Week 4, Chapters 3 & 4-- Digging Deeper Sample Answer Course home | Weekly schedule | Announcements | Instructor Info | Desire2Learn | MasteringBiology® | Honor Code | FAQs | HELP!

Sample Digging Deeper Assignment:

I based my diet on 2000 calories because my average calorie intake over the two days was 1934.5 calories. Based on the USRDA values, I did well in some areas and poorly in others.

Over the course of two days, it is recommended that I eat 600 grams of carbohydrates; I consumed 607 g. The Jamba Juice was the largest source of my carbs, containing 110 g. The baked beans and macaroni and cheese also contained more carbs than the other foods I ate. However, I consumed too many carbs that were sugars and not enough complex carbs. The percent of total carbs that are sugar should be less than 25%. The carbs I consumed were composed of 52.9% sugar, which is double the recommended intake. Some of the foods that contributed to this high sugar intake included the Pop Tart, Kool-aid, tea, the Jamba Juice, Twix, and Dr. Pepper.

I should have consumed 50 g of dietary fiber over the two days, but I only consumed 75% of the recommended amount. The baked beans, bread, sloppy joe, macaroni and cheese, and spaghetti were all high in dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates. I should eat more beans, fruits, and vegetables to boost my intake of dietary fiber.

My fat intake was well under the maximum 65 g per day. I consumed only 72.3% of the recommended maximum value. The USRDA also recommends that saturated fat should be less than 20 g over two days. During that time, I consumed 93.8% of the maximum recommendation for saturated fat, which was nearly 19 g. The Cheetos, Pop Tart, hot dog, Twix, and pork chop were the largest sources of total fat and saturated fat. The pork was highest in saturated fat.

My cholesterol intake was also well below the maximum recommendation by the USRDA, which is less than 300 mg per day. Over both days, I consumed 356 mg of cholesterol, or 59.3% of the recommended maximum. However, my sodium intake was above the maximum USRDA value, which is 2400 mg (or 4800 for both days). Over the two days I ate 4867 mg of sodium, or 101.4% of the maximum recommendation. Some of the larger sources of sodium were the sloppy joe, Cheetos, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and spaghetti. The largest source of cholesterol was the pork chop.

This assignment has made me more aware of what I eat and what I should eat. I need to consume more dietary fiber and less sugar. I also need to watch my sodium intake, since I was at 100% of the USRDA. I probably should eat less junk food, and more fruits and vegetables for snacks. For example, I could have substituted Cheetos and Twix with an apple, carrots, or raisins, all of which would have been higher in fiber and lower in sugars and fats. I also could choose water instead of juices, sodas and tea to decrease my sugar intake. In the future I will pay closer attention to food labels and hopefully eat healthier!

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[Sample by Jessica Staley and Raelynn Deaton]

Contemporary Issues in Biology -- BIOL 1003 Mariëlle H. Hoefnagels, Ph.D. © 2004-2015. biology1003 at OU dot edu (at = @, dot =.) Last Updated August 5, 2014 11:02 PM