Diet Experience Issues - Essay Example

From the data, it appears as though I am deficient in the amount of vegetables I eat by about 8 oz. each day.  I measured this amount and found out that it is not all that much more to eat to be balanced in this area.  I also discovered that I am lacking in some vitamins. I entered the foods I ate into an analysis site and found that I am deficient in several B vitamins and vitamin C. I am not a fan of citrus so I need to find some good sources of vitamin C in foods that I like. I guess the other alternative would be to take a multivitamin each day to get all the micronutrients I need.

I can see from the findings of my data that I eat too much fat and carbohydrates, though my total was not very much more than the recommended amount for a person my age, height, and activity level. Looking at my diet, I tried to locate the source of the extra fats and carbohydrates and soon realized that sweet foods were the culprits. I enjoy candy that included chocolate and caramel. I never eat much, but I do eat a small candy bar almost every day. I found that if I eliminated the candy from my diet, I was within the recommended range for fats and carbohydrates, but my total calories had by about 250. What this tells me is I need to replace that candy bar with a piece of fruit, preferably one that has vitamin C.

I think that the best chance for me would be to switch the candy bar to some fruit.  But the problem I have with doing this comes from the fact that I am a very fit person, I am not gaining weight, I feel great and I like to eat some candy each day. To be honest, I know that I could make a few changes to my diet to stay within some guidelines, but that isn’t a motivation for me. I figure if I feel fine and am fit, that is all the proof I need that my diet is OK.

I was surprised to see how just a few food choices make a big difference in the amount of nutrition you get. I was playing with the data entry tool and entered two slices of pizza instead of the salad I had eaten for lunch. It was amazing how much more fat and carbohydrates I consumed when eating pizza instead of salad. I think that this tells us that the food system in the United States is rigged for people to get fat. Pizza is easier to get and cheaper than a fresh salad.