Running Page: NUTRTIONAL SELF-ASSESSMENT

Nutritional Self-Assessment

Nutritional Self-Assessment

A nutritional self-assessment collects data on an individuals daily eating to analyze their dietary
eating habits and nutritional value in relation to nutritional needs. I have assessed my diet through the
process of recording my intake of food and fluids over the past seven days. At the end of my recording
on the seventh day, I analyzed my diets nutritional value based on my gender, weight, height, and age. In
this paper, I will be discussing BMI, nutritional information, situational information, intake analysis,
physical and emotional analysis, strengths and weaknesses, medical conditions, drug/medication
interaction, culture, diet plan, goals, and strategies and obstacle I may face achieving my goal.
BMI (Body Mass Index) is an individuals weight in relation to their height. Dividing the weight
(in kg) by the square of the height in meter, will provide an individuals BMI, I am 5 feet and 6 inches
and 128 pounds resulting in a BMI of 20. 7. This value places myself in the normal category, which
ranges from 18.5-24.9 (Dudek, S. G. (2014)). The Hamwi method is an alternative way in measure body
weight based on height. Calculate as follows: Females are 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height 5
pounds for every inch thereafter. However, males are 106 pounds for the first 5 feet of height 6 pounds
for every inch thereafter (Dudek, S. G. (2014)). When using his formula, I should be at a weight of 106
pounds. This calculation suggests I am 6 pounds heavier than recommended.
When analyzing my daily intake, I will be comparing my caloric intake to my total calorie
requirements. This value was calculated by using a healthy weight and multiplying the number by 10.
The recommended calorie intake for myself is 1280 a day. I recorded my intake starting on June 20th,
2016 to June 26th, 2016. My first day was a Monday the 20th. I had class all afternoon and had to work
overnight. I packed some snacks for school and a meal for work with this in mind. Around 10:30 am I
had a cup and a half of Raisin Brand Crunch using 3 fl ounces of 2% fat free milk. During break at
school (2:00pm), I ate a medium size orange. Just before class ended (5:00 pm) I had a mozzarella
cheese stick and a Quaker Chewy Granola Bar. At 5:30 pm every day I take birth control. As my night

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progressed at work, I soon took a lunch at 1:00 in the morning. My lunch at work consisted of a ham
sandwich with lettuce and miracle whip. I also had a cheddar cheese flavored chips and 8oz of sweet tea.
My total calorie intake for the day was 1,785. This placed me significantly above my recommended
calorie intake for the day.
The second day, Tuesday the 21st, I did not have school and worked overnight, I slept for most
of the day. Upon waking up, I eat another cup and a half of Raisin Brand Crunch using 3 fl ounces of 2
% milk. As I drove to work (5:15pm), I drank a Low-fat Strawberry Yogurt and at 5:30 I took my birth
control pill. My first break was a 9:00pm were I ate a cup or pitted cherries. At lunch time, 12:00am, I
ate lunch which consisted of a lasagna frozen meal with lemon ice tea. At second break, 3:00am, I ate a
mozzarella stick another cup of pitted cherries. My total calorie intake for the day was 1333. This put
me slightly above my recommended daily calorie intake.
The third day, Wednesday the 22nd. I had clinical for school for majority of the day. Shortly after
my clinical, I would work a half shift at my job. With this in mind, I meal prepped the night before,
packing a lunch and snacks for work and school. At 6:00am, I woke up and ate a breakfast bar and
quickly headed to clinical. On our lunch, 12:00am, I ate a chicken salad with salad dressing and a bag of
veggie chips. I took my birth control pill at 5:30 pm and headed to work. AT 9:00 pm, I ate mixed berry
yogurt and ate a medium sized banana. I did not eat anything else for the day because I worked a half
shift and went to bed at 12:30 am. My total calorie intake for the day was 1458. This put me above the
recommend calorie intake for my size.
Thursday the 23rd, I spent my morning sleeping and my afternoon in class. For breakfast I at
Raisin Bran Crunch cereal with sliced bananas on top. I used 3 fl oz. of 2% milk. I did not eat again
until presentations began in class. From 1pm-430 pm I ate 10 unroasted almonds, light nonfat yogurt, 2

Nutritional Self-Assessment

broccoli florets, a small cup of salad ma or spinach and kale, a small raw orange, 6 veggie chips, and 1
bottle of water. At 5:30 pm I took my birth control pill. I went to work after class and ate chicken with
rice and vegetables with brisk iced lemon tea at 11:15pm. Throughout my time at work, I drank another
bottle of water. My total calorie intake for Thursday was 1103. This put me slightly below my
recommended intake.
On the fifth day, Friday the 24th, I slept majority of the day and went to work in the evening. I
woke up at 4:00 pm and ate 1 poppy seed muffin and a raw small sized orange. At 5:30 pm I took my
birth control pill. At 9:00 pm I had my first break and ate a banana and a Quaker Granola Bar. Lunch
was at 12am for me in which I ate a chicken enchilada frozen meal. The enchiladas were made with
green sauce and had Mexican style rice and corn as the sides. For my last break, 3:00 am, I ate a bag a
veggie chips and a mozzarella cheese stick. Throughout my shift, I had drank 2 bottles of propel water.
My total calorie intake for the day was 1103 putting me below the recommended intake.
The sixth day was Saturday the 25th. I had the day off and slept majority of the day due to
working overnight. When I woke up, 12:00 pm, I cooked pancakes with strawberries and blueberries on
top. I used 3 tablespoons of reduced calorie syrup. On the side, I had 2 slices of turkey bacon and a glass
of orange juice. I had a fruit smoothie from Smoothie King at 2pm. Three hours later, 5pm, I ate a cup of
frozen fruit while cooking dinner. At 5:30 pm I took my birth control pill. For dinner, 6:15 pm, I had 2
baked tilapia fillets on top of brown rice with Lipton iced lemon tea. I ate a cup of raw baby carrots
dipped in ranch at 8pm that evening and about an hour later I ate a stuffed green peppers frozen meal.
My total calorie intake for Saturday was 1693 putting me significantly above my recommended intake.
My seventh and final day was Sunday the 26th. I woke up fair late in the afternoon because I had
to work overnight. At 3:00 pm, I bought a foot long Sunway sandwich. I ate the first half at 5pm. The

Nutritional Self-Assessment

sandwich I purchased was tuna sub with lettuce and tomato. At 5:30 pm I took my birth control pill. On
my first break at lunch, 9:00 pm, I ate a mozzarella stick. I took my lunch at 11:15 pm and had the other
half tuna sub with 1 cup of cranberry-apple juice. My total calorie intake was 1505 resulting in being
above my recommended intake.
After looking at my total nutritional intake for the week, I came to the conclusion that I have met
the RDA for Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Copper, Manganese, Niacin, Phosphorous, Riboflavin, and
Thiamin (Total Nutrition, 2016). As I look at my total calories eaten, I noticed that I consumed on
average of 26% Fats, 58% Carbohydrates, and 17% Protein (Total Nutrition, 2016). According to the
RDA for these categories, I did not exceed the limits for each group. Although I am with recommended
range for each category, my protein intake met the minimal requirement. An increase in protein is
required in order to maintain in the expected range. The vitamins and minerals I am lacking in my diet
are Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Calcium, Iron, Folic Acid, Selenium, and Zinc (Total
Nutrition, 2016).
Over the past seven days I have learned a tremendous amount about my nutritional intake and
what influences the food I eat. When I analyzed which days I ate the most calories, I noticed that it
always landed on a day where I had a fairly busy schedule. I noticed that I ate better meals and better
variety of foods on my days off from school and work. I confirmed this by referring back to my meals I
consumed on the Saturday. I had more time to cook and prepare a proper meal. Therefore, I ate better.
During the week, I foods there easily accessible and fast to cook. Another observation I made was the
relationship with stress level and eating. I noticed on busy days were I had school and work, I ate less
and even skipped a meal or two occasionally. When I finally got time to eat, I ate something quick and
easy. However, on the day were I did not work or have school, I ate all three meals with frequent snacks

Nutritional Self-Assessment

in between. Lastly, the biggest and most impetrative observation I made was the lack of hydration in my
diet. My intake rarely had any hydrating fluids.
It was easy to identify my strengths and weaknesses because I knew what I wanted my diet to
look like. My strengths are eating healthier on my days off, not eating fast food, and portion sizes. I was
excited to see that I rarely consume fast foods unlike other nursing students. I did well with eating small
frequent meals throughout the day. It was encouraging to see how much more nutrients I obtained on
days that was able to cook. I noticed that how I handle my stress was an area of opportunity. Throughout
the week, I maintained a very busy schedule which lead to me eating quick frozen meals and eating less
frequently. I realized that I am not prepared during the weak to maintain a healthy diet while managing
my busy schedule. Another weakness I was able to identify was the lack of water intake. I only drank
water two days out of the entire week and the rest of my beverages consisted of sugar filled drinks.
In 2013, I was diagnosed with anemia. My family has a history of iron deficiency anemia on my
mothers side. Although I have been prescribed Ferrous Sulfate daily, I do not take them as directed.
Ferrous Sulfate is an essential mineral that supplies the body with iron which is needed to help the blood
carry oxygen to organ throughout the body. After seeing the results from my analysis, I have come to the
realization just how detrimental it is for me to adhere to my medication. Not only am I already anemic
but I also do not eat enough foods that contain iron worsening my condition. I think the importance of
this essential mineral is a lot more prevalent to me now that see that my diet does not contain the
recommend amount and I am already deficient in it.
The culture I grew up with is more down south soul food more than anything. My family is
African American and Indian. Although we do still have some Indian traditions, my parent always
prepared foods famous in southern states. However, our diet always included meats, fruits, and

Nutritional Self-Assessment

vegetables. As I grew up, I feel as though I have kept the same cultural foods in my diet. I have branch
out beyond the foods I regularly ate at home and have adapted my life partners foods as well. The
negative aspect about my diet is it includes foods high in calories with plenty of sugar. I also feel my
diet does not include an adequate amount of meats. Unfortunately, this limited amount of meats hinders
my ability to improve my anemia status. On the other hand, a positive aspect of my diet is that there is a
vast variety of foods that includes an abundance of vegetables.
To improve my nutrition and health, I have developed a diet plan. Three goals to improve my
overall nutrition are medication compliance, incorporating more meats, and increasing my water intake.
To reach my first goal, I will set an alarm on my phone as I do with my birth control. This should help
increase compliance and support my need for improving my diagnosis. For my second goal, I will eat
meats high in protein at least twice a week. To improve my overall nutrition, for my last goal I will drink
at least two 8oz bottles of water every day. Obstacles I can encounter and need to overcome are having
no access to my phone, finding tasty meats high in protein, and overcoming the lack of taste with water.
The assessment I conducted allowed me to visualize my actual nutritional status versus what I
thought it was. It was a very positive and educational experience that truly helped me identify
opportunities of improvement for my diet. I have always felt I ate relatively healthy because my weight
was always within the expected range. After analyzing, I am able to identify the truths of my diet my
move towards a healthier lifestyle. I learned how much I am affected my iron levels by not adhering to
my medication and eating food high in iron. I also learned that not every vitamin or mineral is common
foods. With that being said, I need a vast variety of foods to obtain the RDA of each vitamin and
mineral. It was clear that my diet to supply me with everything I need and a change is needed for

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improvement. Through this assessment, I have gained a better understanding of what it takes to achieve
a healthier diet.

References

Nutritional Self-Assessment

Dudek, S. G. (2014). Nutrition essentials for nursing practice. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer
Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Total Nutrition. (n.d.). Retrieved June 29, 2016, from
http://www.fitday.com/app/reports/nutrition#26JUN2016

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Day 1

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Day 2

Day 3

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Day 4

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Day 5

Day 6

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Day 7

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Total Nutrition