diameter bagel, rather than bagel. The more specific you are the better able I am to assess your work.
All servings are to be recorded in uncooked amounts. For example, if you are going to eat pasta or rice, record how many ounces of uncooked weight you are going to eat. 1 cup of cooked pasta would be recorded as 2 ounces of grains. 2 cups of raw spinach = 1 cup of veggies regardless of how much it cooks down.
All servings are to be recorded in uncooked amounts. For example, if you are going to eat pasta or rice, record how many ounces of uncooked weight you are going to eat. 1 cup of cooked pasta would be recorded as 2 ounces of grains. 2 cups of raw spinach = 1 cup of veggies regardless of how much it cooks down.
Do not use grams for serving sizes. Be sure that you use serving sizes which are easily converted to servings according to “My Plan” on ChooseMyPlate. Remember that the actual weight of the food does not determine serving size.
Do not use grams for serving sizes. Be sure that you use serving sizes which are easily converted to servings according to “My Plan” on ChooseMyPlate. Remember that the actual weight of the food does not determine serving size.
Round all decimals to the nearest whole number (<.5 rounds down).
Round all decimals to the nearest whole number (<.5 rounds down).
Give it your best and have integrity in your work. Record the numbers accurately and just work with them. The learning comes from the struggle to balance the numbers. The challenge is in learning ways to meet your nutritional needs. I want this to be learning for life.
Give it your best and have integrity in your work. Record the numbers accurately and just work with them. The learning comes from the struggle to balance the numbers. The challenge is in learning ways to meet your nutritional needs. I want this to be learning for life.
Insert a picture of the nutrition label into your food log as a hyperlink. For example, If you ate lasagna, make the word lasagna be a hyperlink to the picture of the food label. This way I can help you when you get stuck.
Insert a picture of the nutrition label into your food log as a hyperlink. For example, If you ate lasagna, make the word lasagna be a hyperlink to the picture of the food label. This way I can help you when you get stuck.
Complete this just like you did on your, "Food for a day log." The only difference is that you are not actually recording what you eat, but making a well-balanced meal plan for a day with the correct number of Calories and servings from each food group.
Complete this just like you did on your, "Food for a day log." The only difference is that you are not actually recording what you eat, but making a well-balanced meal plan for a day with the correct number of Calories and servings from each food group.
Be sure that your number of servings for each food group adds up to your goals. You may have unlimited vegetables (no more than 1 cup of starchy vegetables and potatoes) and go up to one cup over on fruits without a grade penalty. In reality, these foods are some of the most important for your long-term and immediate health. When you have balanced your food groups and looked up the number of calories from carbs, proteins, and fats, total these three columns. Remember, although most all foods you eat are a combination of all three macromolecules, each one only falls into one food group on ChooseMyPlate. Be sure to use their charts to determine which food group and how many servings each food is comprised of.
Be sure that your number of servings for each food group adds up to your goals. You may have unlimited vegetables (no more than 1 cup of starchy vegetables and potatoes) and go up to one cup over on fruits without a grade penalty. In reality, these foods are some of the most important for your long-term and immediate health. When you have balanced your food groups and looked up the number of calories from carbs, proteins, and fats, total these three columns. Remember, although most all foods you eat are a combination of all three macromolecules, each one only falls into one food group on ChooseMyPlate. Be sure to use their charts to determine which food group and how many servings each food is comprised of.
Add together the totals for carb calories, protein calories, and fat calories. This is the, “Total Calories eaten” and gets recorded at the bottom of the page. Use the total calories eaten to calculate the percentage of calories which came from carbs, proteins, and fats. Also calculate the ±5%, ±7%, and ±9% RDA ranges at the bottom.
Add together the totals for carb calories, protein calories, and fat calories. This is the, “Total Calories eaten” and gets recorded at the bottom of the page. Use the total calories eaten to calculate the percentage of calories which came from carbs, proteins, and fats. Also calculate the ±5%, ±7%, and ±9% RDA ranges at the bottom.
You may choose to put formulas into the Google spreadsheet so that you can adjust one food and it will automatically calculate your totals, rather than calculating them manually. It's probably worth the time investment to learn how to do this because each time you change one food, it will redo all of your calculations.
You may choose to put formulas into the Google spreadsheet so that you can adjust one food and it will automatically calculate your totals, rather than calculating them manually. It's probably worth the time investment to learn how to do this because each time you change one food, it will redo all of your calculations.
You may not change your RDA or number of servings on your final project without a good reason and a conversation with me before the project is submitted. If you have a special diet due to allergies, medical conditions, or being a vegetarian, we can work together to make your meal plan work for you.
You may not change your RDA or number of servings on your final project without a good reason and a conversation with me before the project is submitted. If you have a special diet due to allergies, medical conditions, or being a vegetarian, we can work together to make your meal plan work for you.
Check your "Ideal Meals for a Day" spreadsheet against the grading rubric below, before you meet with me to review your work.
Check your "Ideal Meals for a Day" spreadsheet against the grading rubric below, before you meet with me to review your work.
Make an appointment to meet with me to review your work. In the meantime, complete the conclusion below.
Make an appointment to meet with me to review your work. In the meantime, complete the conclusion below.
Goal 6: Conclusion
Goal 6: Conclusion
Put some thought into your summary, as it will be graded on depth of reflection.
Put some thought into your summary, as it will be graded on depth of reflection.
Copy the following 5 questions onto your Doc and answer them for your conclusion.
Copy the following 5 questions onto your Doc and answer them for your conclusion.
1. What specific factors was your RDA based on? Please be specific and do not answer, “age, sex, and level of activity.” For example, "I am a 14 year old female who runs an average of 3 miles a day." I don't need your weight! ;-)
1. What specific factors was your RDA based on? Please be specific and do not answer, “age, sex, and level of activity.” For example, "I am a 14 year old female who runs an average of 3 miles a day." I don't need your weight! ;-)
2. What were the challenges you faced when planning your ‘Ideal Meals for a Day?’
2. What were the challenges you faced when planning your ‘Ideal Meals for a Day?’
3. What factors would have to be taken into account in real life which would make this process even more complicated?
3. What factors would have to be taken into account in real life which would make this process even more complicated?
4. What did you learn about your own nutritional needs and food planning? Compare your food log to your ideal meal plan.
4. What did you learn about your own nutritional needs and food planning? Compare your food log to your ideal meal plan.
5. While it is likely that you found this process complicated, what is one goal you can walk away with and start working on tomorrow? Base this goal on something which was revealed to you during the process of completing this project. Perhaps you realized that you eat too many carbohydrates and not enough veggies. You might walk away with a goal of eating a serving of veggies before each serving of carbs, then just focus on that one thing. (see helpful hints below)
5. While it is likely that you found this process complicated, what is one goal you can walk away with and start working on tomorrow? Base this goal on something which was revealed to you during the process of completing this project. Perhaps you realized that you eat too many carbohydrates and not enough veggies. You might walk away with a goal of eating a serving of veggies before each serving of carbs, then just focus on that one thing. (see helpful hints below)
Goal setting helpful hints
Goal setting helpful hints
Please write a specific, measurable, and attainable goal for this part. "I will eat 2 servings of fruit each day." is more specific than, "I will eat more fruit." It is also measurable since measurable goals involve numbers. You also want this goal to be attainable. If you start with eating a serving of veggies at dinner each night, you are more likely to be successful than if you start with eating 6 cups of veggies each day. Once your goal becomes habit, you can increase it a little or set a new, small goal. Please write a goal that works for you.
Please write a specific, measurable, and attainable goal for this part. "I will eat 2 servings of fruit each day." is more specific than, "I will eat more fruit." It is also measurable since measurable goals involve numbers. You also want this goal to be attainable. If you start with eating a serving of veggies at dinner each night, you are more likely to be successful than if you start with eating 6 cups of veggies each day. Once your goal becomes habit, you can increase it a little or set a new, small goal. Please write a goal that works for you.
Submitting your project
Submitting your project
What I want you to understand by completing this project, is that you have the knowledge and resources to have healthier eating habits. You don’t need to create an ideal meal plan each day. Just analyze your overall eating habits and make one small change. Once that change becomes habit, choose one more small change to make. It’s a great idea to have health goals and record what you actually eat on occasion in order to be sure you’re on track, but it is not reasonable to expect to do this every day. It's a tool to see where you are and set goals for where you want to go.
What I want you to understand by completing this project, is that you have the knowledge and resources to have healthier eating habits. You don’t need to create an ideal meal plan each day. Just analyze your overall eating habits and make one small change. Once that change becomes habit, choose one more small change to make. It’s a great idea to have health goals and record what you actually eat on occasion in order to be sure you’re on track, but it is not reasonable to expect to do this every day. It's a tool to see where you are and set goals for where you want to go.
Double check that you have the following parts of your project on your Google Doc.
Double check that you have the following parts of your project on your Google Doc.
Goal 1: Nutritional information for unlabeled foods
Goal 1: Nutritional information for unlabeled foods
Goal 2: Food for a day
Goal 2: Food for a day
Goal 3: Your RDA
Goal 3: Your RDA
Goal 4: Which foods should I eat?
Goal 4: Which foods should I eat?
Goal 5: Ideal meals for a day
Goal 5: Ideal meals for a day
Review the grading rubric below and grade your own work. Write the grade you calculated at the top of the "Ideal meals for a day log" in the space provided.
Goal 6: Conclusion
Goal 6: Conclusion
Revisions
Revisions
If we are unable to review your project together, I will return it with comments.
If we are unable to review your project together, I will return it with comments.
1) Comments on ideal meals are indicated by a yellow triangle in the corner of the box to which the comment applies. Most people cannot see these on their cell phones, so be sure to view and complete these revisions on a computer.
1) Comments on ideal meals are indicated by a yellow triangle in the corner of the box to which the comment applies. Most people cannot see these on their cell phones, so be sure to view and complete these revisions on a computer.
2) Be sure to address all comments. For example, If I ask you whether or not you eat your salads without dressing, you will either add a line for salad dressing and its calories, or you will reply to my comment and tell me that you eat salads plain. If you do not correct or respond to a comment, you will lose points.
2) Be sure to address all comments. For example, If I ask you whether or not you eat your salads without dressing, you will either add a line for salad dressing and its calories, or you will reply to my comment and tell me that you eat salads plain. If you do not correct or respond to a comment, you will lose points.
3) I am the one grading this project. If I think you need to make a revision, either make the revision or come see me to explain why I am wrong. Please do not ignore my suggestions. With so many details to look at, sometimes I overlook something, but check with me to be safe.
3) I am the one grading this project. If I think you need to make a revision, either make the revision or come see me to explain why I am wrong. Please do not ignore my suggestions. With so many details to look at, sometimes I overlook something, but check with me to be safe.
4) Do not 'resolve' the comments when you make your revisions. Reply to them and then leave them for me to resolve when I recheck your work.
4) Do not 'resolve' the comments when you make your revisions. Reply to them and then leave them for me to resolve when I recheck your work.