Emily Coker's Career Portfolio

Skill Area: General Nutrition

Assignment Title:  Diet Project Narrative

What I learned:  This was one of the first assignments I did as a Dietetics major and it taught me to carefully consider the variety of foods I eat. Since doing this project I now actively plan my meals to include more dark leafy greens (which increases my calcium intake) and orange/yellow vegetables. I have developed several delicious ways of preparing them, and I plan to share my recipes with others to encourage their consumption of vegetables. Since I do not eat much meat, I was surprised to find that my protein intake was higher than recommended. I am now striving for a better balance in my food choices.

Reflection:  This review of my food intake reinforced the knowledge that eating a wide variety of foods is crucial to a balanced diet. Like most people I tend to fall into habits of cooking and eating the same foods over and over. I have made healthy changes in daily diet, including more fruits and vegetables, and reducing the amount of meat consumed. I have also added calcium-enriched soymilk to compensate for the lack of dairy in my diet.

Relevance:  It is important for me to eat a healthy, balanced diet so that I have credibility with my patients. I plan to utilize a diet analysis program at least once a year to review my choices and make improvements. I also will use a similar program for my patients to help them improve their diets and develop healthy eating habits.