Digestion and Nutrition

My Daily Menu

1. Explain why the menu of food choices you made is nutritious, meaning the food choices follow the government's recommendations for Calories and nutrients.
   
   I tried to make choices that are relatively reflective of what I eat. I am vegan, so substitute tofu and tempeh, etc for the dairy and meat choices (I think this would've helped with the sodium issue, as well, as these food are much lower in sodium then cottage cheese, etc). I got enough calories pretty easily, as well as proteins and carbohydrates, and stayed under the DV for fat, etc, although in my own diet I like to add healthy fats like avocado and Flax oil.
   

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2. How does a 2 000 Calorie daily menu compare to your recommended Calorie intake amount on the chart? What would you do to your 2 000 Calorie menu to make it better match your recommended Calorie intake?
   
   My recommended intake is between 2000 and 2200, which is about where I ended up. However, I feel like when we are listening to our bodies, our caloric needs will vary day-to-day.
   

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3. How can you use the Nutrition Facts label to make healthy decisions?
   
   The labels help to make very clear how much sodium and sugar are in various products. I also look closely to see how many ingredients are listed, and how many of those ingredients sound like they were produced in a chem lab.
   

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4. Did the menu you created contain the foods you like to eat? Explain why or why not.
   
   Yes, however my own diet has much more variety.
   

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5. Do any of the items you selected provide more than 30% in any nutritional area? If so, which foods and which nutrients? Why did you choose those foods?
   
   The grains added a lot. In a veggie diet, eating a wide variety as opposed to one big chunk of a particular food, seems more helpful, though. However, use of nutrient-dense foods such as unsalted nuts and whole grains such as quinoa helps us to meet our bodies' nutritional requirements.
   

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6. What did you notice about the nutrients in fast foods?
   
   I didn't even go there. I haven't eaten at a fast food retaurant in ten years. Seriously. That stuff'll kill you.
   

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7. What did you notice about the food group icons in your Daily Meals area? Did you favor a specific food group? Explain.
   
   I went for fruits and veggies a lot. They allow us to eat quite a bit and feel full without adding unnnecessary calories. They also add important vitamins and minerals.
   

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