Diet Analysis Assignment
Background
Maintaining a balanced diet is an important part of life,
especially for young adults. Average consumption of calories
varies by age, activity level, and even country of residence.
While learning about carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, you
will examine which macromolecules makes up the basis of your diet.
Directions
Data Collection
1. Record EVERYTHING you eat for three consecutive days.
a. Be sure to record amounts (i.e. 3 Oreo cookies), see sample diet for details.
b. This includes snack and beverages. EVERYTHING!
c. You may use a diet tracker app such as MyFitnessPal, but you will need to put the
information on the provided data table. (See example below)
Data Analysis
2. For each item consumed, record the amount of carbohydrates, lipids/fats, and proteins (in
grams). (We will not track saturated vs. unsaturated fat).
a. You will need to convert the number of total grams for each meal to calories for
each macromolecule (proteins, carbs, and fats) by using the following conversion
factors (multiply the # of grams by the conversion factor below):
i. Proteins have 4 calories/gram
ii. Carbohydrates have 4 calories/gram
iii. Lipids have 9 calories/gram
b. You can use the following resources to help calculate the nutritional information for
your individual food items.
i. MyFitnessPal.com: Create a free account and keep up with all food items as
well as nutritional information or each one; has an expansive list of
restaurant items; allows you to create recipes and calculates nutritional
value.
ii. Recipe Calculator: Put in your ingredients and it calculates nutritional
information
iii. Nutritional Facts: Good search options as well as information for fast foods
Data Collection and Analysis Sample Chart
Food
Quantity
Lipid/
Fats (g)
Carbs
(g)
Proteins
(g)
Calories
from F
X9
Calories
from C
X4
Calories
from P
X4
Oreo
Skim
Milk
Totals
3
0.5 cups
7
0.2
25
5.9
1
4.2
7(9)=63
0.2(9) =
1.8
64.8
25(4)=100
5.9(4) = 23.6
1(4)=4
4.2(4) =
16.8
20.8
123.6
Total
Calories
(add
together)
167
42.2
209.2
3. Using the data collected, create a graph to show the % of your diet calories coming from
carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids for all three days. MyFitnessPal only does one day at
a time.
a. Add your total calories for each macromolecule type (carb, protein, & lipid)
for all three days.
b. To calculate % of each macromolecule use the following equation:
Total Cal from Fat/ Total Calories x 100
64.8
/
209.2
x 100
=
30.98%
Total Cal from Carbs/ Total Calories x 100
123.6
/
209.2
x 100
=
59.08%
Total Cal from Proteins/ Total Calories x 100
20.8
/
209.2
x 100
=
9.94%
If you add these three percentages together you should get 100%!
Example of a pie graph using these %’s
Amount of Calories from each
Type of Macromolecules
Lipids/Fat
Carbs
Proteins
Conclusions
4. Answer the following questions below to draw conclusions about your diet and compare it
to the recommended diet for your age group and the diet of other children around the
world.
Conclusion Questions
All questions must be answered in complete sentences within a concluding paragraph.
1. Were any of the findings during this activity surprising? Explain why or why not.
2. What diet ratios (protein, fat, carbs) are ideal for your level of physical activity?
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf (mainly pages 1415)
3. Where there any unusual lifestyle factors that could have affected the ratio of proteins,
fat, and carbs found in your journal? (For example, were you traveling, highly active, ill,
etc?) If so, explain how.
4. Compare and contrast your daily calorie intake with that of an average high school
student from USA and to the following countries.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/what-the-world-eats/
a. Individual from Japan
b. Individual from China
Useful Sources
1. http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/weight-control/take-chargeyour-health/Pages/take-charge-your-health.aspx#c
2. http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/weight-control/take-chargeyour-health/Pages/take-charge-your-health.aspx#f
Assessment
Name:
Not Proficient
0-1
Almost Proficient
2-3
Proficient
4-5
Data Collection
- Has an incomplete
record of information in
the three-day food
journal
- has difficulty finding
the information on
lipids, carbs, and
proteins because of the
incomplete journal
– please correct and
turn back in by next
class.
- Recorded some food,
but had difficulty
recalling (or did not
record) the quantity for
each one.
- Looked up some, but
not all of the info on the
lipids, carbs, and fats of
each food
- Recorded all food for three days
- Recorded a specific quantity for
each food
- Looked up the correct grams of
Lipids/Fats, Carbohydrates, and
Proteins for the amount of food
consumed.
Data Analysis
- Many of the
calculations are missing
or incorrect
- Graph is missing or
incomplete
– please correct and
turn back in by next
class.
- Most of the
calculations for calories
are correct
- Graph is not
appropriate (including
labels) or is drawn in
such a way that the
teacher cannot
understand the data
presented.
- Multiplied the number of lipids
by 9 to get the number of calories
from fat for each food.
- Multiplied the number of carbs
by 4 to get the number of calories
from fat for each food.
- Multiplied the number of
proteins by 4 to get the number of
calories from fat for each food.
- Added each of the calories from
macromolecules to get the Total
Calories for each food.
- Correctly calculated the % of each
macromolecule for the entire three
days
- Created the correct type of graph
to display percentages, including
graph labels
Conclusion
- Did not answer most
concluding questions
- The amount of
grammatical errors is so
extensive that it
inhibits the ability to
understand the
meaning of the answer
given
- does not link findings
to original question
– please correct and
turn back in by next
class.
- Questions are
answered, but not in
paragraph format as
required.
- There are a few
grammatical errors, but
not enough to interfere
with understanding the
concepts presented.
- Links findings to
original question
- Written in paragraph format
- Paragraph answers all of the
required questions in the
instructions.
- Paragraph links data collection
and analysis to the required
questions.
- Uses appropriate scientific terms
accurately.
- There is minimal grammatical
errors
Diet Journal: Day 1
Food
Daily Total:
Quantity Lipid/
Fats (g)
Carbs Proteins Calories Calories
(g)
(g)
from F
from C
X9
X4
Calories Total
from P
Calories
X4
(add
together)
Day 2
Food
Daily Total:
Quantity Lipid/
Fats (g)
Carbs Proteins Calories Calories
(g)
(g)
from F
from C
X9
X4
Calories Total
from P
Calories
X4
(add
together)
Day 3
Food
Daily Total
3 Day Total:
Quantity Lipid/
Fats (g)
Carbs Proteins Calories Calories
(g)
(g)
from F
from C
X9
X4
Calories Total
from P
Calories
X4
(add
together)