Peer Evaluation

-Cheng Yin ( As of 8 Sept)

URL: http://eathealthybehealthypt.wordpress.com/

Cheng Yin's blog is very informative and she has tediously analysed the amount of nutritional content in each dish. Her blog is complete with insightful reflections. Furthermore, her layout of blog is easy to follow and well organised. I would recommend her to include a better analysis of her one dish meal.

-Cynthia (As of 8 Sept)

URL: http://fnpt.tumblr.com/

In Cynthia's blog, her analysis is very in depth and comprehensive, easily pointing out what other nutrients she may need. However, her one dish meal has very little details on why it is chosen. It does not give us the idea that it is very healthy, merely brushing with the statement 'Should have everything'.

-Kate Tan (As of 8 Sept)

URL: http://kate-fnnpt.blogspot.com/

In Kate's blog, everything is very well organised and systematic. I enjoy reading her analysis of her 3 day diet as it is straight to the point and she included her allergy etc. which may affect her dietary intake. However, there was no picture attached (as of 8 sept 2011) on her blog for the healthy one-dish meal.

To all: Please feel free to feedback on my blog once I have completed it!

Reflections

Reflect on the process and learning points from the PT

-What have you learnt about your eating habits?

-Do you consider your diet a healthy one? Why?

-Are the suggested nutritional tools useful? How?

-Why is your suggested one-dish meal healthy?

Through this project, i found out that i eat more than 3 meals a day, including snacks, but never exceeding 6 meals. My mealtimes fluctuate but I always have to eat rice in at least 1 meal. In fact, I can't live without rice! :( Every night, I would end off with a golden kiwifruit and half a red apple. I also tend to have a preference for salty food which resulted in a higher than recommended intake of sodium.

I think my diet is relative healthy. This is because I definitely take in vegetables and fruits every day, almost every meal. My percentage of carbohydrates, proteins and fats intake are all within the recommended intake range. Though I do not have consistent meal times, I never skip any of my 3 main meals. However, I did not take in enough calcium. Perhaps I should drink milk every morning instead of every other morning.

What I like most in this project is to experiment with the different health tools, before settling for the Dietary Intake Assessment. I find it very useful as it is user-friendly and gives you an in depth analysis of what your diet lacks and is sufficient in, allowing users to adjust their diet. There are also statistics given as well as suggestions and recommendations.

My one-dish meal is healthy because it contains many different types of nutrients and it is well balanced.

Healthy One Dish Meal

Suggest a one-dish meal that is healthy

-You may modify a dish that you have taken over the three days and make it healthier eg. a bowl of laksa cooked using coconut milk is substituted with low fat milk; or adding more vegetables to increase the dietary fibre content of your meal;

-You may choose a dish that is healthy because it uses healthy method/s of cooking, is balanced and uses healthy ingredients;

-Attach a photo of this dish in the blog

A healthy one dish meal means a balanced meal that consists of dietary fibre, water and nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals in one dish. It gets everything together without requiring you to prepare seperate dishes.

Today, I would like to recommend a Tofu with Braised Meat and Beans.

This meal is delicious and has many nutrients as well.

Ingredients

• Assorted fresh mushrooms– wash over running water and chopped
• 60g minced meat (or chicken)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• Handful of frozen/ fresh Japanese soy beans (edamames)
• 150g beancurd for steaming

Firstly, mushrooms are used as they are low in calories, fat-free, cholestrol free and very low in sodium, yet they provide important nutrients, including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin D and more. Furthermore, they add a wonderful earthy taste and meaty texture to food.

Next, the use of fresh Japanese soy beans, namely edamames, contains complete protein, high in fiber, and also a source of essential omega 3 fat. Besides, they are also rich in calcium, iron, zinc and B vitamins. Furthermore, these beans have very low sodium content.

Of course, it is also important to have meat in the meal. Meat provides you with heme-iron, a type of iron that's easier for your body to absorb than the type of iron found in non-meat sources like veggies and beans. Zinc helps your immune system to function properly, while the B vitamin group hels regulate the nervous system and release energy.

Lastly, there is the use of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, such that it is a much healthier and natural type of oil with lots of nutritional values.

Analysis of Diet

Analysis of Diet

-Use RDDA, Healthy Diet Pyramid, Food Intake Assessment, Recipe Analysis, Energy & Nutrient Compositions of Foods;

-Visit Health Promotion Board at hpb.gov.sg to find out more about these tools;

Period of Analysis: 06/09/2011 - 08/09/2011

Energy (kcal) Carbohydrate (g) Protein (g) Total Fat (g) Saturated Fat (g) Cholesterol (mg) Calcium (mg) Dietary Fibre (g) Sodium (mg) Average intake per day 1,828 275.6 67.2 52.2 17.8 407.0 572.2 13.8 3,088.8 Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) 1,901 285.1 58.1 63.4 21.1 190.1 1,000.0 19.0 1,267.9 % of recommendation met 96 97 116 82 84 214 57 73 244

Table showing the % of total calories of diet versus recommendation
% of total energy intake Your diet Recommendation Total Carbohydrates 60% 55 - 65% Total Protein 15% 10 - 15% Total Fat 26% 25 - 30%

Nutrition messages based on results

Sodium
Your sodium intake was greater than the recommended amounts. Sodium acts like a sponge, holding water in our body. Excess sodium increases the blood volume, which then raises the pressure in our blood vessels. Hypertension or high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and heart attacks.

The main source of sodium in our diet comes from salt (sodium chloride) and sauces added during cooking or at the table. To cut down on sodium intake, gradually reduce the use of salt and sauces when preparing or cooking food so that your taste buds have the chance to adjust. Try flavouring foods with natural seasonings like lemon juice or herbs and spices. Choose fresh food over processed foods over processed foods and enjoy the natural taste of foods. When eating out, ask for less sauces or gravy in dishes.

Cholesterol
Your intake of cholesterol was more than the recommended amount. Excessive cholesterol intake, especially as part of a high fat diet, can increase blood cholesterol level and put you at risk of heart diseases.

To cut down the intake of cholesterol, replace meat with beans, peas, lentils or bean products 3 times a week. For healthy adults and adolescents, limit eggs to 4 per week. In recipes, try to replace part of the use of whole eggs with just the egg white. Shellfish, prawns, shrimps, crabs, cuttlefish etc as well as organ meats should be eaten no more than twice a week and in small portions.

Calcium
You were not getting enough calcium in your diet. Without adequate calcium, you may be at risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition where your bones become weak and brittle. If left untreated, osteoporosis can worsen until a fracture (crack or break in the bone) occurs.

Increase your calcium intake from a variety of sources. Consume calcium-enriched breads and biscuits, green leafy vegetables, calcium-fortified juices, high-calcium soya bean milk, ikan bilis, sardines (with bones), tofu, as well as milk and other dairy products. Vitamin D helps our body absorb calcium. Your body can make this vitamin after sunlight hits your skin. You can easily obtain enough by getting at least 30-60 minutes of sunlight a day.

3-day Diet

Trace your 3 day diet

-It should run 3 days consecutively

-Include all meals consumed including snacks, tea, desserts etc.;

-Take note of time, food and quantity of food

-These can be recorded in the form of a table