Evaluating My Eating Habits Against Dietary Guidelines- Identifying Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement
All humans eat for their survival on earth. However, eating habits determine the nutritional status of an individual. Comparing my eating habits to the American dietary guidelines, I can attest that my eating habits are deplorable. On a normal day, I usually take at least three meals, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Additionally, I take snacks in between, but not too often unless I feel hungry. For breakfast, I usually have coffee, pancakes, and nuts. During lunchtime, I buy fast food from the food store, specifically Chicken Inn, for which I mostly order three pieces of fried chicken, fries, and a soft drink. For dinner, I mostly like having grilled chicken with burgers.
The dietary guidelines for Americans recommend that an individual take a balanced diet that provides 2000 calories per day every day. It is recommended that an individual take 2.5 cups of vegetables (of different colors) every day; for instance, orange vegetables such as carrots and green vegetables such as spinach. Secondly, an individual is expected to eat two cups of fruits every day, six ounces of grains every day, three cups of low-fat dairy products, and 5.5 ounces of proteins every day. The recommended proteins include baked, grilled, or broiled meat products, beans, and seafood (Alexander et al., n.d.). Given the above outlined guidelines, it is apparent that my eating habits are not meeting the guidelines.
The best eating pattern encompasses eating mixed food from all the food groups every day (Smethers & Rolls, 2018). For this reason, there are changes that I should apply to ensure I practice good eating habits. To begin with, I should reduce my coffee intake and, if possible, replace coffee with fresh fruit juice for breakfast. I can also accompany the breakfast with vegetables such as carrots and milk products such as yogurt. Secondly, I should stop taking fast foods and begin having plates containing balanced foods such as grilled chicken, rice, vegetables in the form of vegetable salad, and fruit salad for pudding. Finally, for snacks, I can begin taking yogurt and nuts rather than crisps, which are unhealthy.
References
Alexander, L., LaRosa, J., Bader, H., Garfield, S., & Alexander, W. New dimensions in women’s health.
Smethers, A. D., & Rolls, B. J. (2018). Dietary management of obesity: cornerstones of healthy eating patterns. Medical Clinics of North America, 102(1), 107-124.
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
We’ll write everything from scratch
Question 
This assignment aims to examine your eating habits compared to the dietary guidelines provided in the chapter and find ways to improve your eating habits, if possible.
Evaluating My Eating Habits Against Dietary Guidelines- Identifying Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement
How well do your eating habits compare with those outlined in “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” discussed in the chapter? What patterns are healthy? Choose two or three ways that you can sustainably improve your eating habits. If you do not believe, you can provide reasons why not. Upload your assignment as a Word document, 500 words, double-spaced, APA format.