Posted: June 1st, 2015

PART I: CONSUMPTION ASSIGNMENT (AKA “Diet Log”)

PART I: CONSUMPTION ASSIGNMENT (AKA “Diet Log”)

Order Description

The first part of this assignment is simply recording. Students are to record all food and beverages consumed for a minimum of THREE (3) days during the assignment period. These need not be consecutive but should represent typical consumption. In addition to what is consumed, students need to keep an informal journal to note the context and emotional factors contributing to their consumption.

1. Diet Log: ALL CONSUMPTION should be recorded AND logged using My Fitness Pal (http://www.myfitnesspal.com -There are many similar sites and aps available, I don’t care which is used so long as an accurate summery can be generated to turn in. My experience has found MFP to reliable and accurate along with easy to use).

2. Journal: This is a free-form informal response to the process of monitoring your consumption. Identify and discuss triggers, patterns, obstacles or use this as an opportunity to “chew” on your day and what is going on in your life. Daily entry required.

PART II: CONSUMPTION REPORT & RESPONSE (DUE TUESDAY 6/2) Consumption Report: At the end of this period and completion of part one, students will submit a report showing what they consumed (both food & liquid), brief journal commentary and summative analysis paper.

Consumption Report: This should consist of at least the minimum (3) required days of this assignment. Each of which should include the total number of calories and number of grams of protein, fat and carbohydrates consumed. In addition to monitoring intake of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, it is recommended to choose and monitor additional nutrients (I.e., iron, sodium, a particular vitamin, etc.) relevant to ones personal health concerns. These daily summary reports (3 in total) are to be printed and included in an appendix.

Journal: In addition to the consumption report, print out (either the Word document or scanned handwritten entries) the journal commentary per each day consumption was recorded.

Consumption Response / Reflection PAPER:

Along with their Consumption Report and Journal, students will turn in a written reflection of what they learned from this exercise. In ONE to TWO typed pages, discuss the following: Based on your diet…

1. What did you learn about your consumption patterns?

2. How does your age, ethnicity, or lifestyle influence your choices?

3. What, if anything, would you consider changing as a result of this exercise?

4. Which, if any, of your food choices were influenced by emotions (e.g., happiness, boredom, or disappointment) or social influences? Provide specific examples or illustrations from journal.

5. Was social pressure or marketing strategies a factor in to your food decisions? If so, explain.

TURN IN INSTRUCTIONS:

Print daily reports for at least THREE days, journal synopsis and response write-up. Include a cover page however, only the write-up needs be typed and double-spaced (it can all be typed, it’s varies from student to student as to which is the easiest).

Papers will be collected at the start of class Tuesday June 2nd.

FAQ:

Can I use another program? OR I already do this but not in MFP…

Yes, you can use other sources or sites than MyFitnessPal… However, I want a summation report of daily nutritional content to be turned in as part of the report. Students can use packaging labels or other resources to record the number of servings, calories and number of grams of protein, fat and carbohydrates for everything consumed. There will also be subcategories to include (e.g., saturated fat, unsaturated fat, trans fat, sugar, sodium and fiber) that are also informative. A good resource for such information is www.nutritiondata.com or www.calorieking.com. Also, www.mypyramid.gov allows you to enter information (i.e., height, weight, age, activity level) and food items in “my pyramid tracker” to list daily nutrient intake and compare to USDA recommendations tailored to the individual.

Why should I consider the serving size??! The recommendations for caloric intake and amount of nutrients will be used to help students with their reflection. Students must pay close attention to the number of servings consumed. For example, a bottle of soda often considered a single portion might actually be two or more servings. This serving size information is found on the label. For non-packaged foods and drinks, the above-mentioned web site(s) can be very helpful.

What do you want to “see” in my journal? These are personal reflections to help you process on your overall “consumption,” note times (day, date), places (home, friend’s house, restaurant, fast-food place, etc.), situations of meals and snacks. In a running journal (single spaced Word document note the date for each entry is the easiest however, may enjoy the process of writing), provide a brief description of your thoughts and feelings when eating. These notes will be included with the report and utilized in the reflection response.