Olivia Peduto

Prof. Miller

Human Nutrition

Diet Analysis Project

To begin the discussion and analysis of my diet, it is helpful to disclose that I follow a

predominately vegan diet, although I occasionally eat eggs. Although I ate eggs on both days that

I recorded my diet, I typically only eat eggs about 2-3 times per week. Therefore, my main

concerns about my diet revolve around the nutrients that vegans and vegetarians can commonly

become deficient in, like B12, essential fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and protein.

To start off, I was consistently deficient in the amount of calories that I should eat as

predicted by the Harris- Benedict equation. I am lightly active on most days because I work as a

server and I am on my feet for 8 hours. I also do a lot of walking to and from classes during the

week. Typically I like to do 2-3 yoga workouts per week, however If I am going to increase my

level of activity higher than this, I definitely would want to increase my daily caloric intake to

reach my estimated TEE. I currently have a BMI of 20.6, so if I lose weight I can be at risk for

being underweight fairly quickly.

For both of my records, I was consistently high in my fat intake and low in my

carbohydrate intake. I think this is because I was overall deficient in my caloric intake and in my

carbohydrates. This is why my fat is such a high percentage of my macro nutrient distribution. If

I increase my carbohydrate intake, the fat would not be as high of a percentage in my diet. The
quality of the fat was pretty good, consisting mostly of eggs, peanut butter, and avocado. I

definitely want to increase the amount of low glycemic index carbohydrates that I eat to properly

fuel my brain and red blood cells and keep them functioning at optimal levels.

My dietary fiber intake is insufficient. This concerns me because a diet low in fiber can

lead to an increased risk of heart disease. I also consume toasted bread and charred vegetables

fairly often, and the fiber can help push these carcinogens through my colon faster which will

decrease the amount of harm they can do. My diet is very high in cholesterol because of the

amount of eggs I ate both days. I am not greatly concerned about this because eggs are the only

form of animal products that I eat, and I do not consume them every day. However, if I increase

my fiber intake, this can help to prevent any potential negative effects of eating a high

cholesterol diet producing microflora which will in turn produce short-chain fatty acids that can

help to lower cholesterol synthesis in the liver. I am not concerned about deficiency of essential

fatty acids in my diet, as I was not deficient in both days of my diet record.

In regards to sodium levels, my diet was high. Most of the salt content came from the soy

sauce, miso soup, and salt that I added to my food.. These are foods that I eat frequently so I am

concerned about the sodium level in my diet. If I am consistently eating a diet too high in

sodium, this will cause my body to retain water to balance my fluid levels. It can also cause my

blood pressure to go up because my body will be working harder to pump the increased volume

of blood through my body.

An aspect of my diet that I am always concerned about is my protein intake. While my

protein levels were not deficient, they were on the lower end of healthy. A a vegetarian this is

concerning to me because my only protein sources are coming from plant based sources and
occasionally eggs. While eggs are a perfect complete protein, I am not consuming them often

enough to rely on them as my main protein source. My other sources of protein were incomplete

proteins. Although I technically ate enough protein for the day, a lot of it is incomplete so it will

not be used for protein synthesis. This concerns me because protein is needed for many

important function in the body like fluid balance, collagen production, and keeping my body

from going into a negative nitrogen balance.

The only water soluble vitamin that my diet is deficient in is vitamin B6, or pyridoxine.

This definitely concerns me because it is involved with amino acid metabolism and since I am

already not eating enough completed proteins this could lead to health problems for me. This

puts me at risk to develop microcytic hypochromic anemia and also a secondary niacin

deficiency. A niacin deficiency can lead to the development of the disease pellagra.

From the fat soluble vitamins, I am deficient in Both vitamin A (RAE) and vitamin E. A

diet deficient in vitamin A can lead to vision problems, such as night blindness, and can also

cause hypokeratosis. It is very important especially for women to get enough vitamin A in their

diets because a deficiency can also lead to birth defects in fetuses. In order to increase my

vitamin A levels it would be best to include more vegetables that contain carotenoids such as

carrots and squash because this would not leave me at risk for vitamin A toxicity. This can also

be very dangerous for women of childbearing age. The carotenoids will only be converted to

vitamin A if my body needs it, and the intake of beta carotene can also help prevent cancer

because of the antioxidants that they contain. In regards to my deficiency in vitamin E, I am not

extremely concerned because a true deficiency is not very common since it can be stored in the

fat cells of my body. However, I think it would be in my best interests to increase my vitamin E
levels by including more plant based fats in my diet such as avocado and nuts. This will prevent

any possible negative effects of being deficient in this vitamin such as hemolytic anemia.

In the mineral category, my diet is deficient in iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Out

of these four minerals, I am most concerned about the iron. As a vegetarian who does not

consume dairy, the only source of heme iron that I consume is eggs, which I do not consume

every day. The other sources of iron in my diet are non heme iron that come from leafy greens. I

do believe that my body is not absorbing a large portion of the non heme iron that I consume,

because, to begin with, iron that comes from a food containing fiber will not be absorbed well. I

also drink a lot of caffeine with almond milk that is fortified with calcium, and both of these will

decrease the absorption of the iron. If I continue to eat this way I am at risk for microcytic

hypochromic anemia. As previously stated, my diet is also low in vitamin B6. If I continue to eat

a diet that is deficient in both of these things I will most likely end up developing microcytic

hypochromic anemia in the future.

The second mineral that my diet is deficient in is magnesium. Magnesium is important

for muscle contraction and function. One important muscle that utilizes magnesium is the heart.

A diet that is deficient in magnesium can lead to a rapid or irregular heart beat, and can lead to

diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. Including more leafy greens, nuts, and seeds is

a good way to increase the amount of magnesium in my diet.

The third mineral that I a deficient in is potassium. Potassium is an intracellular

electrolyte and is important for the function of muscles and for maintaining fluid balance. If I

were to suddenly lose a lot of fluid, for example if I got sick and had diarrhea, I could be at risk
for hypokalemia. Hypokalemia can lead to cardiac arrest. Including more fresh fruits and

vegetables, specifically potatoes, in my diet will help to increase my potassium levels.

Finally, the fourth mineral that my diet is deficient in is zinc. A diet that is low in zinc can

put me at risk for developing dermatitis, and can lead to poor immunity and diarrhea. An

increased risk of diarrhea can also put me at further risk of developing hypokalemia because my

diet is already low in potassium and having diarrhea would quickly rid my body of a large

amount of electrolytes. The bioavailability of zinc in plant based sources is lower than animal

products, so including extra fresh vegetables into my diet is a good way to ensure I am getting

enough zinc each day.

After assessing and analyzing my diet, I have come to the conclusion that the three most

important recommendations to improve my diet are to increase my protein intake, iron intake,

and vitamin E intake. Since my diet was low in calories, eating additional protein will help to

add some extra calories and ensure that I don’t lose weight. Aside from increasing the amount of

protein that I eat, I also need to ensure that I eat complete proteins so that my dietary protein is

primarily being used for synthesis. As a vegetarian I have to be more mindful about the sources

of my protein to make certain that I am eating enough complete proteins. A good way to ensure

this is by protein complementing and eating two incomplete proteins to creat a complete protein.

An example of this would be a meal consisting of legumes and grains together. Other good

sources of proteins that I can include in my diet are eggs, which are a perfect protein, and some

soy based vegetarian foods.

I am concerned about my iron levels because I follow a predominately vegan diet. While

eggs can be a good source of heme iron, I do not eat them every day and I must make sure that
my body is able to get an adequate amount of non heme iron. When eating non heme iron

sources such as leafy vegetables and fortified grains, I need to be more mindful not to drink

caffeine and almond milk which is fortified with calcium, in the same meal. I often drink coffee

with my meals, and by doing this I am stopping a large portion of the non heme iron from being

absorbed. Another thing I can do to increase the absorption of my dietary iron is by consuming

vitamin C with my meals. I can easily do this by including a glass of orange juice or a fruit with

my meal.

Lastly, I am recommending to include more vitamin E rich foods in my diet, because out

of all of the vitamins, this was the only that I was most deficient in. By including more fatty

plant foods, like nuts, seeds, and avocados in my diet, I can easily bring my vitamin E levels up

to the DRI. An important effect of vitamin E on the body is the preventing LDL cholesterol from

being engulfed by a macrophage and will lower my risk of developing atherosclerosis. This is

important to me because atherosclerosis and high cholesterol runs in my family.