Diet Evaluation

Based on detailed tracking of my food intake this past week plus, I appear to be getting over 100% of the daily recommended calcium intake (1000mg) and my protein intake is at or above daily recommendations (I’m assuming 75g/day or 0.5g/pound of body weight); daily protein intake recommendations are less than definitive in the literature. 

Where I seem to be falling short is in daily calorie intake; the literature suggests an active male of my age should be getting around 2400 calories per day with 25-30% calories from fat. My total calorie intake the last couple of days averaged 1800 calories each day; my total intake of calories from fat is also less than recommended but as a percent of total calories, it is within the range.

I rarely consume alcohol, don’t eat fast or junk food, and rarely eat out (I’m thankful for this after so many years of business travel:). Eating at home enables precise monitoring of my food intake but we’ll see how long I keep it up:). 

The good thing about tracking daily food nutrition intake is that I'm developing a habit of monitoring intake as well as an ongoing sense for what their daily intake is for key metrics like calories, protein, fat. I've been a label reader for a long time but tracking my daily input makes it harder (for me) to overdo it when I decide to indulge:) and lets me know if I'm not consuming enough calories.

The biggest surprise from tracking my intake is how difficult it is to eat enough fiber (38g recommended for men). I've always eaten a lot of raw fruit and vegetables but turns out (contrary to my thoughts) they don't contain much in the way of fiber; one would have to eat more carrots, broccoli, apples, and other fresh fruit and vegges than possible. Luckily, legumes (e.g., garbanzo beans - 12g/cup) and cereal (10g/cup for shredded wheat) are rich in fiber; I just need to eat beans and cereal everyday in addition to the fruits and vegetables I eat:)

Luckily I brought my baking scale on my journey. It reads out in grams, ounces, etc. and tares; very handy for tracking my food intake!